October's Moon Totem in Full Splendor

Karen's 

A glance through my picture window,

With a sudden catch-breath,

Only inches away, I spy

Industrious creatrix.

Her abdomen, a gold and black mandala,

Wavers in wind gusts.

Legs extending equidistant,

Effect a delicate balancing act

On her woven work.

Braided zigzag anchors

Webbed hemispheric artifice.

Moment to moment, this:

A mindful solitary sentry
Suspended,

Grounded.


October Totem by Karen Newmand

Self Reflection:  Little spider is a powerful totem. Am I noticing more spiders in my life?  Am I living spider's gifts?

Serendipity and Synchronicity

The day after I dreamed of children jumping on my web, I visited our local arboretum with a friend and her daughter.  Lo and behold a giant spider web had been built in the children's garden! gleefully, my friend's daughter climbed aboard and began jumping on the rope web.  Universe has offered synchronicity for my dream. I take this serendipity seriously. Synchronicity is a call to pay attention.

Self Reflection: In the web of my life, what patterns of synchronicity are showing up? There is a pattern. I need only take the time and create a space for looking, sensing, seeing to notice.  What might the gift of this pattern be showing me, pointing toward?

Dreaming the Web

What does it mean to have a dream where children are jumping on your web like a trampoline?
That was the dream that woke me up, and I couldn't get the image out of my head.

As it would happen, a friend of mine, an 'Irish elder' happened to call me later in the morning. I couldn't resist sharing my dream with her.  She is second generation in the US, but I still hear the Irish brogue of her ancestors in the wisdom coming through her:  Here is the essences of her counsel:
"Ahhh, well, you know, in the old ways, the spider is the totem for the weavers of wisdom. It sounds like your being asked to be a place for the children to come to learn wisdom and be nourished. Just now there's a dearth of nourishment on the planet for our children.  And a dearth of caring for your own inner-child as well.  And I don't mean you should be enabling her...and don' take yourself too seriously either. There's way too much of that."

I choose to take my dream seriously.  I hope I'm not taking myself too seriously. I'm glad to say my web in my dream seemed quite bouncy and resilient.

Self Reflection Prayer:  May the weaving of our lives be resilient, strong and flexible.  May they be places for sharing wisdom, nourishment and fun, for ourselves and for others,  most especially children.