Genetic destiny

Yesterday I heard a fascinating interview of Bruce Lipton, author of The Biology of Belief. I read his book when it first came out and was blown away by his research. This interview blew me away again! He talked about our conscious and unconscious minds. He stated that the conscious mind is the creative mind and that we're only in our conscious mind 1-5% of the day. The subconscious mind is not creative and is like a recording device that records habits and patterns and then plays them back daily. These habits and patterns were downloaded during the first 5 years of our life and pre-birth. So in other words, we are playing out 95% of our day the unconscious behaviors that we downloaded when we were a toddler!!!!! Incredible. Even more incredible, his research shows that these downloads also program our genes!!!

But even more incredible for me, is that he said that from the fetal state through the first 5 years of life we are primarily in the theta brain wave state----the place of our imagination and creativity, and, interestingly enough, the brain wave state we go to when we drum and journey!!!! It is here that we have spiritual revelations and visions. He stated that it is in this state that we download information. Suddenly, journeying and accessing information makes perfect sense, and it explains why I always feel so whole after drumming and journeying.

Now in our normal waking life we only access the theta state right before we totally awake and right before we fall asleep. This is called the hypnogogic state. Lipton stated that we should be using these times to re-program our subconscious recordings and ultimately our genes. So, lets work with this for awhile, and use those states to change your life. Re-program your life during these times through the use of affirmations and visualizations. Be in that creative, imaginative state and change your life!

Lipton has a new book coming out in September called Spontaneous Evolution. I highly recommend to you that you read The Biology of Belief. It will change your thinking about your body and your health.

Joy and love to you today,
Jeanne

Drumming

I was feeling really frazzled this morning and I took time out to sit in my medicine wheel in my backyard. I have a picture here of it---I hope you can see it--there's lots of shadows on there. I love sitting in my wheel, with a fairy ring just east of the wheel around the base of an old oak tree. It is a sacred space to me. And even though I haven't yet planted the lavender and sage, or added the crystals to the directions, it helps me feel complete and whole again. I feel so fortunate to have a space for a "time out" when life gets crazy. I drummed for awhile singing in unison with the wind, and my heart felt lighter. Even my cat came and laid at my feet, enjoying the multitude of heartbeats that drummed with me. Remember to take "time out" for yourself each day and connect to the heartbeat of our dear Mother Earth.

May you and Mother Earth drum together in harmony,

Jeanne

Being present

The theme for me this week in my lessons from Spirit appear to be about death and the reminder that the present moment is all we really have. I learned this week that a friend died, suddenly and unexpectedly, and that is always a shock. My heart goes out to her family and friends. This week I was the keynote speaker at a hospice seminar. I was asked to share my story of surviving the death of my son. Since he had died 20 years ago, I didn't think it would be so difficult. But it was. My heart was broken open again at another, deeper level. Oriah Mountain Dreamer, in her book The Invitation, writes: "If we are strong enough to be weak enough, we are given a wound that never heals. It is the gift that keeps the heart open." It takes great strength to allow yourself to be vulnerable and open. But that is what we must do in life. We need to keep our hearts open and be in the present moment with our interactions with others. I was also reminded that I never know what another person is experiencing in their lives. I need to approach each person with love and compassion, kindness and respect, no matter what their outward actions might be saying. We all have wounds which connect us, we all need healing from the heart.

Take time today to be totally present with those you encounter. Keep your heart open, fill it with love and compassion. Send that love and compassion out to all whom you meet. And don't forget to listen to their heart!

May your heart break open in love today,
Jeanne

Frogs

I live on the Fish Hook River here in Park Rapids and the frogs have just started singing! Wow, what a sound. It is constant, a hum that holds the space of the evening. Frogs are about transformation through water and sound. Certainly their sound is something we can journey into. For me, it is like a chant, lulling me into the otherworld. The book Animal-Speak states that "frogs have been known to be heralds of abundance and fertility". In this time of deep recession, perhaps we need to be working with frog. And in also working with water, the emotions, we should look at our emotions around abundance in our life.
Move into the sound of the frog with your mind and let it permeate your being, merge with it. Hold the intention for abundance in your life. Ask frog to help you recognize the abundance you already have in your life and how you can open to the flow of abundance. We give thanks to frog for its wisdom.

May the song of nature enfold you today,
Jeanne

Green Man

The Green Man is speaking to me again! In Celtic belief the Green Man is the Spirit of Nature, the Spirit of the woods. Wildness and passion are a part of the Green Man's character. I'm sure you've seen representations of him as a face of a man covered with leaves. For me his presence was strong about 10 years ago in my life. Now, he has resurfaced. Perhaps it is because it is spring, or he is returning because the world is now asking us to live green. For whatever reason, he is returning and he's connecting with my heart. He was reignited in me at the Celtic Shamanism training on the Druid Wisdom Tales with Tom Cowan. I feel he is challenging me to look at my own wildness (or unwildness) and passion. So many times I find myself living the same life day in and day out. He asks me to connect with the wildness within my heart, and ignite that passion that is in my heart and live fully alive! When I look at the forests, the trees now budding out and flowers blooming, I am captured by the glory of nature in all of its becoming! Such fertility and beauty! Let us look today at our own lives and see if we can bring more wildness and passion into our lives so that we can "become" and feel that nature connection of fertility, creation, wildness, passion and beauty! Awesome!

May the Green Man visit your heart today,
Jeanne

Rhythms

On my walk yesterday, basking in the glow of the Tom Cowan workshop, I was gifted with the wing of a downy woodpecker. It was just laying on the side of the road. No other signs of struggle nor other parts of the woodpecker---just the wing. That was how I was gifted with my crow wing years ago. I was out for my walk and there was this huge crow wing laying in the ditch. No other feathers or parts of the bird, just the wing. What is going on here? I know I am quite dense sometimes when it comes to observing messages from spirit. Perhaps the spirits need to make sure there can be no other explanation for these wing giftings!

Woodpecker is about drumming and looking at the rhythms of your life. I sense a new rhythm beginning in my life. A rhythm that will allow me to fly. I don't yet know where I might fly to, but I trust the Universe will guide me where I need to go.

Today, think about the rhythms of your life. Are you being called to new heights? Do the rhythms support your heart, soul and spirit?

May the rhythms of your life fill full your heart,
Jeanne

Repeat Post: I have a new vision

This post was originally written and posted last week. I have heard from many of you about how you feel you would like to help make this happen. What I do need is for some men to step forward. So I decided to post this again. If it calls to your heart, please respond.

Sunday, May 3, 2009


I am retiring the Wild Woman Weekend that I offer. It is of the old paradigm.I am birthing a new vision of men and women together in retreat. I feel it is time for us women to help the men come into their own spirituality. Matthew Fox has written a new book, The Hidden Spirituality of Men, in which he lists ten archetypes of the spiritual male and speaks of how it is time for men to claim these archetypes in their lives.

I have a new vision, of men and women in retreat together. With a male leading the men in special sessions/activities, and I would lead the women. And we would come together to share our wisdom with new faces in an evening fire ceremony. And we would work on healing ourselves so that we may heal our world. No longer separate, the masculine and feminine coming together with a shared vision of community and new life. It is time. The time is now.
We now have a President who models compassion, cooperation, caring, serving and understanding. He gives all men permission to exhibit these characteristics in their lives.

I have a new vision, of a man stepping forward, to join with me in this vision. If you are a male who wishes to explore the spirituality of men and are willing to lead men in a sacred weekend please contact me. earthdrummer@hotmail.com
May your heart know love today,
Jeanne