Some of you remember my first meditation recording ” Balancing Your Energy Systems” The script was written by John J. Kelly and the music produced by Jeff Moen, both of them very, very gifted in their work. It was produced in 2001 and sold out. I am very joyful to announce that this recording, which is truly an effective stress management tool and a great way to feel refreshed and balanced, is once again available! You may consider it now for the holidays or as a gift to yourself or a loved one for this auspicious New Year, 2012. Below is the article written by John Kelly concerning the distribution schedule of the meditation CD’s and where you can find them!  Blessings of much love and peacefulness!  ~ Ariel

The Soul Channel’s brand for meditation recordings and
publications is ‘eSpirit‘. Meditation recordings created by John J.
Kelly and Jeff Moen have been listed on the eSpirit meditation recording site
for several months, allowing participants in The Soul Channel to listen to
recordings at no cost and to purchase/download individual tracks or full
albums; this service will continue.

Over the past 24 hours, we have signed with CD Baby to
distribute our recording albums through major recording outlets, including the
following:

§  Apple iTunes

§  Amazon MP3

§  Verizon

§  7Digital

§  24-7

§  GreatIndieMusic

§  Tradebit

§  CD Baby

Here are promotional links for the CD Baby site:

§  New Arrivals on CD Baby

§  Bio and recordings information for John J. Kelly

§  Bio and recordings information for Jeff Moen

§  Bio and recordings information for Ariel Albani

It will take from 2 days to 4 weeks for the recordings to be
available on the above sites; we will keep participants to The Soul Channel up
to date on our progress. However, the following recordings are already
available today on the CD Baby website at these links:

§  Balancing Your
Energy Systems

§  Balanceando Sus
Systemas de Energia

§  Group
Meditations Vol 1: Introspections

§  Group Meditations
Vol 2: Reunions and Old Friends

§  Group
Meditations Vol 3: Relaxation and Recharging

§  Journey to the
Celestial Sanctum

§  Listen With Your Heart

§  Miracle of Birth
Vol 1: Experiencing the Baby Within

§  Miracle of Birth
Vol 2: Trauma-Free Natural Childbirth

§  Past Life Journeys

§  Sweet Dreams

FULL MOON RITUAL  ~ JUNE 16^th, 2011

This moon we are
preparing for the Summer Solstice, where the fire of life becomes prevalent as
the sun shines more brilliantly in the season to come. It is a time of
adventure, of courage, of leaving behind layers of clothing (and stuff!) and
allowing our skin to breathe and be nurtured by life, by the natural rays of
the sun, by the breeze and the sea. Fire is a powerful element of
transformation, it helps us to transmute the old energies that no longer serve
us. This is a time to allow the new seeds of re-birth that we planted in the Spring,
as intentions for our life, to take into the “fertile soil” of our hearts and souls
and grow. It is a time to give fire to our passions, to embark in that new
adventure you have been thinking of. It does not have to be drastic but even
small adventurous changes allow for transcendental shifts in our lives. It is
about demonstrating the willingness to the universe to release stagnation, and
saying a loud Yes! to flowing into empowering new shifts in our lives! In joy!

The ritual for this Full Moon is exciting, romantic and
empowering. Do it when the moon appears in the sky or anytime, after then,
during the night.  Read through first so
that you may gather what you need for it….( timer, music, candle, oils, etc!)
Make it unique for you!!  Following is
the process, let’s begin:

Candle Gazing

Start with mind cleansing or meditation.  Candle gazing preferred. Allow your mind to
just be cleansed of thoughts by gazing at a fire flame. When your eyes water,
simply close them, focus your internal attention in between your eyebrows and
then re-open and continue. As you stare at the flame, squint your eyes, observe
the light rays, focus your mind on your breathing and the flame. Notice thoughts
and let them flow by. Stay present with your breath.  You may play relaxing instrumental music or
chants in the background.  Continue for
15 minutes.

