Part 1: Intuition: Are you In-to-it?

Photo taken by Roberto Kaplan, Roberts Creek, BC

My intuition is one of my favourite and sacred gifts that I possess, other than compassion and passion which I rediscovered this weekend. It's also one of my favourite topics of discussion!

I was aware of the notion of intuition at a relatively young age, sometime after my family moved to Canada.

It was sometime between the age of six and eight when my Mom, from upstairs, would ask me if I was in the cookie jar or sugar bowl (and to this day, I still love cookies - I'm the cookie monster in disguise1 ; ) - and sweets, i.e., sugar) when I'd be downstairs. (Think of the song, "Sugar, sugar, doo doo doo doo, doo doo, Oh honey, honey, doo doo doo doo, doo doo, You are my candy girl...")

"How did she know that?!,” I wondered. I was surprised and shocked. I surmised from that experience that she must be a witch, but a good witch. I wanted what my Mom had, whatever 'that' was.

Not till years later, in my teens perhaps did I realize that ‘that’ was known as intuition. I started having experiences such as walking into a place, either a potential residence or workplace and know immediately when stepping in the front door and seeing from that viewpoint whether I wanted to live or work there or not.

I'm not exactly sure when I became aware of knowing if I liked someone or not and vice versa, upon a first acquaintance. However, I wasn't always right as sometimes as I got to know a person I got to like them.

In fact, that's what happened with a woman I met a little over two years ago as I judged her according to her outward appearance and I was so wrong. She became my best friend and is extremely funny and down-to-earth. I think she is one of the very few people in my life who really get me (i.e., understand me) at a very deep level, at my core, my essence. (I alluded to her in my Part 2: Three Amigos (Friends) posting, November 7th.)

As I wrote too much in my original piece (sitting in draft form), I will post Part 2 next time. Thanks for your patience in the meantime. : )

Part 3: Soul's Expansion

Photo taken at Harmony Arts Festival 2011, West Vancouver, BC

In the book The Valkyries, Paulo's wife, Chris, was instructed to look at the horizon by her husband's guide: “...the things that surround you change you - in the same way that you change them.” (p. 28) Paulo later briefed her on this: “...A magus, though, always looks much further. We expand that ‘magical space’ and try to control a great many more things. They call it ‘looking at the horizon.’’” (p. 33)

Then Chris goes on to say, “Before, I looked in the distance, and things in the distance seemed really far, you know? They seemed not to be a part of my world. Because I was used to looking only at things that were close, the things around me. But, two days ago, I got used to looking into the distance. And I saw that besides tables, chairs, and objects, my world also included the mountains, clouds, the sky. And my soul – my soul seems to have eyes that it uses to touch those things.” (p. 38)

Paulo was very impressed with her poetic expression and then she repeated, “My soul seems to have grown.” (p. 38) to which he responded in part, “...we’re always looking at the things that are closest to us. Looking down and inward. So our power diminishes, and using your term, our soul shrinks. Because our soul includes nothing but ourselves. It doesn’t include oceans, mountains, other people; it doesn’t even include the walls of the houses where we live.” (p. 38)

I love the way both Chris and Paulo expressed this. And how true! When I am self-absorbed I stay in my own little world, but when I focus outside myself, my world expands, automatically.

In reference to his wife’s comments, “Paulo liked the expression, 'My soul has grown.'" "...he would have heard much more complicated explanations, such as 'My consciousness expanded.' But the term his wife had used was more exact.” (p. 38)

Have you ever felt like your soul expanded? If so, when?

For example, my soul expanded when I had a spiritual awakening. I’ll write about that one day, maybe on the 20th anniversary (December 30, 2012)! Can you wait that long? Can I? Do we need to have our soul expand in order to be patient? ; )

Part 2: Three Amigos (Friends)

Photo taken with permission from Anne Marie Evers, North Vancouver, BC

As I mentioned in my posting dated October 10, “I'm also in gratitude for three people who recently came into my life, each supporting me and willing to contribute and help in various aspects of my move: packing, moving, and organizing.”

These three new amigos (friends) are Linda J. (as I know another Linda), Wallace (whom I wrote a brief excerpt of two postings ago in part 1), and Christy.

I met Linda J. in a writing group I attended one evening. I immediately liked her, perhaps because she reminded me of a former best girlfriend. They both seem to have a positive energy and sense of humour/fun that I admire.

Linda J. is an amazing woman. My first impression was that she is strong in temperament (i.e., being able to deal with life well). Despite a partial visible disability, she is strong both physically and mentally. She graciously offered to help me pack and spent a few hours assisting me with my kitchenware.

Wallace came into my life as a newcomer to a church I had recently attended. I started attending to form a new community as I feel that sometimes I need outside support – like finding a place to live and moving! – other than the choir, chant, and dance communities I’m involved with.

Christy I met along with her cute baby daughter on the bus several times on Saturday afternoons. As she entered the bus, she always greeted the bus driver and myself – as I sat up front – with a beaming smile on her face and a sunshiny ‘hello.’ I loved her positive energy and knew I liked her immediately as well.

Christy kindly offered to help me move. I suggested, however (for various reasons), that if she was interested she could help me organize and/or decorate instead. She willingly agreed. Though she hasn’t yet, I know she will when more of my boxes disappear and our schedules jive.

All of them possess a sweet essence or what I call a ‘good heart.’ They express their essence through kindness.

What is the core of your essence?