Autumnal Equinox and Rosh Hashanah 

Falling (get it?) on the same day is the autumnal equinox and the Jewish New Year.

Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the birthday of the universe, year 5786, and is the beginning of the High Holy Days.

Fall weather in SoCal usually brings our hottest Santa Ana winds and high temperatures, but yesterday was a drizzly, showery day and we were all so grateful for it because we hadn’t had any rain in months.

Today, the first day of autumn, is still a bit gloomy, but it’s heating up again. The leaves are turning yellow so we know change is on the way.

Mythically, the autumnal equinox relates to the story of Persephone and marks the moment the goddess descends into the underworld to rejoin her husband, Hades.

It’s a good day to write down what we want to release alongside what we want to attract. It’s all about balance.

Happy New Year and Happy Autumn!
L’shanah tovah! Remember to eat apples dipped in honey and hope for an end to war and long lasting peace.

When The Towers Fell – September 11

I don’t approve of using animals in war or police work. I think it’s cruel to send dogs and horses in harm’s way, especially since these sentient beings don’t have the ability to consent — decision-making capacity –and are merely used as expendable, cheap fodder. In my opinion, that’s clearly abusive.

However, the rescue dogs who searched for victims of the 9/11 attacks saved many lives and then took on the task of providing therapy to survivors.

On September 11, 2001, when the towers fell and the sky turned to ash, more than 300 search and rescue dogs stepped into hell on earth. They didn’t hesitate. They didn’t flinch. They climbed through fire and steel, through suffocating debris and deafening silence, searching for life with every breath, every pawstep, every heartbeat.

They entered with pure hearts and fearless resolve—no armor, no agenda, just the unshakable instinct to help. They worked until their pads split, until the air burned their lungs, until their handlers broke down and hope ran dry. And still, they kept going. Because that’s what heroes do.

When the searching stopped, the therapy dogs arrived. Quiet. Steady. Healing. They didn’t need words. They curled beside the broken, leaned into the grief, and reminded shattered humans that love hadn’t died in the dust.

These beautiful dogs didn’t just serve. They bore the weight of our sorrow. They carried our hope. They were the silent saints of Ground Zero—unspoken, unshaken, unforgettable.

We don’t just remember them. We thank them. For their courage. For their comfort. For showing us, in our darkest hours, what selfless devotion truly looks like.

To the hero dogs of 9/11: your legacy lives on in every rescue, every comfort, every life saved because you showed up when it mattered most. Curated from houndsinpounds.org

The Circle of Life and Death

In the corner of the garden close to the back gate, I found a wing that belonged to a Monarch butterfly. Poor tattered little one, colors dull and listless; I carefully picked her up to bring inside the house to spend eternity resting in a pretty box of similar treasures.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

When I went back outside to finish a yard clean-up project, I had a visitor — this magnificent Monarch who stayed still long enough to spread her wings for a picture, vibrant and alive:

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

It’s a blueblue sky circle of life day here in SoCal.

Life Imitates Art

It’s been an insane couple of days here on Earth, hasn’t it? A lunar occultation, double meteor showers, giant earthquakes, tsunamis — in addition to retrograde Mercury and the Lion’s Gate portal — and we are definitely in the midst of a massive amount of cosmic energy. I’m not sure what it all means, but I’m on high alert, that’s for sure.

There were no earthquakes or tsunami damage around here, but check out this crazy photo! I was in the garden near a brick patio cleaning fallen leaves from the eucalyptus tree. It’s a really annoying job because my stupid city planted the wrong sort of street trees decades ago and not only do eucs make a giant mess, they’re also a fire hazard. I have to constantly pick up the leaves and the incredibly painful-to-bare-feet seed pods (known as gum nuts). No matter how many times neighbors and I lobby the city to get the tree removed, we are always turned down; another stupidstupid city decision.

In and around the bricks and rocks, I had positioned a few random tiles to add some color when a friendly real lizard stopped by for a visit. I’m glad my camera was close by to memorialize the meeting between art and reality.