Lie Down or Sit Cross Legged with a Straight Back

It is time now to
allow your imagination to be free and play. Allow yourself to imagine a
pristine waterfall amongst the greenest mountains you can envision. Stand
underneath it and let the water drench you, activate your crown, and the pineal
and pituitary glands. Allow it to feel amazing, empowering, let your
feminine/masculine energy be exalted by this visual. See yourself in perfect
health, in total beauty, in complete joy, fulfillment, in true love and
embodying the peace of God. Stay for 15 minutes.

Dance

The next phase is
about expression. Play any music that you like, a drumming chant preferred.
Allow your body to dance to the rhythm, sing along, move and shake it. Ensure
to express yourself releasing all inhibitions. Let the music move you and flow
into every muscle, cell, bone and dimension of your being. Be the music! Allow
it to feel liberating and energizing! Dance for 15 minutes

Bathe

Finish the ritual
with an aromatic bath; use candles, scents, oils, make it special, different,
romantic. You do not have to be in a partnership to be romantic. This is about
you and the moon, about connecting with the depths of your soul and the heights
of your inner wisdom.  If you have access
to the beach or any other natural body of water, feel free to swim instead.
Experience relaxation and gratitude for all that is, for all that you are, for
everything and everyone upon the earth. 
Stay for a minimum of 15 minutes in this phase. Culminate the ritual
peacefully and joyfully, perhaps enjoying a green tea and gazing at the
beautiful full moon…smile.  Blessings! Blessings! Blessings!

Yesterday I walked for over 40 minutes under scorching sun to pick up our new kitty. It was the first day of May and I felt a deep inner joy in personally celebrating the ancient Celtic festivities of the bright fire, the mid point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer solstice, a time of cleansing, purification and preparation. I did a small ritual in the morning, lit candles and felt that it would be a special day, and it was.

 I enjoyed the sun as I walked and at around 2:10 p.m. I introduced baby Chloe to our beautiful cat Cleo. It was a challenge.  Cleo seemed at first to be terrified of Chloe eventhough she is much bigger in size. She seemed to not be sure of what Chloe truly was.  Normally Cleo climbs and sits up by the kitchen windowsill, but not on this day, she spent the whole day simply staring at Chloe and hissing loudly when she got close.  The day continued with more of the same, trying to reassure Cleo of how much she is loved, attempting to train Chloe to use the litter box instead of the new rug, and wondering if this had been a good idea at all. Perhaps Cleo did not truly need a companion kitty…hmmm. When the two cats met there was mistrust, fear, curiosity, animosity and resistance. It seemed like an exagerated play of human behavior, the only difference was that the cats were very obvious!

I am not certain of exactly what transpired through the night but today Chloe learned to use the litter box, Cleo is not hissing, they each are taking independent naps and they played together for a while. They are not best friends yet but it looks very promising, there is peace and acceptance between them. It just unfolded.

I observe that in the same way that their initial animosity was very obvious, their moving forward and leaving that behind, also is. The capacity to let go of initial defenses eased immediately once they tested the situation and felt safe. Now they seem to be moving forward comfortably into a new level of  interaction. Their life seems to be very different and much happier today than it was yesterday.  They are not together all the time but they are allowing each other to be and to have space within the same home. 

 I find it beautiful to observe how fast their relationship has evolved and I feel joy in my heart as I ponder on all the beautiful possibilities that are available to us in all realms, when we simply observe our initial defense mechanisms(click into action) in unfamiliar situations, yet we follow our hearts, listen to our intuition, and move forward to live with each other in peace and trust.

This does not mean that we blindly trust every stranger we meet, but it does mean that we give life a fair chance. It is only with an open heart that we can know true love, and only in trust that can we open our hearts. Learning to connect with our inner knowing is part of this process. The beauty of its unfoldment lies in every experience thereafter.

Allow yourself to find the cat in you and reassure him/her of how much he/she is loved. Nurture your inner wisdom, seek the aligning of your energy centers. It is about learning from our fellow animals what they bring naturally and what our minds need to re-learn. Yoga helps us with this by teaching us how to transcend the mind and listen within.   It all starts as a personal inside job, and from there, life smiles, rainbows shine and new relationships blossom.

