Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed That Changes Blue #TBT

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Eiseman Color Blog

March 26, 2015
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Originally posted on May 17, 2010
The world of multi-hued creatures never fails to amaze and amuse with its incessant and often clever usage of color. The Language of Color at the Harvard Museum of Natural History (a display that is no longer available for viewing) there were many examples of birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and insects included, demonstrated and taught how certain specimens ward off danger, defy their predators and relentlessly attract the opposite sex.
•Coral snakes advertise that they choose not to be eaten by wearing bright rings of color
•Milk snakes adapt the same means of warning, even though they are not truly poisonous (but its a great way to get your enemies to think you are)!
•Similarly many species of butterflies imitate their bad tasting relatives in their brilliant patterning of orange, yellow…

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Change Your Thoughts

change your thoughts

change your thoughts

I read a Casey Research article the other day about how the energy of laughing is so good for us.

You may have heard of laughing clubs and laughter yoga, which are based on the concept that laughter decreases stress and helps promote wellbeing physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Article author David Galland, Managing Director of Casey Research, describes his experience at a laughter event where the hosts demonstrated the importance of filling our thoughts and minds with good thoughts via the “garbage in, garbage out” concept.

Event organizers played clips of a comedy until everyone was rolling with laughter, then they played the first scene of Saving Private Ryan, which showed the devastation experienced by soldiers in the first wave of the invasion of Normandy. As attendees watched the brutal war scenes, the mood in the room shifted downward rapidly. Mr. Galland writes:

One minute, having just seen the comedic clip, I remember feeling light and happy, the world full of promise and posies and all that, and the next, feeling deeply sad, all the light sucked from the room, as well as one’s very soul.

The point was made, and made well, namely that we are what we think about – and what we think about is hugely influenced by the stimuli we expose ourselves to. Maybe depressed people don’t gravitate to depressing books and movies – but are actually depressed by their choice of media. … Just a thought.

That same day I read a similar message in Wayne Dyer’s book Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life. This book is based on his yearlong study of the Chinese classic text Tao Te Ching by philosopher Lao Tzu.

In Dyer’s exploration of the thirtieth verse of the Tao, which he titles “living without force,” he quotes the verse, shares his understanding of it, and closes with a paragraph titled “Do the Tao Now.”

In the thirtieth verse Lao Tzu writes that we must not battle but endeavor to prevent conflicts and war, and Dyer’s “Do the Tao Now” reads:

In line with altering the way you look at the world, today change every television channel and radio station that presents an image or audio of the use of force or violence. Then increase that “no tolerance” policy to include movies, videos, and games that have beating, homicides, and chase scenes.

I did this years ago because I cannot bear to watch anything with violence or anything scary. I always felt I was a coward, but now I am finding it was my spirit taking care of me. According to the Academy Awards I miss a lot of “great” movies, but what I don’t miss is the feeling I get from watching anything negative.

I don’t listen to loud, jarring music either. My ears and body are sensitive to harsh sounds; I cannot physically do it. I once saw pictures of what heavy metal music does to water molecules, and I was amazed how depressive that music is and how it disorganizes the energy field.

Since we are made up of about 60 percent water, and since our brains are made up of about 70 percent water, it only makes sense to bring into the body vibrations that support rather than hinder us. You can see for yourself by checking out the video on The Work of Masaru Emoto.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33IiYb8htHk

When I saw both of these messages in one day I thought it was time to write about the importance of being aware that what we put into our bodies through our mouths, ears and eyes has an immense impact on who we are and how we feel.

If this resonates with you, maybe you want to turn off the TV programs that celebrate our lesser natures and turn to something more edifying, like laughter.

I’m not asking you to deny the way things are, or to ignore what is going on, but I believe that if more of us turn to light and laughter, fewer of us are likely to turn to war, murder, mayhem and destruction. Wouldn’t that be awesome, to be part of building a world dedicated to peace and wellbeing!

It’s all our choice and within our power. Which path are you choosing?

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The Return of the Light

Labyrinth

Tomorrow is the winter solstice and also the new moon. For those of you who work with moon cycles, it is the time we can discard things that no longer serve us and state our intentions for what we want to create in our lives. This new moon is even more strong tomorrow and the portal is even wider because it falls exactly on the solstice.

 

So how will you celebrate and acknowledge this sacred and powerful portal? There are offerings out there from many teachers and leaders for meditations, sound healings, and celebrations. I personally will be making an energy essence of this time putting into it the things I wish to release. When it is complete, I will pour it into Mother Earth to be released and transformed into liquid light. I will make a second one at the same time, infusing into it all the intentions I have for my life for the future. This one will be preserved to be used to support me in manifesting these positive intentions.