Does art imitate life or is life imitating art?

Yes, you are beautiful!

You can see some of the offending euc leaves that fell right after I had cleaned up this area. It’s SO annoying!

Photo by Enchanted Seashells
#WordlessWednesday

Federal Agents March Through L.A. Park, Spurring Local Outrage

Why isn’t this a bigger deal? Have you heard about what happened in Los Angeles? Your city could be next. Mine, too.

This isn’t a crew on location shooting a scene of a disaster film, this is real life. We are living in a nightmare.

APNews

Federal officials said it was an immigration enforcement operation, though it was unclear if anyone had been arrested. “It’s the way a city looks before a coup,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said as she condemned the action.

It had been a quiet morning in MacArthur Park, a hub in one of Los Angeles’s most immigrant-heavy neighborhoods. Children at a summer camp were playing outside, but the park was otherwise largely empty.

Then, dozens of armed federal agents began marching over soccer fields and grass berms, based on footage of the incident. Military-style vehicles blocked the street and a federal helicopter flew overhead.

They wore fatigues, masks and helmets and marched in lines. Some were on horseback. Camera crews followed alongside them.

Los Angeles leaders have grown weary after thousands of National Guard troops and Marines arrived nearly a month ago and immigration raids have become a regular, visible occurrence. But they took particular umbrage at Monday’s extraordinary show of force in MacArthur Park and issued a swift and furious rebuke.

“What I saw in the park today looked like a city under siege, under armed occupation,” Mayor Bass said in a news conference on Monday afternoon, adding that she had traveled regularly into conflict zones as a member of Congress.

Dozens of federal agents were observed in the park, many arriving in armored military vehicles. They were joined by 80 California National Guard troops under the command of President Trump, according to the office of Governor Gavin Newsom, who criticized the effort and has tried to stop the federalization of Guard members through a lawsuit.

Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, did not respond to specific questions about the purpose of the operation at MacArthur Park or whether anyone had been detained.

“The operation is ongoing,” she wrote in an email. “So that should be a message in of itself.”

Asked to clarify that message, she responded that it was an immigration enforcement operation and that such efforts “are not in one single location.”

To many local leaders, the Monday march through MacArthur Park seemed designed to intimidate immigrants and residents, rather than to carry out targeted enforcement. Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the president of the Los Angeles City Council, derided the display as a stunt made for TikTok.

“If you want to film in L.A., you should apply for a film permit like everybody else,” he said during an afternoon news conference. “Stop trying to scare the bejesus out of everybody who lives in this great city and disrupt our economy.”

Ms. Bass said that once she arrived, she had demanded to speak to the person in charge of the operation at the park. She was handed a phone, through which, she said, Mr. Bovino told her that he would be “getting them out of the park,” apparently referring to federal agents.The agents left the park a short time later, she said. From New York Times by Jill Cowan and Mimi Dwyer

***

These questions need to be answered: when are good people going to rise up and put an end to this dystopian nightmare? When is enough, enough?

They ripped away health care. They denied food assistance to children. They exploded the nation’s debt, shuttered Social Security offices, rural hospitals, and decimated federal employees and the VA, along with kidnapping mothers and fathers and students. When is enough ENOUGH?

.

Sirius-ly Star Light ⭐ Star Bright…

If I could, I’d wish everyone a happy 4th of July, but in our current USA climate of ICE kidnappings, lack of due process, total annihilation of our Bill of Rights and Constitution, it’s more of a sad, funereal, and tragic day than a celebration.

Instead, I’m looking to the skies for inspiration, hopefully some “as above, so below” joy, the kind you get from wishing upon a star…

Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight.
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.

It’s time for Sirius to shine as the brightest most twinkliest star in the night sky. Also known as the Dog Star, it’s a binary star system consisting of Sirius A and Sirius B. Sirius is located 8.6 light-years from Earth in the constellation Canis Major. 

Each year from July 3 to July 7, the Earth experiences a powerful energetic alignment known as the Sirius Portal. This five-day window marks a period of increased cosmic energy, spiritual awakening, and inner transformation.

