“Enlightenment is when a wave realizes it is the ocean.”
It’s always a good idea to start out a new week with a positive message from Thich Nhat Hanh, even if I’m not 100% sure I know what it means.
I’ll have to cogitate on it because the nuance is a bit elusive right now, like I think I get it, but it’s just out of reach, which is annoying.
In an alternate universe, I would wish everyone a Happy Earth Day, but today, there’s not a whole lot to celebrate.
Mother Earth is at risk and we’re not doing enough to save her. Or us.
The orange POS and his administration have been focused on reversing environmental regulations to boost domestic energy production, targeting over 460 environmental, climate, and public health safeguards for removal or weakening. Key initiatives include withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, rescinding the EPA’s Endangerment Finding to deregulate greenhouse gases and promoting “drill, baby, drill” fossil fuel policies.
California is battling federal efforts to expand oil drilling off its coast, with lawsuits filed to block the restart of Sable Offshore Corp pipelines near Santa Barbara, which were shut down after a major 2015 spill. While new drilling in state waters is banned, federal plans propose lease sales for new offshore drilling between 2027-2030, raising risks of oil spills and environmental damage.
This appalling administration is actively expanding oil drilling in Alaska, reversing Biden-era restrictions on millions of acres in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and initiating lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Projects like ConocoPhillips’ Willow and new auctions highlight a push for increased development amid lawsuits from environmental groups and support from state leaders.
Like I said, not much to celebrate. It’d be more accurate to say that we are in mourning…
I attended the very first Earth Day celebration in 1970 at Balboa Park in San Diego with a crowd of about 70,000 people. The weather was beautiful, about 68 degrees, and I must have skipped school that Wednesday.
I can’t remember who I went with or how I got there but I do recall walking from booth to booth looking for free stuff and having an unpleasant encounter with a San Diego cop, probably about being truant.
There is a vague recollection that I swore at him and he got all puffed up and intimidating, threatened to call my dad until I told him to go ahead, my dad was an attorney…and then he walked away. Miss you, Daddy, and thank you!
Gaia, known as the mother goddess, was the personification of Earth. She’s described as a caring and nurturing mother figure to all of her children, plants, and other living creatures on this planet.
We’re all children of Gaia, Earth Mother, no matter where we live, and if we take care of Mother Earth, she’ll take care of us.
With this reckless administration of chaos and darkness, they seem determined to destroy as much of our environmental and animal protections as they’re doing to democracy and the constitution, so it’s not such a happy day, after all.
With news of ships blown up during an illegal faux war to manipulate financial markets, a deranged fraud of a prez, skyrocketing prices, future uncertainty, there’s sanity in the simplicity of a flower that persists against all odds.
When I first noticed it, I tried to gently pry up this volunteer zinnia from between the crack in my driveway to plant in a better location, but I would have destroyed it, so there was nothing else to do but leave it where it grew. The roots are strong, much more so than I thought.
I’ve watered it, watching and waiting, and it just bloomed, one single, brave flower.
My plan is to wait until the flower dies and forms seeds so I’ll continue to plant resilience, grit, tenacity, and determination.
I think there’s a lesson here, somewhere…
I haven’t posted any planetary news for awhile but this seems significant and share-worthy.
A rare planetary parade is lighting up the pre-dawn sky this weekend, and if you wake early enough, you can witness Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and Neptune gathered together on the eastern horizon just before sunrise.
These four planets are clustering into a patch of sky so compact you could cover them all with your thumb held at arm’s length. Although they appear close together from where we stand, they are actually separated by enormous distances in space, each following its own orbit around the Sun at entirely different speeds. Yet for a few magical mornings in April, the geometry of their orbits creates the illusion that they are traveling side by side.
The best time to look is between April 18 and April 20. Head outside about thirty to sixty minutes before sunrise and find a spot with a clear view of the eastern horizon. Mercury will be the easiest to spot, shining brightly low in the sky. Mars and Saturn are also visible without equipment if conditions are clear.
Each planet carries its own unique energy. Mercury governs communication and ideas. Mars represents action, courage, and forward movement. Saturn brings discipline, structure, and long-term rewards. Neptune connects us to dreams, intuition, and spiritual guidance.
Together, these four planets are delivering a unified message: think clearly, act boldly, build wisely, and trust the invisible forces guiding you forward.
This is the weekend to take action on something you have been contemplating. The cosmic support is here. Curated from Galactic Council Of Lightworkers
More exciting news!
April 19 brings a powerful shift as the crescent Moon aligns with Venus and Uranus. This is an energy of love meeting the unexpected, where something can arrive suddenly and feel completely aligned at the same time.
Venus brings connection, attraction, and desire, while Uranus introduces change, surprise, and moments that were never planned but feel right.
This alignment can bring a message or a meeting, Something that felt distant can move closer. Something unclear can become easy to understand. The energy supports movement in ways that feel natural and meant to happen.
Look up!
I’m sure you heard the news about the wolf in Wyoming, right?
To avoid inevitable nightmares, I tried not to see the photos or read the details of this horrendous crime but I felt that I needed to, out of respect and to honor this wolf’s life.
A beautiful animal should not be subjected to torture and abuse. No one should. This young female wolf did not receive justice. It’s disgusting and absolutely sickening that supposedly normal people could commit and condone torture and inhumane treatment of animals–a trait often found among serial killers. There’s something missing inside of people like this, they’re broken human beings.
I’m so sick and tired of cruelty–to animals, to children, to each other. It’s beyond depressing. What an evil, sad world we live in.