We celebrate now not only May Day, but also a new moon this week, a magical time to set new intentions for our lives. Perhaps this story may be a little advice to those seeking meaningful heart relationships… soon… this is the time of preparation, of purification, of blossoming…. of fulfilling new beginnings, of alignment with our greater purpose… and so it is! Blessings! Namaste!

As I was saying these words while walking by the edge of the beautiful blue sea, right before me a small turtle appeared! “Oh my goodness!” was my first reaction, your name is Free! She looked in distress, out of place,  her shell was slighlty broken close to the tail side.  She was no more than 3 inches long. I picked her up and took her home.

That is when I started my research on turtles. At first I thought she was a sea turtle, I simply assumed that because I found her at the beach. I looked for turtle rescue groups and unfortunately there are none here in the UAE that I could find. I meditated on what to do, I learned that these turtles could survive for a limited amount of time without the salt water so I needed to act fast.  I had her in a comfortable bin at home, with a  light overhead and a basking rock for her to rest on surrounded by water for her to swim. She seemed comfortable. I also used a diluted iodide solution, as recommended by a site, to help her heal her shell and of course, gave her reiki. I thought of returning her to the beach to allow nature to take its course. I meditated and heard the guides tell me clearly to keep her for 3 days.

 And so I began to examine her, talk with her and do more research on her kind…only to find out that this was NOT a beach turtle, she was indeed a red eared slider! She had claws, webbed feet and the markings next to her ears, the under shell, everything! Oh goodness, someone who perhaps had her as a pet, dropped her off at the beach! Who knows how long she had been exposed to sea water, which actually is poisonous to them. Red eared sliders are commonly bought as pets.

 I was now getting excited about  creating  a wonderful habitat for her at the house and including her as part of the family. I spent most of my time at home just being with her, giving her reiki, and talking with her. She was swimming, coming to me, looking at me while I spoke and seemed quite complacent. The only concern is that no matter what I put in for her to eat, based on the recommendations, she would not eat. That concerned me. The other thing that concerned me is that when she swam she wanted to get out of her basin, I could sense that she wanted more freedom and I wondered if keeping pets like this truly honored them.  Other than that, she seemed quite happy and we kept exchanging “conversations”.

 Interestingly to me, lately I have been taking photographs of all that is precious to me, yet everytime I thought of photographing Free, I did not feel like I wanted to. Instead  on the third day, I decided to paint. I brought her next to me and I painted “Magical Jungle”. In that painting on the lower right hand side, you can appreciate the energy of ‘Free”. The painting gave me much peace, I truly love it! That afternoon, on the third day precisely, about 3 hours later, Free passed away.

 I can’t explain the feelings for I felt a great deal of sadness, heartbreak, yet at the same time I felt peace.  I had done all that I could, I was so grateful for the love that she allowed me to feel, and Ialso felt that now she was truly Free. It is not the first time that I facilitate Reiki for animals that are ready to transition. I felt so grateful to know that she died surrounded by so much love and not left alone in distress at the beach.

All of us in the family showered her with love.  We celebrated a small burial ceremony for her and returned her to Mother Earth next to trees and water, the two elements that sustained her life. As I think of her, my tears still flow, my heart awakens. I don’t feel pain, I feel the magic of every encounter, the preciousness of every moment we live, and I have a deeper realization that it is through non-attachment that we can truly be Free. I am so grateful for all that is.  May this brief story of my journey with Free bless you as much as Free blessed me.

Today I celebrated the integration of three names that were given to me during this lifetime so you may find that I sign the e-mails differently. The purpose of this sharing is, once again, to move through the self limiting thoughts that seek the good opinion of others, for trust me, I am fully aware that most folk would find all of this insane. Yet it is my journey, my reality, and in sharing it , I hope that you will dare to experience your own journey more fully even when it may seem a bit insane to all around.

About the names:

“Rosanna” was the name given to me at birth.  There was a movie in 1945 based on a novel written in 1933 called  “Madonna of the Seven Moons” . In this movie, the main character has a double life, double reality. She is a conservative married lady whom in her alternate reality becomes a free-spirited woman madly in love with a handsome gypsy. She also had two names, when she was in her “gypsy life” her name was “Rosanna”. My mom fell in love with this passionate character and 20+ years later called her second daughter “Rosanna” (me!).  For many years, I tried to find more information about the movie to no avail, today precisely, first day of signing my full name and including ‘Rosanna” in my vibration( January 4, 2011) I was able to find and purchase the dvd! Amazing grace.