During this time, the Sun aligns with the star Sirius, the brightest star visible from Earth, often referred to as our Spiritual Sun. Sirius has been revered by ancient cultures for thousands of years for its connection to divine intelligence, spiritual activation, and higher consciousness.

In astrology and energy work, this alignment is known to open a cosmic gateway or energy portal, allowing a flow of high-frequency light codes to reach Earth. These light codes are energetic patterns that support soul remembrance, intuition activation, emotional release, and vibrational upgrades on both a personal and collective level.

While this energy is available to everyone, those who are more energy sensitive or actively working on growth may feel it more strongly.

During the Sirius Portal, many people feel a mix of emotional, mental, and physical shifts. These are signs that your energy body is adjusting and upgrading in response to the alignment.

The energy coming through this gateway often reveals what needs healing, highlights what is ready to shift, and strengthens your connection to your higher self. It can be a time of deep insight, emotional clarity, and powerful intention-setting.

The Sirius Portal represents a connection between the Earth and higher realms of consciousness. While our physical Sun sustains life in the material world, Sirius is seen as a source of spiritual light, providing insight, healing, and guidance from the soul level.

This alignment is considered sacred as it opens a brief period where access to wisdom, clarity, and transformation becomes easier, faster, and more direct.

It is believed that spiritual downloads, energetic healing, and intuitive insights are more accessible during this time. People who actively work with this energy may experience a breakthrough, make an important decision, or feel deeply inspired to move forward with something they had been holding back.

To make the most of the Sirius Gateway, it helps to take time out to pause and reflect. This is a perfect time for journaling, meditation, or stillness. By asking focused questions, you open a dialogue with your higher self and invite answers that may come through thoughts, dreams, feelings, or synchronicities.

Here are some powerful questions to ask during this portal:

⭐ What parts of my life feel out of alignment with who I am becoming?
⭐ What am I ready to release so that I can grow emotionally or spiritually?
⭐ What would it feel like to fully trust my inner guidance right now?

Asking these questions from a place of curiosity, without pressure, allows answers to flow naturally. Sometimes they come right away. Other times, the answers appear gradually through signs, intuitive nudges, or conversations that confirm what you already feel inside.

While the Sirius Portal is deeply energetic, the way you respond to it physically and mentally will shape what you get from the experience. Choosing to be intentional during these five days helps direct the energy toward your goals.

You might take time out each day between July 3 and July 7 to do one or more of the following:

⭐ Write down one intention that you want to manifest before the end of the year.
⭐ Meditate on your highest self and visualize living your next-level life.
⭐ Clear out old clutter, thoughts, or habits that no longer match your direction.
⭐ Pay close attention to your dreams or signs and write them down immediately.

What we do, say, think, and feel during these days carries extra weight. Approach the portal with clear intentions, openness, and trust. Curated from Alex Myles

I guess all we can do is manifest and set intentions for a positive future with decent humans making better choices for us and our planet. Fingers crossed!

⭐ Best of all, I discovered a Leon Russell (as Hank Wilson) song about stars!

Incoming Tide

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

This particular beach is a favorite for locals to surf and tidepool, so we are always a bit vague as to the specific location to protect it from being overrun by ill-mannered tourists who trash our beaches.

Sunday Vibes

Today’s mood: out of the loop by choice…

I don’t want to hear about that orange POS or worry about WW3 or the economy or ICE or any of the other no good, terrible, very bad things that are going on. I want to bask in my ignorance.

Just for today I want to be the innocent who waters her garden and talks to crows and delights in butterflies and believes in the inherent goodness of humanity.

This Beach Boys song seems to convey the vibe of the day, only good vibes! Here’s Good Vibrations studio footage. I know that Leon Russell played on a version of GV, but I don’t see him here:

It Was a Good Day for a Protest and a Surf: THIS Is What Democracy Looks Like!