 

The solstice time for my area, which is on Eastern Standard Time, is 6:03pm to 8:36pm EST on Dec. 21. I have the great fortune to be able to walk a labyrinth during this same time period so as I walk in, I will be thinking of all those things I want to release. Once in the center, I will consciously leave those things behind, and as I walk out, I will carry with me the energies of my new intentions.

 

How will you spend the solstice this year? What do you want to release? What do you want to bring in? This solstice period is such a wonderful gift we are being given. Use it wisely and fill your life with more light as we celebrate the return of the light to our lives.

 

Namaste.

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Marsala – Pantone Color of the Year 2015: Pantone 18-1438 TCX.

Marsala – Pantone Color of the Year 2015: Pantone 18-1438 TCX..

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Goodbye Junk Food for the Mind

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My husband and I have made a decision to turn off the TV for the most part. We used to start and end our day with watching TV news, financial shows and so on. What we have discovered is that none of these sources are unbiased, nor are they giving us real news or information. In addition, they used to make us feel on edge and anxious.

It was a slow, gradual thing that happened. First my husband tuned out. Then I saw his wisdom and decided to join him. We do watch TV but it is very selective. He watches sports, I watch home oriented shows or the food network. He watches financial shows with the sound off, I watch Masterpiece on PBS. But that is it. There are days and days that can go by with no sound of the TV blaring for either one of us.

It’s not like we don’t know what is going on as it is hard to totally disconnect from the world. Indeed, every time I log into my email account headlines reach out to titillate, to entice, to pull me into their stories and tales of woe.

What has changed is we are no longer news junkies, nor are we so wrapped up in the news that we forget to slow down, meditate, be present to each other. We are by no means the standard for no TV because as I stated, we DO watch….just much more conscientiously.

We have more peace in our lives, we go to sleep with sweetness on our minds, not violence, injustices, and world problems. We live with possibilities, not with the frustration of not being able to do anything about what is happening. We pray, we send out good energy, we yearn for a better world but we don’t wallow in the darkness.

I highly suggest you try to turn off the news to the best of your ability. I promise you your world will relax and you will feel better. If you choose to do this, let me know how it works for you and if it has made a difference for you. Good luck. And good bye, junk food for the mind!

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Memory Lane

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA

I’ve been having a lot of memories pop up recently. They seem to arise from many sources: a familiar aroma, something seen on TV or in a magazine or on the internet, a familiar word, a book I might come across….these memories just spring out of seemingly no where.

I know that when my parents got “old”, they would often tell me stories from their past. I loved hearing those stories and the more I heard of them, the more I encouraged them to write them down for perpetuity and to share with their grandchildren.

They did not write them down and now I see that their memories were to them, just stories from the past. Nothing particularly special to write down, just memories that were dear to them in some way.

I guess I am “old” now and wonder what to do with these memories that float up. Bits and pieces of my past appear for review and I either laugh or wince at them. Most of them are good, in a soothing sort of way. I’m wondering if they help pave the way to our exit from this life.

I love remembering little snippets of my life that made me happy: my first view of the Rocky Mountains and the amazement I felt. How my Dad would pick me up at day camp all dirty and sweaty and take me to get an ice cream, mostly for HIS sweet tooth but I did not resist in the least! How I loved walking to and from school twice a day and played endless games with myself going and coming. Creating great snow caves to play house in with my dog. Running through the woods on a summer’s day to get to the meadow to lie on my back and watch the clouds, making stories up as I watched them move across the sky. Going to the movies for 25 cents on a cold Saturday afternoon and watching the cartoons and newsreels before the main show. Seeing the nuns emerge from our Catholic Church and wishing I were Catholic so I could be one of them. Observing the girls from our local University and imagining what I would do and be when I became one of them. Our pink bathroom that I shared with my two sisters and how I used to love to go through my older sister’s makeup to see all the gorgeous colors of nail polish and lipsticks. Even better was looking at my Mom’s Makeup and imagining how fun it would be to play with it. Roller skating, climbing the apple trees, playing kick the can with neighbor kids until it was almost too dark to see.

You see, I have been busy remembering. I really am wondering why all these memories are all of a sudden appearing. There are tons more. Just snippets of a life that I barely relate to any more. That young girl is long gone but still some where within. I want to tell her things and share things with her. I want to tell her that no matter what, she mustn’t loose herself in the whirlwind of life. I want to tell her that if she has patience and perseverance, that things will work out. I want to tell her to focus more on her heart and less on the comments that others make about her. And so much more.

I’m wondering why the memories? Is this like my life flashing before me before I die? Or is it my life in review TO review. To take stock of what I’ve done well, and what I could have done better at? To see how far I’ve come and how far I have to go?

