“I know you’re tired but come, this is the way…” Rumi
It may look like a hot and dusty trail, but I think it’s paradise. Let’s explore this path together.
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Category Archives: My Enchanted Life
A Wonderful Day
This is a wonderful day.
I have never seen this one before.
~ Maya Angelou
Weekend Vibes
Just picked a cluster of gorgeous grapes; might pour myself a glass of some chilled and fermented ones a bit later. (Of course I’m talking about chardonnay.)
Happy Friday!
Who Knows Where The Time Goes
Do you feel this way, too?
The days seem to be slipping through my fingers, dripping one by one like a faucet that can’t be turned off.
I can’t fix it, can’t stop it, can’t slow it down. MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday, it’s all the same, it’s going nowhere, it’s going everywhere. I turn and turn the handle but there’s nothing I can do to slow the incessant leak.
(Maybe this was the real message about all those plumbing problems I had a couple months ago.)
First it was January; then I blinked and it’s almost the end of August.
Where has the time gone?
I can’t put all the hours back on the clock, I can’t halt the inexorable passage of time, I can’t stop the sand in the hourglass from running through my fingers.
I don’t know what happened to time. It’s out of my control.
Everyone has heard the version that of Who Knows Where The Time Goes by Judy Collins, but I just learned the original artist and songwriter was Britain’s Sandy Denny. She had the voice of an angel.
Of course Judy Collins is magnificent:
Full Blue Moon Treasures
My day began with French roast coffee and a walk around the garden to check on newly sprouted lettuce seedlings.
I’m glad I did, otherwise I’m not sure I would have seen mommy dove stuck in a pile of fruit tree netting that had fallen to the ground. Oh no! She was really struggling to free herself while her baby was close by, silently watching, but unable to help.
After I untangled her and made sure she was ok, I told her I was very sorry she became trapped in the netting. Both of them stayed close so I sat down on the ground to hang out with them for a few minutes.
After that brief rescue, I thought I’d go for an early walk while it was still a bit overcast and the sun wasn’t yet blazing all of its damaging cancer rays directly at me.
Before I crossed the street that leads to the lagoon, I looked down on the sidewalk and spied this adorable sort of a heart-shaped rock. About a foot away, I noticed a dime and a penny, so I absolutely had to grab it all.
I mean, how could I not, right?
10+1 = 11, so I had a significant “11” message from the universe, along with a little heart love.
The number 11 is supposed to be a good sign, as it can represent a new beginning, spiritual growth, and guidance. In numerology, the number 11 is considered a master number with a high-frequency creative energy.
It all sounds incredibly encouraging as we are about to feel August’s full moon energies.
Since it’s also a dynamically charged blue moon, remember to take a moment to look up and connect with the power she transmits. It’s a rare and magical time to dream big, set intentions, and manifest joy.
As above, so below.
An Empty Nest
I learned something new today. I read that freshly hatched doves are silent; unlike most birds that chirp or coo incessantly for food, baby doves make virtually no sound.
I didn’t hear anything for a couple of days, so I climbed up on a stepladder to see inside the nest and there was this gorgeous little one gazing at me with his gentle round eyes. I thought there were two eggs, but there’s only one, and he seems quite content.
Baby mourning doves are ready to fly and leave the nest when they’re about two weeks old, but they stay close to their parents and continue to be fed by them for another week or two.
The nest is now empty but they’re still here in the garden, and even came to visit me on the deck. I feel lucky to be chosen as a safe haven for these placid, peaceful creatures.
Everything Breaks
Why am I breaking things?
In the last few days, I broke three coffee mugs. Tragically, one of them was my all time favorite wolf mug that I’ve had since the 1970s..and that really upset me. It was a perfectly shaped mug, not too heavy, with a comfortable handle and the ideal curved sipping edge, not too thick or thin. It had survived several moves and was one I used practically every day.
It’s not like I don’t break things from time to time, (including bones), but three in a row got my spidey senses tingling. Does it mean anything special? Is it a message from the universe? Have I been careless?
I had to investigate…but exactly how do we interpret our broken things? I could see an easy connection with a broken mirror, but three coffee mugs? It’s not clear to me, but I know there’s meaning in there somewhere.
- Frequently dropping and breaking fragile items can be a sign that the universe is reaching out to you with an important message that you need to hear.
- Breaking glass is considered a symbol of transformation and change.
- The shattering of a dish, cup, or other fragile item is a moment we can’t control. We are powerless as soon as it leaves our hands; how it falls, the type of material it’s made of, and what it fell on — there is nothing we can do to change the outcome.
- Frequent dropping of things can be an indication that we need to learn how to let go of control.
- Sometimes, things break as signs or symbols sent by the universe or our spiritual guides. These broken objects can represent the need for change or transformation in our lives. It could be an indication that something in our current path is no longer serving us and needs to be released or replaced.
- Release it, set it free, so now there’s room for something else.
I’m not sure if that’s accurate OR is the answer that I’ve simply been especially careless and absentminded.
- The next time something breaks, or if you’re holding onto broken things around your home right now, ask: what message do you have for me? Trust your knowing and what comes up.
- Thank the broken item for all its support and express gratitude for the joy it brought.
