Wound collectors are individuals who go out of their way to collect social slights, historical grievances, injustices, unfair or disparate treatment, or wrongs – whether real or imagined and who feel perennially aggrieved. They wallow in perceived transgressions and nourish these grievances by insisting on the ill intent on the part of others, and by not forgetting nor forgiving. Thus, they guarantee the wounds remain fresh, festering, and irrationally handy. By teasing these gaping non-healing psychological wounds, which according to them no one else has ever endured or suffered as they have, acrimonious sentiments seep out in the form of irreconcilable complaints or constant carping. Eventually, if unchecked, the toxic nature of wound collecting explodes to the surface metastesized, like a volcanic toxic brew, the seething magma of psychological pus, manifesting as anger, lashing out, animosity, or even vengence. And therein is the danger of wound collectors.
from Dangerous Personalities, by Joe Navarro
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Wound Collectors
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Dia de los Muertos
Calling ourselves “Scar Clan” emerged through the threads of love and the tapestry of long life, and has bound us together in a unique bond, marked by shared experiences and cherished memories. As we gather before our Dia de los Muertos altar, we long for the day when we can reunite with our ancestors, celebrating the eternal connection that runs through our veins.
With every offering placed upon the altar, we honor the past and anticipate the future, knowing that our love will guide us to that sacred heart where our ancestors await, ready to welcome us into their timeless embrace.
We create an altar and invite our ancestors to return home and visit. During this week we celebrate life and love together as we offer remembrance and gifts.
Dia de los Muertos
October 28 – November 3rd
October 28th – The first candle is lit, and a white flower is placed to receive lost souls.
October 29th – The next candle is lit, and a case of water is placed, dedicated to the abandoned and forgotten deceased.
October 30th – Another candle is lit, a glass of water is placed, and white bread is placed, for the deceased who left without eating, perhaps through an accident.
October 31st – Another candle is lit, a glass of water is placed, a white bread is placed, and we add some fruit for our ancestors.
November 1st – All Saint’s Day, the souls who died as children arrive this day. All the food is put on the altar.
November 2nd – Day of the faithful departed. Souls of the dead adults come to collect and eat the offering that their families place.
November 3rd – The last white candle is lit, and we say goodbye to our deceased and the offering is removed.
Supplies
Candles 5
Water carafe, glass of water
White Flower 1, Flowers for display, such as traditional marigolds
Bread 3-4
Fruit 1
Food offering for All Saint’s Day
Pictures
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Surviving an Epic California Winter Together
As the world slowly thaws out from the long, cold winter, it can be hard to shake off the sluggishness and gloom that often comes with the season. But fear not, dear readers, for the arrival of spring brings with it a renewed sense of hope and possibility.
The buds on the trees and the blossoms on the flowers are a reminder that even in the darkest of times, new life is always waiting just around the corner. The world is waking up from its slumber, and so too can we. It’s time to shed those heavy winter layers, both physically and emotionally, and step out into the bright, warm sunshine.
Sure, there may be days when the clouds gather and the rain pours down, but even on those days, there is something to be grateful for. The smell of fresh rain on the pavement, the sound of birds chirping in the trees, the sight of a rainbow stretching across the sky – all of these things are reminders that there is beauty in every moment, even the difficult ones.
So, if you’re feeling down, take heart in the arrival of spring. Take a walk in nature and feel the sun on your face. Plant some flowers and watch them grow. Reach out to a friend and reconnect. And remember that just as the world is constantly renewing itself, so too can we renew ourselves and find hope and joy in the midst of darkness.
Life is a wild, unpredictable ride, but we’re all in it together. So, let’s embrace the new season with open hearts and open minds, and see where this journey takes us.
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Choose a Path With Heart
Coming of age in 1970’s California, a quote of Carlos Casteneda’s found me and has helped guide my life. His advice to follow a path with heart really resonated for me as I discovered myself as an empathetic person and artistic soul.
Choosing such a path requires that we know ourselves. One way to develop introspection is to make time to reflect every day. A reconnecting with oneself.
The loss of life we suffer by taking a wrong path gives rise to resentment over time. We’ll feel the loss of our natural radiance. Resentment is a bitter energy that festers.
We always seem to know it, I think, when we’re not connected to our truest, soulful self. Moods or feelings can take root over time and become character traits. Thankfully, if we practice reflection and self-care, negativity can be processed out of the body and we become more resonant with the love vibration at our source.
On a path without heart we feel we’re being robbed of our joy but don’t understand what’s happening. A path without heart is struggle. A path with heart is easy and light.
The more sensitive we are the worse it is to choose badly.
When I consider paths we choose that are with or without heart, I observe how people’s lives end. Some people’s lives just seem to end badly. Sadness, regret, shame, illness or lonliness become the primary vibration. It’s tremendously sad to me. Sad because this kind of separation within the self can happen to us over time without any conscious participation.
It’s sad to me because I know that we can choose differently. We can pick up a new path anytime we realize the one we’re currently on has no heart.
I knew early on that this kind of suffering wasn’t for me; that I wanted to know my heart and trust its path. If “all paths lead nowhere”, I wanted joy in the journey.
We can find happiness instead of suffering in the journey. Developing mindfulness is the key.
One of the life experiences that created a powerful connection to a path of heart for me was learning reiki natural healing in 1993. The mindfulness and meditative qualities of reiki have given me insight about creation and my part in it.
The practice of reiki brings me pure, clear energy and helps process out old, used energy. I call it the Juice. This system of natural healing clears and nourishes chakras and the energetic body. Reiki opens an energetic connection to the raw power of the Universe and to our Collective Consciousness.
Please take a moment and read this quote by Carlos Casteneda. It will give you something to think about as you move along your own path. It might just offer a little meaningful insight, as it did for me.
Jane
“Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore you must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if you feel you should not follow it, you must not stay with it under any conditions. To have such clarity you must lead a disciplined life. Only then will you know that any path is only a path and there is no affront, to oneself or to others, in dropping it if that is what your heart tells you to do. But your decision to keep on the path or to leave it must be free of fear or ambition. I warn you. Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary.
This question is one that only a very old man asks. Does this path have a heart? All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. They are paths going through the bush, or into the bush. In my own life I could say I have traversed long long paths, but I am not anywhere. Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn’t, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn’t. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you.
Before you embark on any path ask the question: Does this path have a heart? If the answer is no, you will know it, and then you must choose another path. The trouble is nobody asks the question; and when a man finally realizes that he has taken a path without a heart, the path is ready to kill him. At that point very few men can stop to deliberate, and leave the path. A path without a heart is never enjoyable. You have to work hard even to take it. On the other hand, a path with heart is easy; it does not make you work at liking it.”― Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge
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Joseph Cambell “Follow Your Bliss”
When we realize that days and weeks will pass anyway, why not follow the path that brings us joy?
How do we know what our joy is? By giving it time and space to make itself known. Getting to know joy and letting it breathe a little.
Soon, you will have the ability to choose paths in life that resonate with your ‘Bliss’!
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5 Hindrances to Self-Mastery
Calm, sincere and a gifted speaker. Spend a few minutes. It’s worth it.