“Yassemine“~ In 2002 after a trip to Venezuela where I went to work as a hypnotist and healing facilitator for a delightful group, I felt a connection with yoga master Sai Baba and I felt gifted the name “Yassemine” . Yassemine carries the energy of the femenine, the sensuality, the tantric aspect of yoga. Tantra has always been one of my favorite paths of yoga. I felt honored, yet at the same time overwhelmed. Another name change? that is just a bit crazy! (even for me). I used the name “Yassemine” for a short while then and put it “on hold”. This past Sunday, my dear friend and spiritual worker of the light, baptized me “Yassemine”. I know that it is now the right time to fully embrace its vibration. Interestingly both of my grandmother’s (whom are now in the light) favorite flower was yasmine and they are both so very close to me in my meditations!

“Ariel” ~ Ariel means ” A Return Into the Energy of Love”  Ariel was given to me in meditation in 1998, my life changed completely then. I finished my master degree in reiki,  divorced, changed carreers and moved to a different country. It was a radical vibrational shift. So deeply profound that I decided to legally change my name to Ariel, a return into the energy of love, would be the vibrational alignment in which I would choose to dwell in this life…

I knew that at some point I would have to embrace all the names that I have experienced in this incarnation,  and let go of any embarassment that sharing such a bizarre story might cause me. I did not quite expect it to be just now, but here it all is. I welcome and embrace all of my life and joyfully share the journey of my names with you today. The integration is all about balance, acceptance, joy, abundance, and mostly integrity of all that I am. May it serve you in some way, as you too travel this magical journey called life and experience the many blessings of your vibrations.

With much love and light,

Rosanna Yassemine Ariel Albani

Well, I am almost ready to depart the Middle East and spend the holidays at home! I am so looking forward to seeing my family and all of you my friends!! It has been a magical and transformational journey for all of us upon earth during this year, and home is extra special for me after this long separation. During my stay in Orlando, I will be teaching a few meditation classes, possibly a mini workshop and will be available for a limited amount of private intuitive readings and reiki sessions. I will post the information on the home page of the website, and send and e-mail  as soon as dates are confirmed!

I also have been guided to offer something different as well. Guess? Yes, the paintings.

The guidance is as follows: the paintings are of the style we call the “angel collection” (always seen from the back, the face is left for your imagination, please see ARIEL ART page). These paintings carry the reiki energy of the highest degree of love and healing. They are custom made for you, and they include a channeled message of about 3 sentences long that is specifically for you at this time of  holy days and new beginnings. The size is approx. 12 inx12in. The price is ; $108.00 per painting. Payment can be done via pay pal if desired.

To order, all you need to do is send me an e-mail at arielalbani@hotmail.com, with the name of the person for whom it is for, and a favorite color. The purpose of these paintings is to serve as a visual loving reminder of how deeply you are loved today and always. It is meant to bring you love, joy and comfort and to assure you that “All is Well”, always.

If you wish yours for Christmas, and you live in Miami, requests may be available for pick up on the 20th and  21st of December (orders must be in by the 16th) only, as I will be teaching there at that time and can bring them with me. If you are in Orlando, and you live in the Dr. Phillips, Metro West or Bay Hill area, we may deliver your paintings free of charge on the 23rd of December or you may pick up any time after 5 days from your day of order (in Dr. Phillips area). The earliest availability for paintings will be the 17th of December and the last available of this  guided series will be the 11th of january 2011. 

I thank you in advance for your love and for the honor that it is for me to be allowed to share this new form of personal and spiritual expression. May it bring forth for you multiple, multiple blessings, as it has for me. 

With all my love,

Ariel

I need 5 days to prepare your painting. It is done in acrylic on canvas with your highest blessing in my heart of intentions.

I dreamt of Arabic letters that at the time I did not understand. Later I learned that the letters I dreamt about spelled “Allah” or “God” in ancient Arabic. That dream gave me the courage and confidence that I needed to not only paint, but make painting a part of my spiritual journey, and to courageously share it. I say courageously because although I studied art for many years growing up and I come from a physical lineage of artists, I was always terribly embarassed to paint. I started painting a few years ago and those that saw my paintings did not take them very seriously, they laughed and mocked my style. The problem was that so did I. I stopped out of the shame that it brought to produce what others and myself judged as less than “beautiful” pieces of art. I do believe that there is a time for each aspect of us to unfold, and that time served for me as  a budding that needed time before flowering.

A few years later I find myself here in the UAE, with a new life in my hands (pun intended!). After teaching several Reiki masterships before departing, I felt the depth of the attunements deep within my soul. A deeper level of awareness was arising within me. A new form of expression was emerging, one that could not be shamed by the good opinion of others, one that required compassion to arise within me for me,  one that would lovingly put any previous fears or shame to rest.

The dream of Allah served as the bridge, and I started to paint right away. In my half awake, half dream state I usually receive lessons in painting. I am taught how to make shapes, what colors to use, what images to produce. The canvas awaits me every week, revealing new images, new colors. Pieces sometimes start in a certain way and then I am guided to change them and transform them into something else. My soul is invested in every piece. I always begin with the Reiki invocation and allow my hands to lead the way. I sometimes am guided to find images that will serve as guidelines to the inspirations I have dreamt. It has been a most magical and inspiring time upon this journey!

Last month I was encouraged by a fellow artist to participate in a gallery expo in Dubai and for the first time the pieces went for sale. Upon the opening ceremony, I was mesmerized to find myself amongst other artists in the beautiful space where the work was being exposed, being interviewed and photographed by the press. It was interesting to observe it all from a higher awareness, I was seeing it as if looking at myself in a curious movie, and wondered how it was all happening, without any previous planning or conscious awareness of what was to unfold. It reminded me that the angels always ask us to dream big, and allow “them” to work out the details. That certainly was my case here, for had I thought a few years back of exposing my own paintings in a plush gallery in Dubai, I would have discarded the dream as absolutely logically  impossible. Yet, here I was, here I am.

I enjoy every painting I make as well as the tremendous challenge that it is for me to create shapes and forms and harmonize colors. I feel my grandfather’s presence with me when I paint (he was a very gifted classical painter), I feel his encouragement, his inspiration, patience, and his compassion.

The paintings are simple, they are deeply healing, yet primitive, they are the expression of an aspect of my soul. I have been guided to post them in different places and I know that they will bring healing to whomever feels touched by them. I know that there is a higher purpose to this aspect of the journey.

 That is how ARIEL ART was born, I have no clue how long this phase will last or how it will unfold, but it is here now, and I am so blessed by it. I hope that you will be blessed by it too.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. And as I write this I think of all the beautiful souls that I know in this incarnation. My heart is grateful for each one of you. May we celebrate peace within our hearts on this day, and the joy of connecting with each other across the miles, as One. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

And so I leave you now, with a special note of joy in my heart, as one of my sisters arrives tonight to spend part of the holiday season here!

Blessings always,

May you be surrounded by the phyiscal and spiritual presence of  love,
Ariel

This week I have been guided to invite all who would like to journal along with me as I work with the Archangel guidance in preparation for the new moon. There are seven messages that I will post here, each one will be posted daily on facebook. After meditation, these seven messages were channeled as the perfect ones for this time. They were intuitively selected by me without mental intervention, just pure divine guidance. ( I am doing the work too!).  The tool that I am using are the Archangel Oracle Cards by D.Virtue. I am allowing divine guidance for further insights to be shared through each message.

What do YOU have to do?  Read and copy in your journal the message for each day and allow yourself to spend the day pondering what the message is about for you. Do it day by day, one day at a time.  Write down your thoughts. During this particular week, carry your journal with you, let it be your companion, your friend. Allow your own insights to flow and teach you about where you find yourself internally now. During this week, make sure that you treat yourself as your own best friend, you can share your mind, your secrets, your excitement, your fears knowing that you are deeply supported, loved and not judged during this process. Express yourself fully.  This is transformational work, be honest as you journal, keep it to yourself this week, it is all between you and Source. It is a sacred time of revelations for you.  Many blessings to come, and so it is. Amen.