Sometimes I repair broken things to recycle as a planter, but these are too damaged. A little glue won’t be able to fix what’s wrong, and that makes me sad, because I have always felt that most things can be mended if you try.
Here’s a pic of two of the three mugs broken in succession. The third one was completely shattered so I immediately tossed it because there were sharp little shards everywhere and none of the pieces fit back together.
My Wish For You
I hope everybody survived the powerful energies of the 8/8/8 Lion’s Gate Portal! It was intense, wasn’t it? And still is…
I always return to the simple things to realign myself on life’s journey; a little course correction of some vitamin sea at the beach with sand and seashells.
Art by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite
Quote by Nicollete Sowder
Text over art by Enchanted Seashells
Lion’s Gate’s Portal Is Open: Dynamic Energy on August 8, 2024
Can you feel the energy? Last night’s dream wanderings were absolute lunacy.
One of my dreams was about my mom. I clearly remember she was in the hospital after a minor procedure. I was helping the RNs care for her. (I do that in real life, too.) She wanted to sleep as the anesthesia wore off, so I made her comfortable, closed the shades, and as I walked out the door, there was a lot of noise coming from the next room. It sounded like a party.
A group of youngish men were laughing and playing music. In my most stern voice, I marched into their room told them to be quiet and more respectful of everyone around them. Instead of arguing with me (I wasn’t wearing a uniform or anything), they looked contrite, mumbled their sorries, and immediately lowered the volume.
I chuckled to myself as I thought my mom would be so proud of me. Once upon a time, when she was head nurse at a local hospital, a group of Hell’s Angels were visiting a new mom (one of their members), and were being way too loud and disruptive. It was well after visiting hours and the other nurses were afraid to confront these giant, hairy guys in leather jackets. My (less than five feet tall) mom walked into the room, pointed at them and said, “You’ll leave NOW” , and they did, apologizing to her as they left. Heehee. The moral of the story is not to mess with short people. Especially my mom.
That was the only dream I can fully recollect, but the night was filled with snippets of visions, images, and inchoate yearnings. I woke up and didn’t know where I was for a brief moment or two. I’m always sad when I wake up and realize that my mom isn’t still here. She would have loved to hear about that dream. Or maybe she WAS here in spirit. I like to think that’s true.
I would guess that’s all because on August 8, the Lion’s Gate Portal will reach its full power, bringing the stars together in a cosmic alignment, alive with magic and manifestation.
This year’s annual portal opening is unique because it occurs during a Mercury retrograde, an extra powerful time to redirect our visions, intentions, and manifestations.
During the Lion’s Gate Portal, we’re given an opportunity to look beyond our current reality. It’s our chance to harness the transformative energy of the stars.
Occurring every year, the Lion’s Gate Portal takes place when the star Sirius aligns with the Sun in Leo, which is believed to be an exceptionally lucky time to fulfill our dreams. This year, Lion’s Gate is from July 28 to August 12.
Numerologically, the number eight represents strength and power. (8/8/2024 = 8:8:8)
This is a heightened cosmic gateway to manifest abundance.
What kinds of dreams would you like to manifest during this Lion’s Gate Portal?
World peace? Love? Good health? Abundance?
Makin’ Babies
There are a lot of doves around here AND a lot of hawks. I’ve actually watched them hunt doves, and because they’re not the most swift birdies, it’s not even a contest. The hawk wins every time. It’s a traumatizing experience for ME because there’s nothing I can do to save them from their terrible fate.
Yesterday, I noticed some ripe grapes in one of the arbors in my garden so I climbed on a ladder to snip the cluster when I spied a rough twig-filled nest wedged on top between the vines.
Camouflaged so adorably was a mama dove sitting in the nest looking right at me with her big round eyes. I think there are two eggs in her nest.
I grabbed the grapes and climbed down as fast as I could to not further disturb or scare mom.
I’m not sure this is the most secure location to raise a family so I’ll do all I can to keep them safe. “You can trust me, mama dove!”
A dove pair may raise two families in a single summer. Mourning doves mate for life – about seven to ten years. If a mate dies, the remaining dove will persevere in its futile attempts to evoke a response from its lifeless mate. Driven by hunger, thirst, threat, or nightfall, the bird will ultimately depart. SAD!!!
Doves are mainly ground feeders which makes them extremely vulnerable to being swooped up by predators. They’re almost 100% granivores, feasting on grains and seeds from wild grasses, weeds, and herbs. I stopped filling the bird feeders because of RATS and squirrels so these guys are on their own, but that doesn’t seem to bother them.
Like all birds, Mourning Doves are unable to sweat, so to stay cool during hot weather … they pant just like a dog. Panting requires the doves to drink a great deal of water due the excessive loss of moisture to evaporation. Doves are one of the few species of birds that drink by sucking up their water instead of taking a bill full of water and letting it trickle down their throat. It can suck up its total daily requirement in less than twenty seconds.
Symbolically, it’s believed that when a dove visits you, they bring a message from a loved one who has passed away or a sign of peace and comfort during times of grief. Two doves together symbolize unity, partnership, and love.
I left the ladder nearby so I can check on mama’s progress. Soon, I hope to hear the chirping of hungry little dove babies.
Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud 