City Mouse to Country Mouse (Again)

Already I can feel the difference.  I can feel my chest beginning to relax.  It’s almost as if the shields that I didn’t even know were there are starting to come down.  I’m in a little town.  By “little”, I mean no stop lights.  Not one.

There’s still a lot to do before I am settled in, but I can tell you it feels better every day.  There are some tradeoffs for this kind of peace.  Instead of 4 miles from the nearest organic food source, I am now 34 miles from organic food.  But that’s why God made freezers.

Here, I will have the opportunity to buy a membership in Community Supported Agriculture program which will give me pretty much  unlimited vegetables for the summer. I also want to experiment with a small square foot garden out  in back of the house just to brush up on my veggie growing skills. It’s my intention to consume larger quantities of fresh vegetables and this is definitely the time of year to cultivate (no pun intended) that habit.

There are some stark differences between my last place and this town that were apparent right away as I went about my errand-running today. I needed to procure a new post box, get the utilities turned on, establish garbage service, all that stuff. Pay this deposit and that activation fee. Oh, and do a quick load of laundry because I left my aging washer/dryer in the grateful hands of a young man just setting up house. Spirit guided, so there you go.

The laundromat isn’t that far from the house, and is virtually empty in the middle of the day in the middle of the week. I may just coast along until the weather gets really bad without a set. The walk would do me good, and I can take a book along to read while I wait for the clothes to get clean.

As I walked around town, strangers spoke to me as if they knew me. They smiled. They bantered. They looked me in the eye when I talked to them. If they passed me on the street, for the most part they said ‘hello’. I’ve not been here long, but it feels like forever.

The street is quiet at night. No barking dogs to keep me awake. No deep subwoofers thumping and waking me from a sound sleep. The birds congregate on the wires in back of the house and begin their chorus of chirping just before the sun comes up.

I am playing country music on my car radio because it just seems to fit. I haven’t listened to country music in almost a decade. I have lived in small towns before this one, but none like this one. I cannot yet put my finger on it, but this  time it’s different. I’ll keep you posted.

I know home can be anywhere, and I have been willing to follow where ever it was Spirit led me, but I am grateful that I was led here, now. It’s going to take me awhile to break the habit of feeling I need to build a fortress around myself in order to feel safe.

And did I mention there’s no traffic? Well, some, but not near the volume I’ve had to plow through in the big city. No story on the news every few nights about a shooting or a kidnapping or a break-in or worse. I will say I have noticed a lot of flyers about domestic violence, though. All is not Heaven in this paradise. I am sure life is hard here, but I also have a strong sense that people help one another out.

I know my neighbors have certainly been there for me since I got here, but that is another story for another day. For now, I’m going to enjoy making this adjustment. I can’t wait to see what happens to the Spirit work I do once the stress moves out of my energy field. Maybe there will be more writing on IntheCompanyofAngels. I have felt them over the past few weeks, but they have just been patiently waiting for the right time to come forward again.

To change one’s life: 1. Start immediately. 2. Do it flamboyantly. 3. No exceptions. ~William James

All original material posted to this site (c) 2013, Julie Marie. All rights reserved.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Notes from My Road Less Traveled – Chapter 6 (cont)

About a week after I honed in on my location, I decided it was time to take a road trip. Thank goodness, it was only a tank of gas’ worth of fuel, round trip.

I spent that first day mostly just driving all around the town. When I found out that it would cost me over $50- to place an ad in the area papers, I decided to make some phone calls. A call to one of the local realtors yielded a list of people who had rental houses in town. They also recommended that I call the Chamber of Commerce, which I did. That got me a few more names.

I called them all. Some responded, some did not. Some of the ones who did didn’t have anything for me to look at. Cross them off the list. Some did have some places. I started making arrangements to see them. I needed to get a feel for what was available in this town and what the price range was.

I got there early for my first appointment that first day, so I put myself on autopilot and began to follow where I was being led. I spent about two hours that day driving around and getting acquainted with the area.

There were definitely some better feeling areas of town, and the prices for rent went up (or down) accordingly. I must have seen at least a half-dozen places that first day. I decided to just follow the energy where ever it led me, and I didn’t discount any offering until I’d actually seen it. I even called another number that I got off signs I kept seeing in the front yards of the houses for sale, and there are a lot of homes for sale in this little town.

The other thing I learned very quickly is that they don’t often post a sign on the property if it’s up for rent. It’s mostly word of mouth, so you sort of have to know somebody who knows somebody who has a place if you want anything decent to live in.

I wasn’t taken with any of the places I saw that first day, but did have a gentle urging to stop at the one grocery store in town to check the bulletin board. I had had success with similar tactics some years earlier. I remember talking to myself in my head as I pulled into a parking spot. “Yeah, sure, there will be a lead there, probably just your wishful thinking anyway, what have you got to lose it’s only going to take a minute to walk in there and check it out…”

So I did. To my surprise – yes,  I still get surprised by these things, despite having them happen to me for a couple of decades now – there was a handwritten notice on the board about a house that was available for rent. I took down the number and called it.