On Feb. 29 2024 in Sublette County, Wyoming, Cody Roberts intentionally struck down a juvenile wolf with a snowmobile, taped the animal’s mouth shut, then brought the injured wolf to a local bar to show off and pose for photos. Afterward, the wolf — still alive — lay on the bar floor, suffering from internal injuries, while Roberts drank in celebration of his conquest. Eventually, Roberts killed the wolf outside behind the bar. Shockingly, nearly all of these actions were legal; Roberts was fined a mere $250 for possessing a live wolf. It’s alarming that anyone could attempt to justify such behavior, but that is precisely what Jeanne Ivie-Roberts, Cody Roberts’ aunt, has done. In an interview with DailyMail.com, Ivie-Roberts stated, “How exactly do you torture a wolf? Wolves are evil animals. They destroy our livelihoods.”
Calling Cody Roberts’ maiming and capturing of a wolf “cruel,” last week a judge sentenced him to only eighteen months of probation as part of a plea deal that will keep him out of prison if he stays out of trouble.Read more at http://www.heraldnet.com/2024/05/01/torture-killing-of-wolf-showed-disrespect-for-life/
I have no doubt that a mental health assessment would diagnose Roberts and people like him as zoosadists. Zoosadism is a type of sadism that derives pleasure—often sexual arousal—from inflicting pain, suffering, or death on animals. It is a form of severe animal abuse, distinct from zoophilia, and is sometimes considered a precursor to human violence. Examples include torture, mutilation, or sexual assault of animals.
This is where the crime happened: The Green River Bar, owned by Cody Roberts’ aunt (Nan Mckeough) and/or mother (not sure), located at 12963 US-189 in Daniel, Wyoming. (307) 859-8225.
Please sign this PETITION to shut down the bar. It already has gathered thousands of signatures: https://c.org/hKsGynYV96
Did you attend a #NoKings event in your area? In my little beachy town, I heard there were 15,000+ attendees, which is amazing. I wish I could have been there but I wasn’t feeling great; hopefully it’s just seasonal allergies and nothing more serious, so I didn’t go this time.
I still can’t wrap my head around where we are in this country; how our liberties are being decimated and the rights of women are becoming more and more non-existent, almost to the brutal point of Sharia Law extremism, and there doesn’t seem to be a solution or an end to the loss of democracy–or any adherence to the rule of law.
Even though I’m not at all mainstream religious and never have been, there’s a certain yearning to search for a rational reason to explain a deep sense of foreboding and the meaning of this unholy collective evil, like why is this universal dark night of the soul happening NOW? Is Wetiko an answer to the question?
So… it’s time for a little Leon Russell. If you know, you know.
One does not simply “listen to” or “hear” Leon’s music, it’s something you FEEL, deep in your soul on a cellular level. And THAT is the essence of faith, right?
He is SO beautiful…those eyes! The camera certainly loves him, too… the closeups are so CLOSE, lol.
It’s a bit late I guess, but better late than never, right? Did you watch?
Since I am now compelled to be on Team Seattle Seahawks and this was such a special day, I proudly wore a Seahawks hat, shirt, and sweatshirt to fully REPRESENT!
It was a slow start and we were all wondering who would eventually score.
The halftime show with Bad Bunny was amazing with the perfect message of Latin unity and love: “Together, We Are America” displayed on a football, and the uplifting quote: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love”.
The second half was all Seahawks and we were ecstatic.
The final score was 29-13. The right team won the Superbowl. Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Kenneth Walker III were superstars.
The Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl LX victory parade took place on Wednesday in downtown Seattle, drawing an estimated 700,000 to 1 million fans.
In a world where sordid and evil depravity is coming to light, the innocence of rooting for a sports team is even more valued.
Go ‘Hawks!
Check out this time-lapse of the Super Bowl Victory Parade:
(And if the rumors are true that the Seahawks declined a visit to the White House, that’s even more of a WIN!)
Well, this is definitely an intense start to a new year, along with the first full moon of 2026 on January 3, the Wolf Moon!
2026 is the rare Year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese zodiac. It commences on February 17, 2026, and will bring powerful themes of passion, transformation, and dynamic energy.
This significant event occurs only once every sixty years, blending the Horse’s traits (strength, freedom) with Fire’s (enthusiasm, innovation) for bold action, breakthrough, and potential burnout if not balanced, a year marked by both great opportunity and intense change.
According to Chinese astrology, Horse is confident, agreeable, and responsible, although they also tend to dislike being reined in by others. They’re fit and intelligent, adoring physical and mental exertion; they’re decisive but also easily swayed and impatient.
Click this clink to find your Chinese Zodiac sign:
Now that 2025 is almost over and we’re looking for inspiration to start a new year, how about this one? It’s said that Buddha repeated it when he taught mindfulness…
Atapi sampajano satima
It’s in the Pali language, an ancient language central to Theravada Buddhism.
Atapi sampajano satima is from Buddhist texts and means “ardent effort, clear comprehension, and constant mindfulness,” a core formula for the path to liberation.
It emphasizes diligent, wise, and continuous awareness of reality (impermanence) to see phenomena as they truly are, dissolving self-illusion.
This is a call to practice intensely (Atapi), understand deeply (Sampajano), and stay present (Satima) by observing the arising and passing of sensations and mental states without reaction, which leads to wisdom and freedom.
We’re entering that dreaded holiday limbo zone between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, when time seems to almost stop moving in a sort of frenzied yet slightly depressed way.
If ever there was a time for meditation, calm, reflection, self care, and serenity, this is IT.
Atapi sampajano satima
And BREATHE…
Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud 