Category: Shamanism as a Way of Life

Transmutation News – September 2015

This past spring I posted a photo of me working on my old computer Blueberry. I posted a photo showing me writing Walking in Light on Blueberry while I was wearing my father’s ski hat and fingerless gloves. Blueberry has been my writing partner since 2000. I wrote 6 books on Blueberry, countless articles, chapters for other authors’ books, and many years of columns of The Transmutation News.

Blueberry and I started to work with each other on May 29,2000. Due to finally upgrading my equipment Blueberry’s life ended on July 29, 2015. It has been a long and wonderful partnership together. I am one of those people who do anthropomorphize cars and computers. And you know from reading my monthly columns that I enjoy being a true eccentric.

I want to take this time to honor Blueberry who helped me to share a wealth of information with people around the world.

For years now I have been writing about the effortlessness of radiating our divine light. I have used the metaphor that the stars in the night sky do not try to shine. And they do not focus attention on where to shine. Stars just shine and radiate their light all over our great Earth. The same is true with the sun. The sun does not effort on radiating light and energy. It just shines. And I have encouraged you to immerse yourself in your own inner starlight and sunlight and simply be a light in the world.

In working in this way we work with the feminine principle of being versus doing.

When we work with the feminine principle of being we experience the stillness of life and of Source. And this is also a place where we can experience unconditional and divine love flowing through us.

Many of us effort too much as we give and receive love. On a rational level we understand that love is the greatest healer, and we were born to give and receive love. But we can make “loving” into such a complicated process especially when our ego gets involved.

Reflect on the flow of the ocean. The tides come in and out. The waves come to shore and then recede again. There is no efforting. The state of flow is a true state of being. Just like waves flow so does divine love. We do not have to try so hard to share our love with others and with the Earth. We do not have to try so hard to receive love. Love is a natural state of being that flows effortlessly like the waves of the ocean.

This month I invite you to journey or meditate to experience being with the ocean to feel and observe its state of being and natural flow. And then journey or meditate and go deep within to your Inner World and feel that same state of flow within you. Put your hands on your heart and tap into the power of divine love and let it flow in and out. Absorb the love like I have encouraged you to absorb divine light into your cells. Soak it in to every cell and then just be with the waves of unconditional and divine love as it flows within and then radiates to others and to the world.

So much of the key to healing ourselves, others, and the planet is simply to hold the state of love. The goddess and feminine energies allow the waves of love and light to simply flow. There is no efforting.

Of course as you do this different emotional issues might be triggered for you. By letting love flow in and out just like your breath flows you might start to tune into times where you did not feel loved, or where you felt hurt, or where you might have hurt others. This is natural. Perform your practices to honor what you are feeling while at the same time clearing and transmuting the energies that need to be cleared. As humans we can feel so fragile at times. But once we experience the power of divine love we can sink into a power, strength, and way of being in the world that most only imagine. Being love and light is part of our evolution. Experiencing the stillness of the divine and allowing what flows from this state is part of our evolution into being able to hold and work with higher frequencies that create personal and collective healing.

Stay focused with your practices this month and observe what comes up for you and what starts to radiate through you.

The full moon is September 27. There will also be a total eclipse of the moon on this day. September 27 was my father’s birthday and will be a day when I honor all the unconditional love he shared with me. Perform your preparation work to step out of your ordinary thoughts, concerns, and daily activities. Start by taking a few minutes to do some deep breathing that will bring you a place of peace, stillness, and center. Travel deep into your Inner World, into the stillness where you will find your inner starlight or sunlight and your inner natural flow of love. Imagine the waves of the ocean flowing within and through you carrying love into the world. Let us all join together as waves of light and love and weave a brilliant and exquisite web of light and love within and throughout the Earth.

If you are a new reader of the Transmutation News please visit “Creating A Human Web of Light” on the homepage to view the instructions for our full moon ceremonies.

The equinox is on September 23. In the Northern Hemisphere we flow into autumn and in the Southern Hemisphere we flow into spring.

When I journeyed for a ceremony to perform for the equinox I was given two ceremonies to share depending on whether you live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. By working in the way I was given we will be honoring both the cycle of death and letting go of what no longer serves us and the collective as well as honor the process of rebirth and welcoming in the new.

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere this is a time to bring to the earth any limiting state of consciousness and old wounds you are ready to release. The earth will take this from you and compost the old just like she composts the old leaves that the trees and plants release during the season of autumn. During this composting process organic matter is created that feeds, fertilizes, and nurtures the earth to help to create the healthy plants that are born during spring.

Take some time to enter into a deep meditative state. Let go of your ordinary concerns. Take time to focus on your spiritual practice so that you are truly entering into the invisible realms where change is possible. Sink deep within to your inner knowing. Allow your psyche to reveal to you that which you need to release at this time of your life. Look at the past wounds and states of consciousness that are anchoring you and not allowing you to fully move forward to creating new dreams and a new life for yourself and the planet.

Imagine traveling into a beautiful place in nature where the soil is rich and moist. Smell the fragrance and feel your feet as you walk on the earth. Notice how fresh the air feels and smells. You can taste the fragrance on your tongue. Look around you and soak in the brilliant colors of the nature beings all around you.

Find a tree that calls to you, and sit with it for awhile. As you sit with it align your breath and heartbeat with that of the tree and the earth. Feel your own heart beating. Focus on the desire to let go of what no longer serves you.

When you feel ready imagine kneeling on the ground and digging a hole in the earth. You can blow into the earth what you are ready to let go of. Or you can imagine burying the states of consciousness and wounds that bind you to your past.

Thank the earth for taking all that needs to be composted and transformed into rich earth that creates a fertile environment for new seeds of hope, light, and love to be planted.

When you feel like you are complete with this ceremony return to the room you are in and to an ordinary state of consciousness feeling light and unburdened.

You can also perform this ceremony in a place in nature following the above steps.

While our community in the Northern Hemisphere is releasing the old those in the Southern Hemisphere will be planting new seeds of visions that are free from past memories of old wounds and limiting beliefs.

Work in the way I describe above of bringing yourself into a deep meditative state and traveling into a beautiful place in nature to do your work. You can also perform this ceremony by going outside to a favorite park or place in nature.

Imagine the seeds that you wish to plant as you welcome in the spring. This is a time to welcome in new life in both nature and also in our own Inner World. Plant the seeds that you wish to feed and see grow in your inner garden.

Again when you are complete thank the earth for accepting and gestating your new seeds containing visions, thoughts, and daydreams of hope, love, and light.

Return when you are ready.

Together we join together as a global community to honor the transition of death and rebirth. They are all part of one cycle.

I wish you a joyous autumn and spring!

Transmutation News – July 2015

I just returned from a wonderful adventure in Scotland. I feel so nourished by the training I led, the brilliant group I worked with, and the land.

We do get so nourished by working in community. I find that whether I work with a group in the physical or through the virtual realms through teleconferencing I feel so inspired, nourished, and filled with hope.

My husband, Woods, was telling me about an article he read about some of the men and women returning from war. For some the hardest part of their experience in coming back and what feeds their PTSD is leaving the community of other soldiers that they had created such a deep bond with. The level of community and coming back to feeling so isolated causes such deep emotional problems.

With all that is going on in the world today we are being pushed to create community. It is local communities that come together to help rebuild houses and businesses destroyed in a disaster. It is the people who come together in local communities who can help each other get through challenging times.

Of course, the issue we must address is why do we have to wait for a disaster to happen to create deep bonds through community. It is time for all of us to share nourishment on all levels in our communities. And over the years I have encouraged you to bring some of the spiritual work you have been practicing into your local communities. For the spiritual work we have been doing together transcends different religious beliefs. The spiritual practices we have been working with touches the heart and soul of all people and goes beyond words and concepts.

While I was in Scotland, I had some time to reflect on a few issues I wanted to share during this month’s column. As you know I keep encouraging all of us to stay focused. Focus has been such a core principle to the work I have been teaching. But as with everything in life, balance needs to be found with every principle and practice we work with.

Woods and I were having a wonderful day hiking on Ben Nevis which is the highest mountain in Britain. Every day we were in Scotland it was mostly rainy and cold. I love the rain and cold, so I was thrilled to be in such weather. This one day we got one of those perfect sunny days and even for me it was a perfect hiking day.

We were slowly meandering up a trail of Ben Nevis with no goal in mind. Ben Nevis is one of those mountains that is a popular spot for mountain climbing. And due to snow and ice at the top it was a difficult climb while we were there. During our slow walk on the trail, we got to see groups of people descending after they made it to the top. Some people were descending with bright smiles and had a lift to their step. But most of the people we saw were truly miserable. Yes, they made it to the top but did not enjoy the journey.

I started to think about focus. For whenever we walk the path of life and continue our spiritual work, we need to stay focused. But when focusing on a final destination brings exhaustion and takes the joy out of life then an imbalance is created. And whenever there is imbalance some form of illness can occur.

This can also be true with how we engage in our spiritual journey. For a key principle to successful spiritual practice is staying focused. But if you are clenching your teeth and forcing the journey then obviously it is time to take a step back and review your process.

For we need to find the balance between keeping a focus and having a relaxed attitude. This is a key for all of us.

During this month of July, you might want to take some time and reflect on places you are trying “too hard” with your spiritual work and look at where you need to maintain some focus without forcing yourself to some goal.

I also had some time to reflect on what I feel the focus of my work has been. And I have realized that with all the books I have written since Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self and the CD programs I have created I have been teaching people about spiritual self – reliance.