It took the woman about 30 minutes to drive in to meet me there, but I felt it was worth the wait. I found it funny that I had driven right past the house earlier in the day, but hadn’t noticed the “For Rent” sign in the window. Is the place my dream house? No. Will it work for me and is it in alignment with my stated goals at this time? Yes.

The woman told me I would hear from the person with the final authority that evening. That sort of caught me off guard a bit. Spirit had led me here, so what was this all about? I decided I’d keep looking and let things just fall out however they were going to. I made arrangements to see another house but could not gain entry until the following weekend.

The owner of the little house I’d seen did call that evening and said he’d need to meet me before he could make a decision. I said I’d be back up the following weekend, but was not willing to make an extra trip just to look him in the eye. He said someone else was looking at it. I figured if it was my place, it would still be available and I decided not to let fear rule.

When I went up the following weekend, I was not able to get in the house I’d driven up there to see. The landlord there gave me the name of someone else who had a place, so I went to look at it. Right size, but too much work to make it energetically comfortable for me. I received one other reference about a place, and just to be thorough, went to see it as well.

It was magnificent. Circa 1910, leaded glass windows, huge rooms, hardwood floors, double car garage, updated kitchen with granite counter tops and brushed stainless steel appliances. Stunning. Perfect. My dream house, for sure.

I was headed out of town pondering these two latest prospects, but noticed I had a missed call on my cell phone. I pulled over and checked the phone call. It was from the fellow with the little house Spirit had led me to. “What the heck,” I thought, “I’m here, might as well go meet the guy.” So I turned the car around and drove to the house.

I took another good hard look at it. The rent was a little more than the prevailing market price for a similar sized house, but less than I was already paying. That was one of the things I had asked my finding angels to bring me: a suitable place that would allow me to tighten my belt a little more.

I didn’t get the pop quiz Spirit had given me until I was on my way home that day. It is important to remember that when we set an intention for something, often we will be offered other alternatives (in this case, it was the beautiful ‘dream house’ that would have left me in exactly the same situation as I am in now: too much house for my needs). It is not that Spirit is trying to confuse things. We are being given the opportunity to declare that indeed, we do want what we said we wanted.

I took the smaller, clean house and turned down the beautiful big house half of which I would not have even used. The smaller house is the place that Spirit had led me to. Twice. Once when I drove past it and didn’t see the sign in the window, and once when I had the inclination to stop in the store and look at the bulletin board. Thank you, finding angels, for finding a way to point me in the right direction.

It is easy to tell a person how to live life this way. It is much harder to actually live it. I saw the signs, and had the choice whether to follow them or not. I chose to follow them. All of them, no matter what. I struggled with my logical mind a couple of times, and almost didn’t make that last stop at the house I will soon be living in.

But Spirit – and by that I mean my guides, my guidance, my angels and my Higher Self – kept trying to lead me where I had asked to go. Eventually I found my way there. So can you.

The take away from my story is this: just keep moving forward. Don’t give up. As long as you can hold your intention and persevere despite how things may look, you will find your way.

And don’t forget that there can be a pop quiz at any moment!

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by; and that has made all the difference. ~Robert Frost

All original material posted to this site is (c) 2013, Julie Marie. All rights reserved.

Photo credits: Wikipedia

Notes from My Road Less Traveled-Chapter 6

Sometimes it takes me awhile to get it. This most recent series of ‘lessons’ is a particular case in point. A couple of months ago, I got notice that it’s time to move again. This time, however, the notice didn’t come from Spirit, it came from the landlady.

I’m usually the one who makes the decision, and move only after I’ve found the new location. This time was different, because although I’d had the sense I was going to be shifting out of this area sometime in the Spring, I really didn’t feel like doing that whole dance. I was feeling the effects of having been operating in overdrive for months, and just wanted to take a few extra months to rest and recover before I took on the task of moving.

I guess it needed to happen sooner instead of later. The decision was taken out of my hands, which I took as a message from Spirit that indeed I would be relocating, and that there was a timing component to the process because the ‘when’ of this move was determined by someone other than myself.

It took me a few weeks to realize that I was experiencing a stress level with this move that was different from all the other times. It was pretty high. Since I didn’t have any idea where I was headed, only that I was definitely moving by a certain date, I began to pray for guidance. My logical mind took me to locations as far afield as Minnesota and Montana, Colorado and even to the beautiful Oregon coast.

I spent hours seeking, searching, and came up empty. Nothing was flowing. Either there was nothing that suited my needs available or the location wouldn’t work for me. I started to get nervous. What happens if I can’t find a place to live before the looming deadline?

I observed that the stress I was beginning to experience was shutting down my ability to listen and follow the guidance Spirit was trying to give me. I also was very aware that my little self, my ego, had a death grip on the steering wheel.The more I concentrated on finding my new place, the less results I was having. The stress kept increasing and I finally reached a point where I had no idea at all what I was going to do or where I would end up.