FIRST DAY:

Archangel Raziel~ ” I am helping your spiritual sight to awaken fully so you can clearly see Heavenly love” At times our two eyes limit us, for we begin to believe that that which we see through them is what is. We may feel so blessed to see beauty and yet so alone at times in what we see as “our reality”. The inivitation to ponder on here is… what is your reality? Where is the illusion? What am I seeing with my physical eyes that limit my spiritual vision? Can I give myself permission to go within and dream? to speak with the Divine and see it through my own inner sight? If that were possible what would I see? How do God and the angels appear to me? What do they look like, feel like? ………answer each question sincerely, take your time. The imagination is one of the most powerful tools of the mind, this week I give myself full permission to use it for a higher loving good.

DAY TWO:

Archangel Azrael~ “Your loved ones in Heaven are doing fine. Let go of worries, and feel their loving blessings.” Take time to connect with your deceased loved ones, family members, friends and the spirit of the angels of love and light.  Feel their loving presence, their guidance and know that they are only a veil away. Is there anything that they would like you to know? how are they helping you? what can you do to honor their life and their presence? How can your experience of life improve through this awareness?

DAY THREE

Archangel Jophiel~ “Get rid of clutter,clear the energy around you, and use feng shui”  Welcoming new energy within requires that the space within us be ready and clean to receive it. The outside is a reflection of the inside. Where is the clutter? What are you resisting to address? What lingers? This is the perfect time to tackle the things that need your attention and finally put them in their perfect space. It is also time to clear relationships. What needs to be shared? What relationships may need to change? See everything with new eyes. Take accountability and release all blame.  Being clear will bring you deep loving peace within. Enjoy it.

DAY FOUR

Archangel Sandalphon~ “Be very gentle with yourself at this time. Surround yourself with gentle people, situations, and environments.” This is a time where judgement towards yourself or others is not allowed. Take a break with judgement. Replace it, just for today, with JOY. Give yourself permission to do so. Only you can. Make a list of  moments that bring you deep joy.

DAY FIVE

Archangel Chamuel~ “I am helping you with your spiritual soulmate relationship”  Today is a day for romance. Whether you are in a relationship, or single, romance excludes noone!  Take the time for a bubble bath, a candlelit dinner, a walk in nature, write a love letter. Ask the angels of love to make their presence known, to accompany you, and ensure to tell someone that you truly love them and mean it (pets and plants included).

DAY SIX

Archangel Michael ~ “Be clear about what you desire, and focus upon it with unwavering faith”  The day has come for you to make your wish list! What do you intend for your life at this time? how would you care to be of service to the planet? what would you like to enjoy as part of your life experience? Give your imagination permission to guide you and let the list be as long as you dream it to be.

DAY SEVEN

Archangel Raziel~ “Take back you power. Use your God-given power and intention to manifest blessings in your life”  Make another list… what are your talents? what do you like to do when it comes to being of service to others? Every being is gifted with a talent that  allows them to be of service to others. There are no exceptions, everyone has this gift. Have you found yours? What do you think it might be? Usually others will hint at it…. listen to the voice of spirit as it speaks through others telling you how helpful or “good” you might be at something…. meditate on this and like a small seed, water it, tender to it, and  let it grow into a beautiful tree of life!

Blessings ! and much joy, love and peace during these Holy Days upon the  New Moon of September!

In love and light,

Ariel

During Ramadan it is a tradition to butcher sheep and offer the sheep to people that are hungry and also to those held in esteem. The intention is one of gratitude, love, and honoring God’s  mercy. (In the scriptures, not only the islamic ones, when Abraham was willing to give up his son Isaac, instead of sacrificing the son, God sacrificed a sheep).  I can not say for certain that this is where the butchering of the sheep during Ramadan arises from, but since it is meant in such high honor, I am simply assuming that there must be some relationship. Thus far, those that I have asked simply refer to it as “it is tradition during this time of year”. My assumption is simply my own interpretation.