So many of us want someone else to do “the work” for us. But in truth as you can rely on the power of your own spiritual practice you thrive and learn how to create the life you wish to live.

Spiritual self-reliance is something I feel strongly will help all of us thrive through these changing times.

You might also take some time to reflect on how much you trust your own spiritual practice and how you rely on your own inner wisdom as well as the assistance of your own helping spirits.

Yes, we all have times when we need to ask for help from others. But the key to thriving in life is to rely on your own spiritual work and guidance.

The full moon is July 2 and July 31. If I am correct, we have a blue moon month! Let us join together as a bonded virtual community holding each other in love and support. Do your preparation work to step away from your ordinary thoughts and concerns. Let us travel within to our inner starlight, inner sunlight, divine light and let’s shine. Let the rays of our collective light embrace the planet and all of life with love.

If you are a new reader of the Transmutation News please visit “Creating a Human Web of Light” on the homepage for the instructions of our full moon ceremony.

A story to inspire us from Eva who lives in Austria (Eva Ruprechtsberger is a brilliant shamanic and Medicine for the Earth teacher):

“How the Medicine of the Earth work changed my life:

When I was joining my first Medicine for the Earth workshop I was still in a time of despair and confusion in my life. My child had just had a heart operation and I was still in a deep fight with myself, my life, my child, who had to go through so much pain, my work that I had lost twice, and many of my relations that were broken. I tried to find direction, help, healing and hope and meaning in life. In my old broken life, I had been a dogmatic empirical scientist, an intellectual person and psychologist of measurements, yet nothing I had ever learnt seemed to help me. Several very strange coincidences made looking for ‘crazy things’, and I ended up in shamanism, with Sandra’s books, workshops with Sandra and finally in the Medicine for the Earth workshop in Austria, very near to Salzburg where I live.

We did the water ceremony and we transfigured in front of a water sample that had a PH of 11.5 as we had added ammonium hydroxide. We transfigured and the PH went down to 10.5. Then the group (a huge circle of about 70 people) asked if we could do it again. And we did. And the PH went down almost to normal. I could not hold back my tears and I will never forget that moment in my life. It happened, a miracle happened on a very physical level and I was part of it, all the hope of my childhood and years as a youngster and later came back, when I tried to keep up hope in times of challenges on a personal and a global level at the same time. I was part of a miracle and it happened in front of my eyes NOW with water from my region, with a teacher that came from so far away, to prove and teach me that all the impossible is possible in connection with the creation, the light inside my self, the light we share. At that moment I wished with all my heart to become once a Medicine for the Earth teacher as I knew this wisdom is changing the world.

As a woman, a mother, a scientist, a political and social worker I went through a fundamental change in that moment to. Consequently, this experience meant that I could never ever … give up … lose hope… put limitations on the things I thought are impossible: environmental and social and personal and physical changes… I hope I will always be able to find the light even in the darkness and share this with others. I hope that I will always be helpful in my community and a source of inspiration for others. I hope I will always be a happy mother for my beautiful daughter. I hope I can become a good ancestor for my descendants.

I asked if I could drink just a little bit of that water so that I could carry this moment in my cells with me all my life, crazy I know but I doubted myself, maybe tomorrow I would find some reasons to destroy the miracle through doubts. I was allowed to put my finger in the water that just moments ago had burned a hole in a carpet (with PH 11.5) and put a drop in my mouth. It tasted like cleaning product, yet it did not burn me at all.

For several years now I am a Medicine for the Earth teacher and my learning process is never ending. As I stopped using poison to ‘prove’ spirituality I still use aquarium strips to ‘measure’ some parameters in the water sample before and after the transfiguration ceremony. My students know I cannot put away my scientific side completely and most of them laugh about it. Yet we had very often, almost always observe changes in different parameters. The water sample in the room changed and the other one I hid in secret did not.

One day I thought about the transatlantic experiment of Mark Dammer with the plant and said to myself: How strange that the plant reacts transatlantically but the water sample I hide in the garage around the corner does not? This is quite illogical. (From: Sandra: Look at “Remote Experiment with a Plant in Scotland” under GDV Camera Results on the homepage to see what Eva is referring to.)

I shared these thoughts with my circle and … from that moment on the water sample outside also changed or even worse, the water sample outside changed and the water sample inside did not. My groups got more and more amused about my attempt to understand ‘water’ and teaching to merge with it at the same time. I still ‘measure’, and I do it just for fun as I am excited to see how the water spirit is playing with me in my classes. Yet we pray for water samples I carry or carried with me, for example, the river Ganges, Lake Atitlan, Bad River, Rio Grande, and others, until I find somebody bringing the samples back to where they came from, knowing, that our prayers in our circles here in my region, in my little country in the heart of Europe can contribute too to serve all life. And still I dedicate every step and every breath I take to my child, that is healthy and wise, the opposite of all medical prognosis we ever heard in the beginning, 17 years ago. Whenever I am drinking or touching water, I try to be conscious and thankful and remembering what it taught me about miracles.”

Transmutation News – February 2015

If you have been reading the Transmutation News over the years you have probably figured out that I am a true eccentric. I have been writing the Transmutation News for 15 years now!!

I wanted to share with you some of my process in writing Walking in Light: The Everyday Empowerment of Shamanic Life.

I have been writing my books and my Transmutation News on one of the first iMac computers. I have had my computer since 2001, and her name is Blueberry. Blueberry and I have formed quite the partnership. Sometimes we get so merged I think Blueberry starts doing some of my writing as words form on the screen, I don’t remember writing.

I looked on the web to see how long a computer as old as Blueberry will continue to live. I have read posts that allude to a life span of about 13 years. Well Blueberry has surpassed predictions. We wrote two books together in 2014. I am sad to say I do believe my time with Blueberry is coming to an end. And I want to honor all she helped me bring into the world through my books and my monthly columns. Well, we will see. We are not done yet!

The house I live in has a very strange electrical system. And my office is adobe and that means the walls are very thick and hold in the cold. The way my office is wired is if I turn on Blueberry and a portable heater at the same time the fuse blows, and I lose electricity.

I have not had heat in my office for the 20 years I have lived in my house. Can I get this fixed? Sure! Do I want to “No!”. I get some kind of enjoyment in staying connected to nature as I write. I personally love the cold and winter! Fall and winter are my favorite seasons.

The photo I have attached is of me writing Walking in Light on Blueberry on a very cold winter day in February 2014 – one year ago. I have on two sets of glasses, my father’s hat, my mother’s heart necklace (which you can’t see in the photo) and gloves. Thought you might enjoy seeing this. I definitely look different than in the photos I use in advertising!

I believe Walking in Light is an important book. I summarized the teachings I have been sharing for years. I truly believe if we put into daily practice shamanic principles as I outlined in Walking in Light we would feel empowered and the world would become a better place for all in the web of life.

I hope you will read a copy!

To start the New Year, I journeyed to the track “Rattlesnake” on “Shamanic Visioning Music: Taiko Drum Journeys”. The Odaiko drum really took me deep into a journey. By “synchronicity” my journey was about why a snake sheds it skin. As we know a snake sheds its skin so it can continue to grow.

In my journey, it was suggested to me by Snake, and my helping spirits, to look at how I have started to outgrow my old beliefs and old stories. I was told that it was time for me to be reborn into a more expansive being that continues to embrace life, sharing from the depth of my spirit, and moving past my perceived limitations.

I think this is a great message for all of us to journey on as we move forward together.

To order Walking in Light and/or the taiko drum journey CD please visit:

https://www.sandraingerman.com/booksaudiovideo.html

Unlike a snake, as humans our skin continues to grow. Although our skin does shed, we more go through a major shedding on a spiritual and emotional level as we continue to experience the initiations that life brings for us. We don’t always get to see how much change we have been through and how our presence has changed as our skin does grow with us. We continue to grow into new skin.

There is a balance between being too passive in life and trying too hard. Balance is created by achieving a state of harmony between being active and passive. This is really the key to much of what we need in the mastery of life.

On the note of being passive, I find that often times we get so caught up in predictions. I have written about falling prey to predictions in many columns of the Transmutation News that begin the New Year. People often get caught up on wanting someone to tell us the forces that will change our life and the world we live in. But this is akin to weather predictions. At this point in time the weather moves in patterns that no one could have predicted. And I do believe that the same will be true in all areas of life. We live in a time of unknowing, anything can happen, and our creative potential is great if we tap into it.

My advice is to pick one spiritual practice that I have been writing about in the past issues of the Transmutation News. Work with it on a daily basis and allow it to become part of your life. As you work daily to integrate a spiritual practice that calls to you, you will find yourself growing into the work naturally and it will become who you are. In this way you live and work spiritually from a place of balance instead of waiting for some outside force to change your life and the world or trying too hard to work spiritually to force change. We need to focus on our spiritual work and let it change us at the same time.

I have been so inspired and changed myself from teaching my teleconferencing course. The virtual ceremonies I have been leading is giving direct experience of the true power of joining together as a community to create a collective field of energy that is so alive and vibrating with change.

In the course participants have been stepping in fully into the virtual ceremonies I lead. I can feel and see how when we enter into a collective field engaging all of our senses, we have the opportunity to open the veils between the worlds and bring through the power and healing of the invisible realms into the tangible realm. This has been so exciting to be part of and witness.

We do this in our monthly full moon ceremony “Creating A Human Web of Light”. The key is that when you perform your transfiguration practice and experience your inner light you must step fully into this state. And you need to step fully in the collective field that our global community has been and continues to create together. This is where the change happens. The healing happens as we learn how to bring the invisible into the visible. This is required to experience a positive tangible change.

Our collective paradigm and model is broken and cannot be fixed. So, we need to continue to support each other as we engage in spiritual practices to envision a new model and weave a new fabric of reality into being. Performing ceremonies together is such a powerful way to create positive change and join together in the feminine model of collaboration and cooperation.

A few months ago, I recorded an audio program with Dr. Lewis Mehl- Madrona. I asked him to speak with me about the power of telling healing stories. He is the author of Coyote Medicine and is a Native American healer. In his practice he weaves indigenous culture into his practice as an MD and clinical psychologist.

In this talk with me he shared that we are sum total of all the stories that have ever been told about us, and that we have told about ourselves. He said, “Let’s only tell good stories so we can have more good people!”

And then I heard the shamanic teacher John Perkins share a powerful story and teaching. When John Perkins visited the Amazon rainforest, he had the opportunity to listen to the stories of the Shuar people. When John asked an elder how we could help them the response he received was: “If you really want to help, change the dream of your people.”

The time is now to reach deep within, beyond personality and the distractions you create. It is time to tap into and discover what your soul came here to express. Move past all you tell yourself about why you can’t reach your potential and manifest a new dream for yourself and the Earth. It is time to let go of your distractions and manifest your soul’s destiny. Time is moving so quickly and change on the planet is intensifying. It is no longer appropriate to say “I hope someday…..” or wait to for someone else to change our lives. You are being called to participate fully in life now.

We can grow into deeper and more creative people as we sink into the true power that each of us holds within us to be positive changemakers.

We must let go of the old stories that no longer serve us personally and on a collective level, and we also need to change how we are daydreaming the world we live in into being. We have the opportunity to grow into an unlimited being in this lifetime.

Albert Einstein said, “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.”

Here is a story shared by a reader of the Transmutation News that I think goes with bringing the invisible power of word into the visible to inspire tangible change.

Please note in future columns I will only share a paragraph of people’s stories. But I felt that this story flows with what I wrote.

Jenny worked with the practice I shared in the October 2014 Transmutation News. The practice was to work with one word for a month and really feel the vibration of the word working in and transforming all your cells. This is a powerful practice and worth repeating. You can re-read the October 2014 Transmutation News by clicking on www.sandraingerman.com/tnoctober2014.html

Jenny wrote:

“I was Given the word ‘HARMONY’ in my Meditation. At first it did not seem that inspiring. . . . Then I did my Medicine Wheel ritual later that morning, and suddenly it sort of, “took off”. . . . . .

I wrote to a friend: Sandra has some lovely simple advice. Like just focusing on one word, for a month. I was ‘given’ the word ‘Harmony’ , and I have had such joy, in looking at all its meanings and applications. For harmony within myself, all my parts, my cells, my child, my soul, etc. As well as music, colour, scent, and between people, both those close, and all humanity, and Mother Earth.

Harmony is in music, and in dance. It is in the Air, the birds singing. It is in Water, the waves in the sea. It is in the Sun and the Moon and Colours, like a rainbow. Each colour different, but all creating a harmonious whole. It is in the Wind, and the leaves and branches moving in it. In the Stars, and the Universe, the Planets circling the Sun.

Harmony can be within ourselves as individuals, and between us all as humankind, and in the whole of Mother Earth, and all sentient beings, and all creation.

The Divine as the conductor of a huge orchestra, that is all of us. Each of us is a different sound, in the orchestra, but together, under the direction of the Divine, we can make wonderful Music, wonderful songs, all in Harmony. Each instrument different but contributing to the whole. In fact, if all instruments were the same, and we all played the same note, there would be no real harmony, and it would all sound quite boring, lacking depth and interest. Harmony requires different sounds, different colours, different scents. There is much in Aromatherapy about harmonizing scents too.

On a more personal level, I have been Healing over the past 6 years, from recovered memories of terrible sexual violations as a child, leaving my body, soul, emotions and my myriad child selves, very tattered, fractured and separated. I understood from the word Harmony, that my Healing is bringing all of myself, me, back into harmony. All parts of me, resonating and integrating into a harmonious whole. This is what Healing is – restoring harmony to our Being. There is harmony between the chakras. Colour harmony and sound harmony. Harmony between the Heart and Mind and Soul and Voice, and Body and all levels of our Aura. Our past and present lives. All can be brought into Harmony, and really that is what we are about, that is our aim. To be wholly and fully ourselves in complete inner harmony, and to express ourselves within this authentic harmony.

Love is Harmony. The Ultimate Harmony. Peace is Harmony within ourselves, and between people. When there is Harmony, there cannot be War and Violence. Harmony has a flexibility, an ability to move and adjust – a rhythm, and a dance to it. It is never rigid, hard or unbending.

Contemplating the word Harmony, made me want to make my family relationships more harmonious, and gave me a vision I can hold for all of us.

Harmony is a Flow, and is Beauty, and Joy and Laughter. Harmony is what we want for the Earth, and what the Earth, Mother Earth offers us, if we will but bend to her Music, and listen to what she has to say to us, and take time to allow her to embrace us.

Harmony is now part of my life. I often think of it at different moments in the day. So, thank you Sandra, for that lovely simple idea, and thank you Spirit, for the beautiful word you gave me, and all, the Joy and inspiration it has brought me. It has been like opening a window in my Soul.”

Take a few minutes and close your eyes, Feel the vibration, light, and power of “harmony” feeding your cells and your soul.

We are entering our fifteenth year of performing together the full ceremony “Creating A Human Web of Life”. How amazing! Time really is moving quickly.

The full moon is February 3. I invite all of us to step fully into the collective field of energy we have woven together over the years. In shamanism we spin threads from the invisible world into the world of form with the work we do. Journey within and experience your divine spiritual light and allow that to radiate into the world joining with the love and light of others to weave a vibrant harmonious fabric into physical form. This fabric creates a web of light that flows within and throughout the Earth.

If you are new to reading The Transmutation News please read “Creating A Human of Web of Light” on the homepage for instructions for our full moon ceremony.

Transmutation News – January 2015

We join together in love for our global community and on behalf of all of life while we cycle into a New Year. It is really amazing to watch how many communities create ceremonies, rituals, and celebrations to welcome in the New Year. Talk about a virtual collective field of energy weaving excitement and a wish for new hope as we enter into another part of the spiral of life.

This month I would like to encourage all of us to reflect on the following themes:

Inspiration, Excitement, Preciousness of Life, Tapping into Our Creative Genius, and the need to Wake Up!!

I had a few very inspirational teachers while I was in school. They really impacted me and helped to shape my life and my work.

When I was in ninth grade, I had a chemistry teacher Mrs. Goldstein. She graded on HOW we solved chemistry and math problems not on the answers we came to.

I rarely answered test questions correctly. Or when Mrs. Goldstein asked a question in class, I rarely got the correct answer. But I was inspired to think, and I always could share my process of how I came to an answer. It was such a great inspiration to see my teacher’s eyes light up as she would listen to my willingness to think a problem through while not focusing on the outcome. I received a great grade in all my tests due to my willingness to 1. try and 2. be creative in my thinking process. What a gift this was in my growth as I was inspired to be creative.

Then I had an amazing teacher in college while I was studying Marine Biology at San Francisco State University. I was taking a course on the study of algae. My instructor at the time of the class had reached the age of 65, and this was the last course he was teaching before retiring. He was one of the top world experts on the study of sea algae.

I do not remember his name. I remember his face, his stature, his voice, and how he dressed as we wandered the tide pools. I mostly remember the bliss and radiance shining through his eyes as he welcomed students into the magical, mysterious world of sea algae – this is a path not many follow. The mystery and magic of the red, green, and brown algae is a deep rich world that most do not explore. Some of the most beautiful and intricate plants that exist are some of the red algae.

My instructor would jump up and down in such excitement, and we thought he would pass from his excitement as my classmates would wander, and we each found rare and wonderful algae in the tide pools.

For our final test of the semester we had to collect as many species of sea algae we could individually find and collect. We had to keep them alive. And then we had to lay them out on a sheet on the floor and say their names.

My teacher would use a stopwatch (as we only had a certain amount of time to go share our collection), and he would jump and cheer loudly as each student went through their collection naming the algae correctly.

I would practice the names of all the algae I had collected for hours each night. I had friends who would come to my apartment in San Francisco and support me during my memorization process.

Did this add to a life mission – no! But this taught me about the power of excitement as I joined in with the amazing energy my teacher radiated. I was not trying to prove anything to my instructor. I did this for pure excitement and joy! Why, because through his love of the subject he inspired me and others to learn.

And lastly, I am deeply grateful for Vern Haddick who was one of my instructors while I was getting my MA in Counseling Psychology at CIIS in San Francisco. Vern taught me about the power of unconditional love and how we can hold people in love and accept them unconditionally. I will always be grateful for how Vern simply accepted me unconditionally during a time in my life when I felt so insecure about my own gifts and talents that I had to share.

In this time of continued challenge, despair, and unrest on the planet we can inspire and create excitement about the preciousness of life. We can teach people to tap into their own thinking process and creative and spiritual inspiration.

We can inspire people to wake up!!

What are you excited about? And how can you share this excitement with friends, loved ones, children, co-workers, and others in your local community?

My teachers led me to be available to my students of shamanism and help them feel welcomed into the practice and into the circle of our community, to shine, to laugh, to feel excitement about unlimited possibilities. I love to watch and match the energy of excitement as my students step onto the path of shamanism.

Be a force of excitement and inspiration with your friends and community!

Help people to Wake Up!