I had to take a step back because I recognized that I was only making things worse. I knew I was way off-track when I found myself contemplating living in a seniors-only apartment complex!

After a couple of days focusing on what I knew for sure – that I was moving and that I was moving in a  northerly direction – I had the feeling to try one more time. I had occupied myself with packing boxes and preparing for a garage sale before the move because those were the things I knew I could do regardless of whether or not I knew where I was headed. Taking some preparatory action calmed my energy down enough that I believe I could hear what Spirit was trying to communicate to me.

I don’t know how I found the location, but I spent some time looking at maps of different states in a contemplative way, gaze unfocused, and waited for something to light up. Eventually, something did, and that is where I focused my efforts, my search.

You do not need to work to become spiritual. You are spiritual; you need only to remember that fact. Spirit is within you. God is within you. ~Julia Cameron

All original material posted to this site is (c) 2013, Julie Marie. All rights reserved.

Photo credits: Wikipedia

Notes from My Road Less Traveled-Chapter 5

Familiar Territory

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I used to spend days, sometimes weeks, in my car driving from place to place across (mostly) the middle of this country drawing energy lines creating geometric shapes that I suspect were, or still are, part of some sort of energetic grid the purpose of which escapes me.

It was hard work. It was pretty lonely work. It was deeply satisfying work. I knew this solitary effort was making a difference somehow. I also knew that if I was to understand the purpose for my thousands of miles of meandering, I would be given the information. I am still waiting for that insight.

The Foundation – Part IV(Microcosm/Macrocosm)

You Are a Microcosm of the Macrocosm

The rest of this principle is: if you can understand the workings of your physical body, you can comprehend as well how all of Creation works.  This principle is actually rather complex, and contains layers that may be too intricate to detail here, so I shall just stick to the basics.

Probably one of the most important insights I’ve had applying this principle to the seed thoughts my unseen teachers would give me is this one:

Each one of our chakras, or Energy Centers, is a microcosm of an entire dimension of existence.  For example, we are currently experiencing third dimensional existence.

And what is it the third chakra is all about, energetically?  Power. We live in a world that currently appears to be all about power and control.  I am using the widely accepted definition of power here, not the definition that I understand describes true power.  I am in alignment with David Hawkins’ approach as he set forth in his magnificent book Power vs. Force. (I would highly recommend this book to any of you who are on the expansion of consciousness track, all you seekers focused on attaining and maintaining the consciousness level commonly described as ” awareness”. It has been an invaluable resource for me, and has greatly expanded my understanding of what my individual impact on the evolution of consciousness on this planet can actually be, simply by working on myself.)

Power, properly defined, is a state of being, a level of awareness.  It is “force” that most people are describing when they use the word “power”.

Force is all about manipulation and control.  It is about one individual or organization seeking to orchestrate how another individual or organization will act in this world.  Force is, at its foundation, all about the imposition of one person’s will upon the will of another, thereby limiting that person’s free expression.

Seems to me this is a pretty accurate description of what’s happening on this planet at this time.  The microcosm of the energy of the third chakra is being expressed globally.

I would also give you this to ponder: this planet called Earth; if you take that which is last, the “h”, and put it first, you get “heart”.  The heart chakra represents fourth dimensional existence, and is also the point of integration according to my teachers.  I’ll expand on this a bit more when I discuss another one of the principles.

For now, I will say this: the more you are able to orient your consciousness in your heart chakra, and function from that place effectively, the more stable your energy field will be and you will be able to remain more in alignment with the current transition we are moving through.

It is through the energy of the heart that we shall collectively lift ourselves up from the density in which we currently find ourselves mired, and move into our next level of expression which is the fifth dimension (represented by your throat chakra).

It is also through the application of this particular principle that I came to the understanding some 22 years ago that there are more than seven chakras.  We live in a base 12 universe.  There are 12 tones in a chromatic scale, not just the do-re-mi seven we learned in school.  When I first came to this awareness, no one was talking about those other chakras.

Now it’s common knowledge, which was a good validation for this process of working from the inside out that my teachers told me would lead to my self-realization.  They were absolutely, as always, correct.

It’s taken me seven months to muster up the courage to try to explain these early teachings.  Now that I’ve started, I’m going to have to finish.  I may lose some of you along the way, but hopefully some of you will travel this entire journey with me.

I have definitely been walking the road less traveled, but it has been a most satisfying journey.

With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things. ~ William Wordsworth

All original material posted to this site is copyright 2012, Julie Marie.  All rights reserved.

Photo Credits: Wikipedia

The Foundation – Part III(Balance In All Things)

The Principles

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Soon after I had begun to integrate the first principle, right around the time I felt really comfortable living my life guided by it, the teaching continued. There are other stories I may share about how I have integrated the principles into my life, but for now I will focus on how I received the principles themselves.