Whatever the reason, I am enjoying these snippets as they appear. And I’ll take them as gifts from a past long gone but one that affects me to this very minute. I am after all the sum total of that life. Mistakes, triumphs, secrets, friends, teachers, activities, and all else. A quiet rather mundane life, but my life. Memories and all.

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Speed Limit!

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Here we are at the end of the summer and I for one am wondering where on earth summer went? Is it me or is time speeding up?

 

At any rate, it is Labor Day weekend, a holiday where we honor our work ethic and the laborers who make the nation, at least in the past, a prosperous and successful one. It is part of our culture to honor working hard. After all, it is people who work hard that made this country what it once was.

 

But where is the day that honors meditation, or rest, or slowing down? I don’t see that we do slow down that much in our society, nor are we encouraged to. Everything is geared to faster! now! hurry! We are always head down looking at our devices that alert us to texts, social media updates, emails. We are constantly searching for things that are quick fixes, quick answers, instant gratification.

 

Being enmeshed in this is like shutting out our connection to the wisdom that lies within us all. It robs us of patience replacing that with a feeling of entitlement to quick, instant, immediate results. By being so tuned in to the culture of now, we will eventually short ourselves out by being constantly plugged in much like a childhood toy that is fueled by batteries, dying one day when we most want to play with it.

 

So on this weekend where we celebrate work, workers and the like, take a few moments for contemplation as well. Slow down and learn to listen. After a few tries at that, see if you can incorporate that into your daily lives. For it is there, in the stillness of being connected to your heart and intuition that you will find the true guidance and true connection we are all looking for.

 

Namaste.

Tuning into the Heart

Tuning into the Heart

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Anthology of Color Coming Soon!

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Pantone Nylon Neons

Pantone Nylon Neons

 

Raise your hand if you think I adore color. Yes! You are right! I am a lover of color and use it enthusiastically in my personal, professional and spiritual lives.

 

It has been my distinct pleasure to have written a book about color and healing, Simply Color. I am happy to report it is still selling well 10 years after its publication. I hadn’t thought about writing another book until this spring, when I had the urge to update my book.

 

As I started the process I realized this would be no easy task. It felt cumbersome, and what I wanted to communicate didn’t fit in anywhere.

 

And then a friend asked, “Have you thought about writing a whole new book?”

 

A light bulb went on. Of course! I had been going about this all wrong! Not only that, this was going to be a book much bigger than I could create on my own. Much meatier, and much more interesting. 

This new book would highlight the works of many people, encouraging readers to bring color into their work and their lives to help support, empower and transform them, enhancing their creativity and inspiring them, in turn, to create more ways of using color.

 

After that, the energy for the book flowed strongly. What had seemed an insurmountable task became a joy. I am so excited for the collaboration of creative minds in this creation. And I can’t wait for it to be unveiled to you!

 

And now the work is moving forward as one by one the submissions arrive and as I do my own writing.

 

I’ll keep you posted on the status of the book. Meanwhile, know that it is in process, and that this smorgasbord of color stories will soon be available for you to savor.

 

_____________________

 

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Celebrating our Nation’s Birth

 I just received this in my inbox and had to share it with you this Fourth of July. It is a sobering reminder that we must stay vigilant to keep this nation free, and that we might say a thank you to those who lost so much in order for us to live in the land of the free. These founders had a vision for something greater than themselves, and they followed that vision no matter what the cost. I for one feel so humbled by their great sacrifices, as well as the sacrifices of countless thousands who have fought to keep this nation free. Thank you to all of them, and to all of their families.flag flying

 

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

 

 

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

 

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

 

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

 

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

 

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

 

What kind of men were they?

 

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.

 

Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well-educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence

knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

 

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

 

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.  He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

 

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

 

 

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson,Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

 

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

 

John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his  gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

 

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots.  It’s not much to ask for the price they paid.

 

Remember: freedom is never free! We thank these early patriots, as well as those patriots now fighting to KEEP our freedom!

 

 

 

 

 

 
   
   

 

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Solstice Contemplations – Maps for the Spiritual Journey

Great article by Lisa Erickson on determining where we are on our spiritual journey…..enjoy!

Mommy Mystic

“Your spiritual path isn’t always just something you find, you started it the moment you took your first breath…” – Martin R. Lemieux

Solstices are powerful times for spiritual practice and reflection. Their energy peaks provide doorways, an opportunity to stop and shift into new levels of awareness. Their cyclical nature reminds us of the passage of time, offering us a chance to take stock, gain perspective, reset, and reprioritize. Often it’s best to just travel our path without analyzing it too much – we are on it all of the time anyway – but I think Solstices are a great time to contemplate where we are in our journey.

Mystics across the traditions have come up with many different ways of depicting the spiritual journey, and many different metaphors for representing its phases. For this Solstice, I offer up some of these symbols, in the hopes that it may…

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