Before the rally, a peaceful ocean view with some decent waves…

And then everyone began to arrive for the protest. It didn’t take long until there were four to five people deep (and more at Offshore), and then we spread out all the way from Tamarack to north of Carlsbad Village Drive. I estimate between 7-10,000 defenders of democracy showed up to be seen and heard. I’ve never experienced such an incredible turnout along with powerful, positive energy. We didn’t witness any trouble from outside agitators, I’m happy to report, HOWEVER

This is unconfirmed but I heard that a white supremacist group out of Carlsbad was allegedly planning to show up to the No Kings Day protest in armor and armed, with the intent to harm protestors and “non-white” people. According to what I was told, NCIS and the FBI have been monitoring the group’s leader and may already have him in custody—or will soon. But the situation is still uncertain, including whether the group is targeting a specific location. If I hear anything else, I’ll update this post.

One of the most energizing parts of the day was the neverending line of cars driving back and forth on Carlsbad Boulevard honking in support while decorated with their own signage.

San Diego also understood the assignment. SDPD estimates 60,000+ attended today’s No Kings Protest.

Credit to photographer.at CBS news

Did you see the videos from around the world? This is only the beginning and it’s a beautiful thing. Check out New York and Chicago. Here’s LA:

Did you hear about this? An elderly man from Gainesville was one of dozens of veterans arrested outside the U.S. Capitol Building as they protested against Trump’s stupid military (birthday) parade scheduled for Saturday. U.S. Capitol Police confirm Vietnam veteran John Spitzberg, 87, of Gainesville, was arrested for crossing a police line during a demonstration on Friday. HE WAS IN A WALKER FFS.

Officers say around seventy-five veterans were protesting peacefully outside the U.S. Supreme Court building. Later, a group of about 60 left and officers began establishing a perimeter.

Arresting an eldery veteran for protesting Trump’s BS parade shows how much this insane administration respects and appreciates veterans.

This is why we show up, chanting, “What does democracy look like? THIS is what democracy looks like!!” 🇺🇸

NO KINGS! Attend June 14 National Day of Action

I’m so proud of the San Diego community that stood strong to protect and defend the ICE kidnapping that happened on May 30 at a local restaurant, Buona Forchetta.

A video of the ICE raid showed heavily armed and masked agents (modern day Gestapo) dressed in full tactical gear surrounding the restaurant. A large crowd of community members pushed back at the ICE agents, surrounding their vehicles and yelling. The ICE agents deployed flash bang smoke grenades which broke up the crowd.

A local politician questioned why ICE agents were carrying machine guns and “aggressively shoving people against the walls,” handcuffing all the employees. He said the warrant for the raid, which was signed by a federal judge, instructed ICE agents to arrest everyone and detain all the employees.

“I don’t know how a federal judge signs off on that,” he said. “What about the rights of those citizens?” He said the warrant didn’t indicate reference to any of the workers having committed violent crimes.

Another politician said that the TWENTY armed agents who burst into the restaurant traumatized the staff and the owner.

Can you believe this is actually happening? And THIS, too…

The orange POS has planned a military parade in Washington, D.C. for his birthday on June 14. This display of might is intended to intimidate opponents and solidify his image as a strongman on our dime—we won’t stand by while that happens.

Instead of allowing this military farce to overwhelm the day, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day: people coming together in communities across the country to reject strongman politics and corruption.

It’s significant that the new Pope also chose this day to appear in Chicago as hopefully millions of people gather and celebrate the election of its native son — and first North American pontiff — Pope Leo XIV.

Have you seen the news that the orange POS sent the National Guard to Los Angeles EVEN THOUGH our Governor did NOT request their presence?

Did you hear that the orange POS has made it ILLEGAL to wear masks in public UNLESS you’re a member of his ICE gestapo?

Do you understand what is going on? This is not a drill; democracy is in trouble. According to the nonprofit, Third Act, our role is to bring the power and wisdom of elders to this movement, to ensure our voices are heard loud and clear to protect our democracy and our rights.

I think I’ll join my friends and neighbors locally on June 14. Rise up! RESIST!