Poet Jacob Nibengenesabe was a member of the Swampy Cree, a First Nation tribe in Canada. He wrote shamanic poems from the point of view of a magical trickster who could change himself into various creatures. In one poem, the shapeshifter talked about how important it is to be definite about what he wanted. “There was a storm once,” he said. “That’s when I wished myself / to be a turtle / but I meant on land! / The one that carries a hard tent / on his back. / I didn’t want to be floating!” By the end of the poem, the shapeshifter concluded, “I’ve got to wish things exactly! / That’s the way it is / from now on.” I hope that will be the way it is from now on for you, too, Aquarius. Visualize your desires in intricate, exact detail. For example, if you want to be a bird for a while, specify what kind.
In his book Starbucked, Taylor Clark says there’s a woman who goes to a Seattle Starbucks every morning and orders a “decaf single grande extra vanilla two-percent extra caramel 185-degrees with whipped cream caramel macchiato.” Maybe her request seems overly fussy and demanding, but it could be a good act for you to mimic. Try this: For a given time, say 12 days, be equally as exacting in asking for what you want. Assume that you have a poetic license to be extremely specific as you go about your quest for fulfillment.
I am not a big poetry fan, however, Kahlil Gibran is one of my favorites, so much so that I read his poem “On Love” as part of my wedding vows. On that note I wanted to share his poem “On Giving” with you for Christmas.
On Giving Kahlil Gibran
You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow? And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the overprudent dog burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims to the holy city? And what is fear of need but need itself? Is not dread of thirst when your well is full, the thirst that is unquenchable?
There are those who give little of the much which they have–and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome. And there are those who have little and give it all. These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty. There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward. And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism. And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue; They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space. Through the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.
It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding; And to the open-handed the search for one who shall receive is joy greater than giving. And is there aught you would withhold? All you have shall some day be given; Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors’.
You often say, “I would give, but only to the deserving.” The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture. They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish. Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and his nights, is worthy of all else from you. And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream. And what desert greater shall there be, than that which lies in the courage and the confidence, nay the charity, of receiving? And who are you that men should rend their bosom and unveil their pride, that you may see their worth naked and their pride unabashed? See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an instrument of giving. For in truth it is life that gives unto life while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness.
And you receivers… and you are all receivers… assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives. Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings; For to be over-mindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity who has the free-hearted earth for mother, and God for father.
I don’t write a whole lot of poetry, when I write it is lyrics, so this is more like a song idea I have floating around in my head. I would love your thoughts on it!
When rain falls on dry land, it activates certain compounds in the soil that release a distinctive aroma. “Petrichor” is the word for that smell. If you ever catch a whiff of it when there’s no rain, it’s because a downpour has begun somewhere nearby, and the wind is bringing you news of it. I suspect that you will soon be awash in a metaphorical version of petrichor, Aquarius. A parched area of your life is about to receive much-needed moisture.
SACRED ADVERTISEMENT Speak the following lines out loud: I love everything about me I love my uncanny beauty and my bewildering pain I love my hungry soul and my wounded longing I love my flaws, my fears, and my scary frontiers
I will never forsake, betray, or deceive myself I will always adore, forgive, and believe in myself I will never refuse, abandon, or scorn myself I will always amuse, delight, and redeem myself
What do you think kids. does the shoe fit, and should I wear it?
Perception shapes in countless forms. The longing for attention, affection and connection are the same; only the intensity of giving and receiving it differs. All is connected even when seemingly disconnected.