I have always had a hard time with this tradition, I personally do not agree with killing animals as a tradition, and even less with ordering an animal to be killed as a gift for another. To me that falls into the category of “lost in translation” if you know what I mean. I believe in random acts of kindness on a continuous basis, and helping others regularly as well as living in a state of continous communion with the divine. Honoring God by honoring life. If you eat meat, eat what you need, the basic, what is necessary, be humble and give heartfelt thanks to the animal that gave its life for you. Be aware of what is. I also do believe that intention overrides action, and when intentions are pure, and our actions are not of the highest consciousness, our lessons will be gentle and guide us lovingly to a higher consciousness.

I had been advised that a friend was intending to send a lamb to welcome me. I immediately sent him word that I was disturbed by that and that if he truly wanted to welcome me to instead spare the life of a lamb.  Fair trade? Well, apparently he did not understand my message or how much I meant it. On Monday morning a man was sent to our house with a 7 kg bag of fresh lamb meat that included  body parts chopped up and the head. At the moment of realization of what that bag truly was, tears began to flow, I could not make a distinction between a person and the animal, it was just a life. I screamed when I saw its head and eyes and I cried throughout the day and night. I was offended, hurt and angry. I felt truly miserable.  I could not believe the insensitivity of the man that sent it, and I personally told him that evening that I did not appreciate it, that I was hurt and disturbed. He apologized many times, he said it had been a misunderstanding, that I was not supposed to receive the whole lamb, but his apology did not make me feel any better. I could just come up with “it is what it is”. That was my only reply.

The words must have flowed from spirit for the true meaning of  ’it is what it is” carries no judgement, and a lack of judgement was far from my state of consciousness. Yet, “it is what is” means that I can not change it, yet I can seek to understand it or simply let it be. The intention was good, was meant to honor me, the action, in my book, less than honoring, on the contrary, primitive. Whether the lamb was intentionally sent to me or not, it came. I got it.

I can not fathom the idea of greed that accompanies giving a small family that can afford food an excess of 15 pounds of meat, a whole animal.  It is an act of greediness to me, but that thought puts me right back into judgement. I can let it be and  donate the meat to others that may be well served, and turn this sadness into lightness within me. I can choose to be empowered and put a smile on a hungry man’s face or simmer with anger and continue to be appalled. If I am to bring light to the earth, the answer is simple, my chosen alignment is clear. For my own inner peace, I need to make empowering choices that will balance the hurt within. I can not change what is, but I can change what I do with it. I feel gratitude in my heart for this and compassion for all of us humans.

And with that said I simply recall Ghandi’s words ” Be the change that you want to see in this world”  Today I wish for peace with all of life and with all my fellow humans. I choose Peace.  I am Peace. And so it is.  Blessings!

My first visit to Alabama was this year, and to be honest I was not sure that we would feel “at home” in Auburn. I did not know what to truly expect, yet in retrospect I had honestly made some “not so good” assumptions. In my mind, Alabama would be “too foreign for foreigners”, does that make sense? It would be difficult to feel at home or find a sense of belonging, a sense of freedom of thought and expression. Such I had heard from some others, so I wondered, somewhat concerned, about what awaited us.

WELL, what did I find? I found in Auburn, (and now it is my second time here!) some of the most welcoming, kind, polite and generous people I have met. I finally truly understand the meaning of  Southern Hospitality, it exists and it is right here! How beautiful it would be if we were all a bit kinder and welcoming to strangers like they are here in Auburn. I have had the pleasure now to meet several Auburn University alumni (some that actually live in Orlando!) and they too, are so very kind…now I get it!

Once you “go kind” you are truly not blind as to how the blessings of your kindness expand in love and pure light.  So true! So I leave you with this thought, and the beautiful inspiration that I have found in Auburn~ it does not take very much to respect each other, to be kind, to be polite, to lend a helping hand, and yet what a difference we can make upon this world when we do so. Thank you Alabama for openning my eyes to the disservice of making assumptions, and allowing me to experience more joyfully our South. God Bless America. Blessings Always! Ariel