It is important to remember that the helping and compassionate spirits only see us in our beauty and light.

It is up to us to live a more conscious life and shine our beauty and light in the world.

At this time of the New Year where hope for a new chance and positive change abounds rededicate yourself to your spiritual work.

Continue to work with the practices we have been performing together that I have shared over the last 15 years of writing the Transmutation News.

Transmute and transform the energy behind your thoughts and words.

Align your thoughts and words to create a positive outcome.

Cultivate your inner landscape and inner garden.

Be conscious of the power of your words and your thoughts to create in the world.

Release core limiting and blocking beliefs that prevent you from tapping into your creative energy.

Wake up each day and give thanks and gratitude for your life, earth, air, water, and fire (as in the sun), and for the exquisite life forms that live in all the elements, for the moon, stars, planets, your helping spirits, the spirit of the land, your helping ancestors, the Hidden Folk and so on. Reach into your heart and give daily gratitude to those who you wish to thank. By giving thanks for your life every day you create so much positive change for all of life.

Look at changes you need to make in your life to find peace, balance, and harmony.

Spend time in nature!!

Continue to perform your dreaming practices to dream into being a world filled with love, light, peace, abundance, harmony, honor, respect, and equality for all.

Be open and find balance in how you give and receive.

Surrender the outcomes. Perform your spiritual work no matter what you witness in the outer world. The spiritual work we do does make a difference. But yes also take actions in the physical world to be a positive changemaker.

Continue to feel the love of our global community who joins together as we continue to work together in behalf of all of life.

Be a light in the world!

In my new book Walking in Light: The Everyday Empowerment of Shamanic Life (Sounds True) I take you by the hand and lead you through all the practices I have shared with you over the last 15 years. The book will be released February 1.

The full moon is January 5. Let us continue to weave a golden web of light into the fabric of reality. Do your preparation work so you are fully engaged with the practice. Move out of your ordinary state of consciousness and enter into a state of oneness. Connect with our global community as we weave a radiant web of light within and throughout this great Earth!

If you are a new reader to the Transmutation News please read “Creating a Human Web of Light” on the homepage.

Early one morning in December I had the most extraordinary dream. I shared the dream on Facebook but not all of you follow me on Facebook, so I want to share it here.

The first part of the dream was very complex and deep, and I do not remember it. I know I was in an apartment in a city having a very deep discussion with others, and I think the topic might have been on death.

Anyway the discussion had moved to a place where I knew it was time for me to leave. And I had come to the city as I wanted to buy light blue mascara. So, I decided to move on with my mission.

I was walking through the streets of the city, and I came to a construction zone. There was a new development being built for commercial properties and stores.

A river had to be drained for the building projects to proceed. I know this sounds strange, but this was a dream.

The next part of the dream will be with me forever. I walked along the drained riverbed. The sand was still wet. It was not like where I live where I walk along arroyos which are dry riverbeds. The sand in this river was still very moist and wet.

As I walked the river started singing to me. The song was exquisite. And every new curve I came to in the river the song changed. I came to one part of the river where through the song symbols started appearing in the sand. I went back and forth the entire length of the river and kept listening to this beautiful song. The song remained constant depending on where I was on the river.

I was so touched and moved by the beauty of this song and that the river was still singing although the water had been drained.

I walked back to a group of construction workers. And there was one large Native American man with two very long braids. I thought to myself maybe he will listen to me. I told him my story that the river is singing. He looked at me, and when I started crying, he said he would walk with me and try to listen.

We walked to the riverbank and started walking the length of the river. At first there was only silence. And then a song emerged. It was different than the one I heard when I was walking alone, but it was a song. I asked him if he could hear it. At first, he could not. And then the song got stronger and louder. He looked at me in amazement as he heard the song. And together we walked the length of the river listening to the river sing.

He went back to the group of other construction workers and said they had to stop the project for the river was alive and still singing. I left the group knowing they would stop the work.

And then I went on to buy my light blue mascara.

I woke up so touched by the dream and the song of the river! In the early 1970s I drowned in the ocean in Mazatlan and I experienced myself traveling through a tunnel into a light. I found myself in an extraordinary garden and sat on a stone bench while I listened to the most beautiful music that I will never be able to describe or have never heard in this earthly realm.

Everything in life sings and the song is eternal.

Go out and sing to the land, the waters, the air, the sun, the moon, the stars, and to all the exquisite and amazing beings who live in the elements. Open your heart and listen as they sing with you!

Happy New Year!

Stories Shared by Our Community

I was truly overwhelmed with all the stories people sent me about the power of engaging in shamanic work. I guess I should not have been surprised by this as we all know the power of shamanic work which includes the Medicine for the Earth work. Right now, I have about 30 pages of stories combined into one document.

I will include some stories sent to me by our community in future columns of the Transmutation News.

Due to the length of this month’s column I will only share some links to blogs that a couple of our people in our community wrote:

Simin Uysal in Turkey decided to write up her story in a blog. It is quite beautiful and touching. Here is the link:

http://anatolianstories.blogspot.com.tr/2014/11/dreaming-with-ancestors-in-land-of.html

Jeff Nixa had shared some articles he wrote that I found quite powerful. You can read them at:

The first story posted in Nov. 2013, We’re All Living on a Rez: My Week on Pine Ridge Reservation

http://urban-shamanism.org/2013/11/05/were-all-living-on-a-rez-my-week-on-pine-ridge-indian-reservation/

The second story posted this Nov. 2014, Where The Heart Is Hidden In Plain View. http://urban-shamanism.org

Transmutation News – December 2014

This is the time of year where during the holiday season there is so much marketing focus on the gift of giving. I have been contemplating and meditating on the principle of giving and receiving. In our Western culture we learn that it is better to give than to receive. And on many levels, we all know the joys of unconditional giving without any expectations of getting anything back in return. For it is a true act of service to give whether it be on a physical, emotional, and or spiritual level. Gifting others is a true joy!

Then there are those who have given in a way that has created physical and/or emotional illness. Doctors and psychotherapists talk quite a bit about treating people with a variety of illnesses such as cancer that can be attributed to the over tendency to give without being replenished. So, some form of self care of being able to receive has been proven to help people stay healthy.

When you observe nature you can see the balance of giving and receiving. Our inhalation of air fills our cells and also fuels the power of our out breath. If you only exhaled, you would not continue living.

When you watch the tides there is the ebb and the flow. You never see in nature only an ebb or only a flow.

The earth receives nutrients from the sun, rain, and through the wind and this provides what is needed to produce a wealth of beauty and plants that provide us with nutrition.

A garden that receives not just physical care but also love thrives in ways that can seem miraculous.

When we share gratitude and appreciation, and when we honor and respect others and all of life we engage in the principle of reciprocity. We experience gratitude, appreciation, honor, and respect in return.

There does seem to be a balance that life teaches us about sustaining our health and feelings of well-being. And although unconditional service seems to get so much attention I wonder if we need to re-look at how much we focus on giving without receiving.

Giving and receiving comes in many forms. There are many practitioners who give and receive on a variety of levels that fuels balance. As we experienced with working with the meditation to The Inner Chamber of Light (Transmutation News January 2014) there are millions of souls working anonymously to be in service to the planet without getting recognition for what they are doing. This is an example of unconditional giving. And at the same time love is shared when we shine our light in the world, and it is important to take this in and receive the love we so deserve.

We started this year performing a meditation/journey to The Inner Chamber of Light. You might wish to re-read the January 2014 Transmutation News and repeat this exercise as we end the year together. It is a lovely, inspiring, and empowering meditation.

Balance is needed to continue to thrive and stay healthy.

Take some time and simply sit in silence and breathe while you watch your breath. Experience the natural flow as you breath in and breathe out. There is a flow and a balance needed to sustain your life.

If you live by the ocean or by a body of water where the tide changes observe the ebb and flow.

You can perform a meditation or journey to merge with the ocean and experience the natural ebb and flow that occurs. This ebb and flow never cease. It is part of life.

The sun comes up each day and goes down at night.

The earth gives, and it receives.

The air receives nutrients and then shares it with earth and water.

Spend some time contemplating and meditating on the natural flow in nature of giving and receiving. And do some merging work with an element that calls to you so that you get the feeling of giving and receiving in your body. To merge with an element simply set your intention that you want to learn about an element by becoming an element while you meditate or journey. When your meditation or journey is complete with intention disengage from the element you are merged with. Return fully to your ordinary state of consciousness feeling grounded and refreshed.

Once you feel the natural flow take some time to reflect on your own state of balance. Contemplate and reflect on a small change you can make to bring your life back into balance, so you experience the flow of giving and receiving in your own life.

In the 1980’s I studied tarot for many years with Angeles Arrien. She was a great teacher who died last spring. Angeles was an anthropologist who studied cross-cultural symbols and also studied what created states of health and well-being personally and in communities.

One of the principles Angeles taught in her work was that you never really learn how to give unless you learn how to receive. For giving and receiving are all part of one cycle.

Where are you in this cycle?

You can link this work up with the work we did together last month to merge with the moon. For in the merging work, you experienced the power of attraction. It is time to attract and absorb loving energies so that you feel filled up and healthy.

You can also repeat the meditation/journey to experience the love that went into your creation and absorb the love and light into all your cells. You were created from unconditional love. You came here to be a vessel of unconditional love. It is so important to align your energy so that you receive and give unconditional love in a balanced flow.

Over the last few months I have encouraged you to open to the true power of words and how words impact us on a physical level. The word that emerges for me as I journey on receiving is “invite”. When you receive, you invite in life’s nourishing energies. Set an intention to “invite” in what you need to feel replenished.

Over the years I have received a wealth of letters and emails sharing with me results from working with the Medicine for the Earth work and the practices I have shared in the Transmutation News.

When we experience change within ourselves and when we hear about how others were inspired it does add fuel to the work. For although our lives and the world continue to go through initiations that will lead us to finding balance it is important to recognize the small everyday miraculous events and changes that do occur.

I feel it would be such a gift to our community if some of you were willing to share a short story about how your life has changed or benefited in some way by a practice I have shared or from your daily practice in general.

This would only be for our community and would not be used in any other way. If you are willing to share something to inspire all of us, you can send it to me at: stories@sandraingerman.com. (PLEASE NOTE: Only emails that share an inspirational story that I can share on the Transmutation News will be answered. This is not an email address to use in any other way.)

I know people are busy but writing something no matter how short will add to what I write each month. My intention in writing the Transmutation News has always been to inspire readers to keep up your spiritual work no matter what is happening in the world around you. I have been writing the Transmutation News since 2000. And I invite you to join me in inspiring our community.

In my own journeys I have seen the importance of dedication to performing spiritual practices and living the work. The world is changing with such intensity that many are moving into a state of despair, fear and anger.

We can get so distracted by our ordinary lives and what is happening around us. We tend to lose focus so easily. Take some time and rededicate yourself to the work you are doing and living a conscious way of life.

Remember what you feed grows. Continue to experience the depth and range of your feelings. But then do your work to transform the energy behind your feelings and thoughts to an energy of love and light that feeds you, your loved ones, all of life, and the earth. Choose to plant seeds of love, light, and inspiration.

With all that is going on in the world it is time to step up our spiritual work and join together in unity as a global spiritual community.

Open up your strong eye (your third eye) as the true shamans have done since the beginning of time and view what is happening in the world through the eyes of spirit versus through your ego and personality. As we change our perception, we change our reality.

The full moon is December 6. Let go of your ordinary thoughts and the distractions of your day and travel within. Experience your inner starlight filling your cells. Radiate that light and imagine it joining with many thousands of others radiating their light while we weave into creation a beautiful golden fabric of light that flows within and throughout the earth.

If you are new to reading this monthly column please read “Creating a Human Web of Light” on the homepage.

The solstice is December 21. We celebrate the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. As I wrote about on the Transmutation News, when we celebrated the equinox, there is a beautiful flow of one season to the next. The seasons flow into each other.

I did journey on a solstice ceremony we can all participate in together. I know it will be quite cold where some of you live. I was told that each of us should stand outside even if you can even do this for a few minutes. Stand with your feet on the earth with a somewhat wide stance. And lift your arms up to the sky. In this way you will be in the shape of a five-pointed star.

Take some deep cleansing breaths. Inhale, pause, exhale. Connect your heartbeat to the earth and feel your connection with the sky above. Open your heart to the earth, sky, to our circle, to all of life, and to the planet. Imagine bringing through unconditional love and light that flows and radiates forth. Absorb this love and light into all your cells. And feel it flowing within and throughout the earth. Let us uplift all of life on this day. Let us join together as a great circle of human stars.

Each year I have encouraged you to create a prayer tree in your community where people can come together and tie on a ribbon (loosely around the branch of the tree so that it can continue to grow) with a prayer, wish, or blessing.

There are prayer, blessing, and wishing trees all around the world that have been created by local communities throughout time.

You could bring in a bowl to your office and invite people to place prayers, blessings, and wishes in the bowl.

We can return to engaging in spiritual practices during the time of the solstice and break the collective trance that participates only in being a consumer and feeling pressured to buy gifts during this time of year.

Teach others the power of joining together in community to share prayers, wishes, and blessings. These might be of a personal nature, in behalf of loved ones, and/or for the planet and all of life.

In this way we all participate fully in the spiritual flow of giving and receiving from the highest place of love, light, and peace.

Let us join together in deep gratitude and appreciation for all the work Sylvia Edwards (my dear friend and webmaster) and all the translators volunteer to bring the Transmutation News to all of you. Sylvia and the translators all do this as an act of service as they love to help to share the work with the global community. Let us share with them blessings and love that they can receive in return for all they give.

Lena Anderheim – Swedish

Fabio Braga – Portuguese Brazil

Nello Ceccon – Italian

Ines Fermoso – Spanish

Sofia Frazoa – Portuguese

Dorota Goczal – Polish

Els de Graaff-van Meeteren – Dutch

Eleni Evangelinou and Rallou Gromitsari – Greek

Annie Idrissi – French

Miriam Kisssova and Jan Lenc – Slovakian

Eva Ruprechtsberger – German

Tea Thum – Finnish

Simin Uysal – Turkish

We also include in our blessings our Farsi translator.

Now let us join our hearts together for all in our community as we support each other by holding each other in love as we focus together to be a light in the world.

We join our hearts together in love as we wish you all a joyous solstice!!

Transmutation News – November 2014

I hope you had the opportunity to work with the practices that I shared with you in the October Transmutation News.

If you did I am sure you have a deeper physical connection to the spiritual work we have been engaged in. For to really make a difference we need to embody the practices instead of simply mentally understanding them. Through the embodiment of the work we change our field of energy or auric field which changes what we energetically radiate and project. By doing so we truly impact the collective field of energy.

This month I ask you to put into action working with the power of words. For the shamanic path is a way of creating change through blessings. When we bless ourselves, the world, and all in the web of life we create an energy that manifests the blessings in our ordinary world. The energy of our words spins fibers that weave first an invisible fabric that ultimately creates a new fabric of reality in our ordinary realm of existence.

David Mathisen, author of The Undying Stars, writes a wonderful blog. After reading what was shared on blessings in Awakening to the Spirit World he wrote a great blog on the topic. He shared a couple of sentences in particular that really spoke to me. David wrote that in saying blessings we recognize the invisible spirit within and call it out to shine forth. We recognize the hidden spirit world and invite its energies to flow into the visible worlds. (mathisencorollary.blogspot.com/2014/09/blessing.html)

Each day pay attention to using words that bless and create beauty. Before you go to sleep at night end your day and start your nightly dreams by stating words of blessing for yourself and all of life.

We have been working with the power of the full moon in our monthly ceremonies. This month perform a meditation or a shamanic journey to merge with the moon. I would suggest that you merge with the power of the full moon so that when you do join in with the full moon ceremony “Creating a Human Web of Light” you have the physical sensation of the power you are working with. Feel the power of the full moon in your body as you learn about the moon by becoming it.

Put on some meditative music that expands and heightens your consciousness or listen to a drumming or shamanic music CD. You can also drum or rattle for yourself.

Hold your intention that you would like to merge with the power of the full moon. You can do a series of merging journeys/meditations with the different cycles of the moon to embody the internal shifts that you experience with the moon’s changing cycles.

This is not about getting messages although the moon might share a message with you as you experience her. The key is to feel how your energy becomes one with the energy of the moon and what the changing phases feel like in you. Notice the power you have to project and also attract to you during certain phases. This will help you in your creation and manifestation work as you learn through becoming the moon the most potent times to perform some of your ceremonial work.

In some native cultures the moon is seen as a masculine energy and in some it is seen as a feminine being. As shamanism is a path of direct revelation feel for yourself what gender you connect with as you merge with the moon.

This is a very powerful journey that will help you tap into your body’s intelligence as all of life is impacted by the lunar cycles. We know how the moon effects the tides. As we are mostly water the moon has a great impact on us too.

As we watch what is happening in the world we can see the imbalance of how water is impacting different places on the earth. We are seeing flooding rains and extreme drought. This month let us honor the living being that we call water.

Bring simple spiritual practices into your life to honor water. Understand that water is reflecting back to your own inner state of toxicity. Learn to transmute and transform the energy behind your emotions and thoughts to love and light.

Make it a daily practice to honor water. As you wash yourself, the dishes, etc. connect with water and give thanks for how water sustains life. It also heals and cleanses you. As you drink give thanks to the life and nourishment that water brings to you.

Whenever you drink water or visit a body of water always see it in its divine light. Remember your perception creates your reality. If you perceive the water as polluted it is polluted. Lift the veils between the worlds as shamans have done since the beginning of time. And choose to see the divine light in the waters of the world.

Earth, air, water, and the sun sustain our life. We must not pollute that which gives us life. Honor water and all the elements that give us life. And they will honor us in return.

Find a body of water that you can sit by. You can travel to a beautiful place in nature or visit a nearby park that has a lake, pond, or stream. Sitting by running water such as a river, stream, waterfall can help you be transported away from your ordinary concerns allowing your inner wisdom to emerge. Watching the waves in the ocean creates a state of opening so you can listen to the messages of your soul. If you sit by the ocean feel the waves welling up inside of you. While sitting by a river or stream drop into your sensory awareness of the flow of your inner water. A lake or pond might put you in touch with the stillness within you.

Listen to some music that you find relaxing and expansive. Lie or sit down. Close your eyes and hold the intention that you wish to experience the waters that run beneath and through the city where you live. Experience the waters and learn about the qualities of water that run through the land. Open your sensory awareness and notice what you feel in your body as you do this.

Reflect on the people, trees, plants, animals, and other nature beings that live in your area. Meditate on how they reflect back the qualities of the water where you live.

When you feel you are finished return from your meditation. You can take some notes. Take a walk outside feeling the water running beneath the land. Even if you live in a city there is still water in the land where you live.

In some places the mighty rivers and oceans run strong. In some locations there might be gentle streams and still lakes feeding the land. And in some places there are deep pools of water beneath the land that sustains the life that grow roots deep enough to find the water below.

Merging with water is a wonderful way to experience becoming one with the flow of life. Water flows in a natural and graceful way. Water is a reflection of the divine feminine and water reflects the nature of our soul. We can learn about the power and nature of water by merging with it. When we merge with an element the teachings we receive go beyond mental understanding, but rather impact us physically as we become one with the energy of another living being.

Listen to some relaxing and expansive music. Imagine becoming one with a source of water such as a still lake, a river, a waterfall, the ocean, rain, mist, etc.

Go deep within and experience yourself losing your own boundaries and become one with this water source. Learn about water by becoming water. Open your sensory awareness noticing all the feelings in your body as you do this.

Relax into being water. This is such a powerful and regenerating practice.

When you feel ready disconnect from the water source you are merged with and gently come back to yourself and into the room you are in. Feel revitalized from your experience. Feel yourself grounded and present.

If you need some help with feeling more grounded after such an expansive practice imagine deep roots growing out the soles of your feet into the earth. Or imagine sitting with and leaning your body against a tree.

Listen to a piece of music that creates an expanded state of awareness. Set your intention to travel within to experience your inner light. You can imagine traveling within your body and merging with a star. Remember a star does not try to shine, there is no effort involved. A star does not choose where it’s light shines. A star simply radiates light and brightens all of life.

Allow your divine light to nurture all the cells in your body. Absorb this light deeply into your cells. Soak it in and luxuriate in this light.

After about 15 minutes of experiencing your divine light return from this experience without disconnecting fully from your true spiritual nature. We are luminous beings.

Now drink a glass of water. And notice as you radiate and experience your light how smooth, fresh, and sweet the water tastes. It is the same water you drink each day. But as you allow yourself to experience and live from a state of light water will always reflect back your luminosity.

Be conscious about what you put into water. and do not pollute it. As we give thanks and bless water for all it shares, water will also bless us in return.

The full moon is November 8. Let us do our spiritual work and connect with our global community, the power of the moon, and the spirit of water to weave into being a radiant and healthy web of light. Remember that we are mostly water so we are truly water beings. Let us bring in the element of water into performing our full moon ceremony together.

If you are a new reader of the Transmutation News please visit “Creating A Human Web of Light” to read the instructions for our full moon ceremony.

In the United States Thanksgiving is celebrated in November. It is a good time for us to remember that in shamanic cultures every day is a day of thanksgiving. When we give thanks each day for our lives and share our blessings with all of life then all of life will bless us in return.

Transmutation News – September 2014

First, I want to share that it was so wonderful to sink into our ceremony of Creating a Human Web of Life during the Super Moon of August. It was really a lovely feeling joining with the light of our circle.

I think you have probably had the experience where the universe keeps giving you a sign of something you need to reflect on. I feel like I have been in one of those periods.

As I have shared, I wrote a new book that is being published by Sounds True. The book is titled Walking in Light: The Everyday Empowerment of Shamanic Life. It is scheduled to be released February 1.

When one writes a book there are different phases of the editing process. And in August I was in the final editing phase. That meant that after I turned in my final edit, I could not make any changes. The book is now being prepared to be printed.

So, I read and re-read the book multiple times to make sure there was nothing else I wanted to add, change, or delete.

One of the chapters I wrote on includes a section on initiation. And in this chapter, I raised some questions that stay in my mind. These are questions I continue to sit with and think about. Sometimes you might be done with a piece of work, but the work is not done with you. I completed this chapter to the best of my ability, but the work is not done with me. It keeps ‘working me” and settling deep within.

In June Tami Simon (the owner of Sounds True) interviewed me on an anthology about depression. The book will be released the beginning of April.

My editor sent me the transcribed and edited interview to review in August a few days after I sent Walking in Light back to the production department.

In my interview I addressed the shamanic understanding of depression as an initiation and rite and passage. I also wrote about my own life journey dealing with depression.

My initial interview had to be shortened to fit into one short chapter for the anthology. But in its succinct form I talk much about shamanic initiation and how it relates to depression.

And then sadly Robin Williams committed suicide. And I wrote a short post on Facebook about depression as an initiation and a bit about my own experience navigating the waves of depression in my own life.

So, the theme of initiation is really coming up for me. And I think that one key point about initiation is that through “surviving” an initiation we learn how to live.

We continue to witness the intense journey that people all over the world are experiencing today – whether it is through living in a war-torn area, being in the military and engaging in war, religious and political persecution, dealing with climatic changes, physical illness, a variety of emotional and mental issues, and so on.

We tend to put labels on certain issues. But I do believe that most of what people are experiencing today is an initiation into a new way of living.

And while you are going through an initiation you cannot think about it. You cannot mentally plan how you are going to walk “through the fire”. An invisible part of yourself has to take over and carry you through.

Yes, our helping spirits and invisible forces can provide support for us. But in the end, we must tap into the strength of our spirit.

During the process of dissolution, it is our spirit that continues to shine through.

And I do believe that this is a great teaching of our time. The teaching is as old as humanity. But it is time we wake up to the strength of our internal spirit.

I remember in one of the first journeys I ever performed in 1980 my power animal came to me. He instructed me not sit down in the darkness. He told me to stand up and put one foot in front of the other. He was not referring to a specific situation in my life. He was sharing a general teaching with me.

This advice always stayed with me. For in any initiation, you really cannot stop and sit down and refuse to move. For in a true shamanic initiation the only way to live is to keep moving guided by the strength of spirit.

I know many of you experience personal challenges and are also touched by all you witness right now. I do believe that movement is key to coming through. As I use as one of my daily mantras, “The only way out is through.”

Reflect on any initiation you might be experiencing in your own life.

The key is really to develop the tools needed to navigate the waves of joy as well as the turbulent waves. The tools I have been sharing with you over the years are the same ones I use to navigate the dark waves that I ride. They truly have kept me alive. I work with all my tools daily whether I am riding light and blissful or dark waves. I do commit to keep moving and flowing with the phases of life. I am compassionate towards myself, and I do not judge myself for whatever I am experiencing. But I do keep moving even if I can only take the smallest baby step.

Both of my parents were powerful role models to me who showed me how to forge ahead in the midst of challenge. But my mother modeled to me how to keep moving to not just survive but to thrive. I watched my mother’s dedication to thrive on a psycho-spiritual level despite the challenges in her life. We never talked about it. But I learned a lot just by observing her.

Everything in nature is in constant change and movement. And all living beings grow towards the light and absorb what it needs to thrive. We are part of nature and not separate from it.

This month continue to cultivate a rich inner landscape as I have been inspiring you to do. When you do this, you do step into a new and beautiful dimension of reality. The doorway into this beautiful dimension is through our inner world.

First you have to love and honor yourself enough to want to do the inner world work. Go into your inner garden and clean it up. Pull out old plants and roots that do not serve your well being.

Really experience taking care of your inner soil so that when you run your fingers through it you feel moisture and it feels rich to touch. Smell the freshness and richness of your inner soil.

And then with loving care plant the seeds that you would like to see grow.

Remember to leave space for some wild plants to grow too.

In the garden at my house there are hundreds of this one wild plant that is growing for the first time. I do not know the name of it. When people come to our house, I can see them looking at the garden and then looking at me. I can hear them thinking why doesn’t she weed the garden. For the plants that are thriving and growing would definitely be considered weeds to most onlookers.

I don’t pull them out for many reasons. One reason is that they are so green and strong. And in the desert, it seems like a crime to me to actually pull out green strong plants.

But also, the plants flowered in August. And my garden looked so alive with all these vibrant yellow flowers blossoming everywhere. If I pulled these plants out, I would have missed seeing such beauty.

Sometimes we try to domesticate our inner and outer garden too much. It is good to leave space for the wild plants to grow. You never know what great beauty will grow and blossom in your life.

Isis has shared with me that it is so important to focus on the temple of our spirit. And of course, the temple of your spirit is your body. This means that your body and temple is holy ground. You do not want to destroy holy ground.

This statement goes even deeper when we think of the sacredness of all of life. Everything that is alive is holy ground and all of life should be honored and respected.

Continue to build a strong inner temple.

Absorb the light and power of your divine light and the light of life into your cells. Do this daily!

Experience what it feels like to be lit from within.

Notice how you feel physically and the sense of inner peace. Notice if you feel a difference in your vibration as you do this.

The full moon is September 8. So many of us want to be in service during such a time of transition on the planet. We forget that there are spiritual practices that we can engage in that do make a difference.

If you have a drum or rattle that you can use do some drumming or rattling. This will help you to step away from an egoic state of separation and will assist you in finding your center so you can focus on your spiritual work.

Focus on your intention to be a light in the world. And on the full moon let go of your state of consciousness that keeps you separate from your inner divine light. Travel deep within and experience your true spiritual nature which is light. Experience unity with Source and with all in the web of light. Radiate your light and let it flow and grow exponentially as it adds to the light of our global community. Imagine that light traveling within and throughout the earth creating a radiant web of light.

If you are a new reader of The Transmutation News please read “Creating A Human Web of Light” on the homepage for the instructions for our full moon ceremony.

The equinox is September 22. We flow into fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

I think that as we celebrate the change in seasons, we often perceive that one day we are in one season and then as the calendar gives us a date we are now in a new season.

The seasons do flow into one another. There is a smooth transition as the change from one season of life flows into the next.

Notice the subtle changes happening where you live that give you signs of how a change is beginning to occur. Notice the change in temperature, how the air is moving, the plant life, the animal life and how birds in your area begin to migrate. Feel the difference in the texture of the earth. Put your feet on the earth for at least 10-15 minutes a day and sense through your feet a shift in the movement, hum, or vibration. Notice the change in colors and the fragrance in the air.

Change does not just happen. There is a flow to all change. We just don’t pay attention to the signs of how cycles flow from one into another. We tend to think and perceive in linear ways instead of in the circular fashion as the earth teaches.

On the equinox take time to appreciate how the seasons and cycles of life flow. In the Northern Hemisphere it is a time to surrender and let go of what needs to be released into the earth to give life a time to rest after the growing season of summer. And in the Southern Hemisphere there is the excitement for the birth of the new after the long gestation process of winter.

On the equinox let us together honor the earth and all of life. Give gratitude for your life. Take time to go within and experience the flow of change happening within you. Experience how one season flows into the next within you too.

Let’s take time to acknowledge our own inherent gifts and strengths as well as our loved ones, others, and all in our global community and in all of life. When we acknowledge the gifts and strengths that everyone and all living beings contribute then we truly honor life.

I wish you all a joyous autumn and spring!!

Transmutation News – August 2014

I know our hearts are being stretched as we watch so much violence continue in so many places of the planet and also as so much life is impacted by climatic events. We continue to join our hearts together and radiate love and light and perceive all in their spiritual strength instead of focusing on suffering and weakness.

Due the urging of many readers of A Fall to Grace I have been creating a story line for the sequel to this book. And the process has been so interesting and revealing to me. I think that some of what I am working with might create a desire to reflect on your own life.

A Fall to Grace is a visionary fiction book. I based the book on events, dreams, and journeys from my own life. The only exception to this was the beginning of the book where the main character C Alexandra is in surgery to remove a cancerous tumor.

I had the flu, and I had a very high fever. I was in bed sleeping and trying to heal when I had a dream. In the dream a man with long white hair and clear steel gray eyes appeared and told me how to begin the story. He then instructed me to get up and start writing the book. In the dream I argued with him and protested. I told him I was sick. He was persistent and kept telling me to get up and write.

I finally pulled myself out of a deep sleep and got up, took out a pad of paper, and wrote the first three pages of the book. It was this dream spirit who told me to start the book with C Alexandra undergoing surgery.

I actually have never undergone surgery or had cancer. But I went with it. After I wrote those first 3 pages the rest of the story did not unfold for another 5 years. Something obviously was gestating inside of me, and I had to wait for the rest of the book to be born.

I promised a sequel and never delivered on that promise. This is not like me as I do follow through on my commitments. At the same time, I cannot force the sequel. The story will be told when the stars are aligned.

I have not put “pen to paper” yet to write down what is coming through for the sequel. But I have been actively developing the characters and the story line in my head.

Unlike A Fall to Grace the sequel will not be based on my life. It will completely be fiction about C Alexandra living in another dimension of reality.

I have the story line and the characters quite developed. I am really just waiting to complete the editing process of the two new books that Sounds True and Inner Traditions are publishing in 2015. I simply need some time to write out the story that is so deeply running through me.

Here is what I find so interesting and what I want to share with you. As I daydream about C Alexandra’s life in this other dimension, I sometimes find myself having to take a step back and question a character I created or where a plot in the book is going.

I might find myself creating a character who is getting ready to bring great suffering into C’s life and possibly break her heart. And then I stop and ask myself the questions, “Do you really want to pursue this scenario? Do you really want to bring in such a dark character into C’s world right now? And if you follow the line of the plot, do you really want this story line to be manifested in C’s world?”

I reconsider. I want C to live a life where she experiences the joys of life. But I also want her to experience the deeper lessons that come through life’s initiations and challenges. So, I am not trying to take struggles away from C.

But sometimes the story line gets so intense I feel my heart hurting in a way where I say I do not want to pursue this story line. And I erase the character and the plot in my head.

I am immersed so deeply with the book that the characters and the story line that I am creating have all become so real. It is like I am truly stepping into and inhabiting the dream and life of C Alexandra. This is one of the key steps that I have shared with you about creating the dream you wish to live in.

This takes us back to what I wrote about in the June Transmutation News about the need to tear up the script.

For shamans and mystics since the beginning of time teach that this world is a dream. It is time for us to take a step back and reflect on:

– Why did you create certain characters, events, and circumstances in your story line? Every event in your life has meaning. Why did you call it in?

– What have you learned from the events of your life? And how do you want to shift the direction of your story, the characters in it and the outcome?

– Reflecting on the power of the life story you created by your daydreams how would you change the scenarios and characters you are dreaming into being?

Here is an exercise I share in “Shamanic Visioning: Connecting with Spirit to Transform Your Inner and Outer Worlds”. I also wrote about this in my new book Walking in Light which will be published by Sounds True in 2015.

If you know how to perform a shamanic journey this is a powerful journey to do. But you can also do this as a meditation.

Do some preparation work so that you leave the distractions of your ordinary life behind. Take a walk and clear your mind. Or dance/sing/ meditate to move away your egoic thoughts away and open to the love of spirit.

Put on a shamanic musical track or drum or rattle for yourself and travel into the hidden realms. Let your intention and your imagination take you to The Land of Dreams. Once there ask to meet up the Master or Mistress of Daydreams.

Ask the Master or Mistress of Daydreams to show you how what you daydream about throughout the day is dreaming into being the life you are now living in. Explore the characters that are in your life. Learn about the scenarios and events that are now being created through your daydreams.

Ask for guidance on how you can change your daydreams so that you can also shift the story of your life. Remember the story you tell yourself is the life you end up living.

Neville taught, “The whole vast world is yourself pushed out.”

Florence Scovel Shinn taught, “Creation comes through us not to us.”

I truly believe that our destiny is to learn how to manifest spirit into form just like our creator did. And our life is a process of learning how to do this. We go on automatic and have lost awareness to the fact that our thoughts and words are invisible energies that do manifest into form.

As I written before what we feed grows. And I have continuously asked you to examine what seeds you are cultivating in your inner garden and inner landscape.

By reflecting deeply on your daydreams and what you are dreaming into being take this learning to a deeper level.

As I also engage in all the spiritual work that I suggest you do I realize that this exercise is not so simple. It is not a simple matter to be conscious of the impact of our daydreams in our life. Also, it is not always clear how certain people or events did show up in our life. The exercise I suggest is easier said than done.

But even if you can get one small clue that leads you to understand something simple in your life that manifested is a start. Don’t take on looking at your entire life script. Stay open and see if you can connect the dots to how one event or person entered into your life to give you a valuable lesson. And reflect on whether there is a small change you can make in your life that also changes the script.

I feel strongly that there is a momentum to the collective dream right now. All of life is being so deeply impacted by behaviors based on greed, hate, and power over. The collective dream is so dense and solid. And of course, using spiritual teachings the collective dream is our personal dream. At the same time every small change to our script we rewrite and every contribution we can make to change the current dream is so valuable.

I get my mail delivered to a PO Box. And part of my daily routine is to go to the post office to pick up my mail. People arrive at the post office in a variety of states of consciousness. I see people come in angry, frustrated, sad, rushed, and some just peacefully entering into this space.

It is not uncommon for me to strike up a conversation with a stranger as I am picking up my mail. One day I was reading my mail at a location in the post office that was by a window. There was a man standing next to me also reading his mail. I started up a friendly conversation with him. As I did so I could see his eyes start to shine a bit. He had such a serious look before.

When I was done reading my mail, I said goodbye to this man. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Thank you for brightening up my day.”

The energy behind his words were so sincere that I can hear this statement reverberating through me from time to time.

We can shift the energy of others through our presence, and we also help a person change the dream he or she is dreaming during that day. By brightening up someone else’s world we bring light and love into their dream.

The full moon is August 10. Let us gather our energies together to rewrite the collective dream to one filled with love, light, peace, and harmony. We do this by creating a human web of light that radiates within and throughout the earth. We do this by joining our hearts and divine light together to dream a new world into being

If you are a new reader of The Transmutation News you can read instructions for our full moon ceremony by visiting “Creating a Human Web of Light” on the homepage.

Transmutation News – July 2014

Recently I had a very profound realization in the middle of the night. I would like to share it with you in case my experience sparks some awakening in you.

First, I would like to give you some background information on what I feel might have inspired my experience.

During the last few months, a number of my friends, students, and peers have died. Death has been around me, and I have been reflecting on how many people close to me, that are a similar age to me, are leaving this plane of existence. I am sure this has been affecting me on a deep level below the conscious feelings emerging for me.

To add to this, I feel increasingly challenged as I watch the dense collective behavior toward the environment and all of life. The level of greed and violence continues although humans think of themselves as an evolved species.

I have always been a sensitive person and so being deeply impacted by the unconscious behavior of humans is not a new issue for me. I can imagine that many of you feel the same. I continue to engage in the spiritual practices that I teach. I do these practices throughout the day whenever my ego/personality gets triggered by what I am observing. And they do help me to shift into a more positive level of awareness.

I always felt I was born to be “a worker bee”. I do have a strong inner creative fire that keeps me working. And this creative fire has led me to work with clients, write and teach with a hope that I inspire others to live a more conscious way of life.

Those of you who know me, worked with me, or have been reading this monthly column know that I am a hard worker. I am very devoted to my work on all levels. And as you can imagine this has not always been to my benefit. But at the same time this is what I feel called to do, and I have followed my calling.

To add to all of this background information I have also dealt with riding the waves of depression and joy throughout most of my teenage and adult years.

This is all to say that I often question the meaning of life.

The end of May I woke up in the middle of the night. I was in some altered and self-aware state that I cannot explain. I was in between the worlds. I was not asleep, yet I was not awake. This state only lasted for probably one minute. In this waking dream I became completely aware of the meaning of my life.

What was of the most importance to me was that I had the opportunity to see beautiful places and landscapes on the earth. I had the wonderful opportunity to actually visit some beautiful places in my travels. And due to the media, I was able to see photos and videos of extraordinary places on earth that I could not physically travel to. I was aware that I did not have this opportunity to see so many colorful landscapes and such variety of unique life forms in any of my past lives. For in the far distant past there was not the ability to view photos that had been taken from around the world.

Being able to see the extraordinary beauty of the earth was what had the most meaning to me.

Second to that was that I experienced love.

And lastly, having the opportunity to take care of both of my parents at the end of their lives created deep meaning in my life.

Once I received the awareness of these three things that gave my life meaning I fell back into a deep sleep for the rest of the night and had some interesting dreams.

I was deeply affected by this experience upon awakening. For this was no ordinary experience of waking up in the middle of night and thinking about things on a rational intellectual level. I was in a very deep spiritual state when I had this awareness, and I felt it in every cell of my body.

It was like when I had my near-death experiences where I experienced spontaneous and profound spiritual truths and a new level of consciousness that sank into my cellular awareness creating deep inner change.

After waking up I reflected on what I received in the middle of the night. I was surprised that my work of service did not come up as something that gave my life meaning. Of course, I know and acknowledge the gifts I have shared with my clients, students, and the collective at large. But on a deep level this is not what was revealed to me as what gave my life meaning.

I have been with so many people at the end of their lives. And I hear the same thing again and again. People often reflect on what they gave priority to in life. I often hear people speak about the simple things of life that they felt were the most important to them. I rarely hear the obvious “good work” as what was reflected on at the end of life. And I don’t hear people saying I wish I worked more or harder.

This goes back to what I brought up in the June Transmutation News about “tearing up the script”.

During such an intense time of change are we focusing on what is important to our soul rather than what we think we should be doing?

I know many teachers suggest that we examine our lives as if we are looking back on it at the end of our life. It is important to reflect on how you would reprioritize your life so you can make changes now.

This month journey or meditate on the simple things that make your life meaningful. How would you change your life to make sure you engage in activities that are truly meaningful to you?

The other teaching that I received in this clear and heightened state was the importance of focusing on self-beauty. For I feel that I was also being shown how the beauty of different landscapes on the earth reflect back my inner beauty.

In my work with others, I am often struck by how little we acknowledge our self-beauty. As a collective we define ourselves by the collective definition of outer beauty. And we forget to allow the beauty of our soul to unfold like a flower blossoming in the spring and summer.

As we continue to radiate our divine light, we must also acknowledge the deep and true beauty that lies within each of us. We are as beautiful within as the earth reflects back to us with the beauty of nature surrounding us in the outer world.

A dear friend had sent me an email where she was reflecting on the teaching “As above, so below”.

She wrote that from an astrological perspective this does not assign cause and effect in the relationship between Earth and Sky. The emphasis of the teaching is with the correlation and the mirroring that occurs when Two Beings gaze upon one another; each of them mirrored in the Eyes of the Other. The Earth reflects what is in the Sky and the Sky reflects what is on the Earth.

Her words struck a chord in me thinking about gazing into the eyes of others and into the world. For if we shift our gaze and see the light in all that is what is reflected back to us. And this is ancient wisdom that has been carried down since the beginning of time.

I know I have written about this before. But it is so essential not to lose focus when we gaze into the eyes of others. As you can truly see the light in the eyes of all of life, we change our reality by shifting our perception.

Raise your awareness and be conscious about how you judge what you see in others and in the world. We always have a choice to see illness and/or suffering or we have the choice to recognize the brilliant spiritual light that is part of all of life. The more you can maintain your focus with this work the deeper you can travel in other dimensions of life. For the dimension of beauty is present at all times.

The full moon is July 12. Start your full moon ceremony with reflecting on your inner beauty and the beauty of all of life around you. Gaze upon photos of nature and of the earth and appreciate what a glorious planet we live on.

From this place of appreciating the beauty of life perform your transfiguration practice to drop what keeps you separate from your divine light. Radiate this light while focusing on joining with the beauty of our global community who is all doing the same. Imagine and gaze upon this beauty and the lights of all weaving a brilliant web of light within and throughout the earth touching, embracing, and connecting every being that is alive.

If you are a new reader of the Transmutation News please visit “Creating a Human Web of Light” on the homepage to read the instructions for our full moon ceremony.

Transmutation News – February 2014

I received correspondence from many of you letting me know that the December 2013 and January 2014 monthly columns were very helpful to you. Those of you who wrote me really loved the Inner Chamber of Light practice. This is a meditation/journey you can continue to do. I visit the Inner Chamber of Light on a regular basis.

Let’s move forward with moving from a life guided by ego to the path of being guided by spirit and seeing life through the eyes of spirit. This is a bridge that we can cross together, and I invite you to join me.

I had a very interesting conversation with a student of mine who was visiting Santa Fe. We were having tea and at some point, our conversation moved to talking about the state of the world. When we look at the world through the eyes of ego things are not looking good. The deterioration of the environment is certainly continuing at a rapid pace.

I found myself sharing that even if “the world ends” during my lifetime I want to leave this earth as conscious as possible. Rachel, who I was having tea with, asked me if I really thought that leaving consciously made a difference.

This question made me pause. For I have journeyed for so many people who died. And in my journeys, I typically see them returning back to Source and oneness again. This does not seem to depend on how consciously they led their lives.

In my continued reflection on this conversation, I still feel for myself that life here on earth is an adventure. The outcome is not what I am focusing on. For we all know by this time that the outcome must be surrendered.

But it is important to reflect on how we want to spend our time while we are alive. At this point I approach my life with a sense of curiosity.

What if I fully focus my efforts on living a path of spirit? Where does that path lead knowing that I will only be shown a portion of the path during this lifetime? What amazing and incredible landscapes will the path of spirit lead me through?

I find that asking these questions and being curious fuels my exploration deeper into the path of spirit. For there are wonders, gems, riches revealed as the veil is lifted from the dense consciousness many live in now, to the realm where life shimmers with vitality and radiance.

The earth is our home. We came here to live a life filled with spirit. Our spirit is clothed by the body. And at the same time the form of our body does not bind our spirit. It is expansive and connects with the spirit that lives in all things.

The promise that life brings us is that our visions and dreams are already manifested. We just need to step fully into living the dream we have been creating. The seeds are already manifested in us. We just need to allow the growth.

Part of stepping fully into the dream is continuing to shape and work with the words you use throughout the day. For ancient spiritual traditions do teach about the power of both speaking and sending words.

We have done a lot of work over the years with transmuting the energy behind our thoughts and attitudes so that we are sending loving energies to ourselves and to all of life.

We can also pay attention to the words we are sending. Take time this month to reflect on the words that you are sending to yourself and to the world. Do your words feed the state of health you would like to experience for yourself and the web of life?

Are you sending words such as joy, peace, love, light, abundance, and health into the collective?

As a community, let us send the words we wish to see manifest into the collective.

Someone sent me an article titled, “Words Can Change Your Brain”. Andrew Newberg, MD and Mark Robert Waldman wrote the article. For more information you can visit MarkRobertWaldman.com.

The authors shared what has been shown with people who have had brain scans with an MRI. When the word “no” was flashed for less than one second the scanner showed people releasing dozens of stress producing hormones and neurotransmitters. Seeing a list of negative words for only a few seconds deepened any states of anxiety or depression.

Negative words have been found to affect the person saying them but also of those who listen to the words being expressed. Negative words actually send alarm messages to the brain.

The last point I want to share from the article is that fear-provoking words stimulate parts of the brain such as the thalamus and amygdala to react as if there are actual threats occurring in the outside world.

Over the years we have been working together to learn how to use words that reflect what we desire. For in spiritual traditions words are seen as seeds. And these seeds when watered and nurtured grow into healthy plants. Most cultures who have their own stories of creation share how sounds and words created life.

We do have tremendous power to shift our own health and that of the planet by focusing on using and sending positive words that match the state of consciousness we want reflected back by the outer world.

During the month of February let us focus our practices together on being conscious of the seed words we send out to the collective and ourselves. Let’s state and send the words that will help rebalance our state of health.

To add to this practice, take some time each day and repeat to yourself, “The earth is my home. My body is the home of my spirit.”

Go out and feel the earth each day and open your invisible and visible senses to connect with nature and all the sentient beings. If you live in a city visit a local park.

Attune yourself to the earth, moon, and stars. Move into alignment with these powerful forces that light your way.

Deepen your connection with nature and learn to communicate with the spirit that lives in all things. A new dimension of reality will continue to show itself if you focus on this practice daily.

Join with all in our global community to bless each other and all of life with love, light, joy, abundance, peace, equality, and good health.

The full moon is February 14. What a great time to join together as it is Valentine’s and millions of people take this day to honor the spirit of love. Although popular culture celebrates romantic love on this day, we all know that love is unconditional and we were created from love.

Let us join together with our hearts open to the energy of love flowing through all of life. Let us transfigure and radiate light throughout the web of light. State words of blessings for all. Let our words weave love and peace into the fabric of reality.

For those of you new to reading The Transmutation News please visit “Creating A Human Web of Light” for a description of our full moon ceremony.