Only love
Holds the keys
To each door
In the labyrinth
Of life.
© Salem Islas-Madlo 2017
Intuition
Poetry Alive
Wild Self
Breathing
Poetry alive
Beyond form
Beyond words
© Salem Islas-Madlo 2017
“The greatest inspiration, the most sublime ideas of living that have come down to humanity come from a higher realm, a happier realm, a place of pure dreams, a heaven of blessed notions. Ideas and infinite possibilities dwell there in absolute tranquility.
Before these ideas came to us they were pure, they were silent, and their life-giving possibilities were splendid. But when they come to our earthly realm they acquire weight and words. They become less.”
“The sweetest notions, ideas of universal love and justice, love for one another, or intuitions of joyful creation, these are all perfect in their heavenly existences. Any artist will tell you that ideas are happier in the heaven of their conception than on the earth of their realization. We should return to pure contemplation, to sweet meditation, to the peace of silent loving, the serenity of deep faith, to the stillness of deep waters. We should sit still in our deep selves and dream good new things for humanity. We should try and make those dreams real. We should keep trying to raise higher the conditions and possibilities of this world. Then maybe one day, after much striving, we might well begin to create a world justice and a new light on this earth that could inspire a ten-second silence of wonder – even in heaven.”
― Ben Okri
The Dark Side of the Moon
There is no one
To love me
But myself
Dark side
Of the moon
© Salem Islas-Madlo 2017
*photo by Beth Kirkhart, to see more of her work visit her on Twitter at @GilennLinn
Sometimes we come to a place in our lives and realize that something is dying. We might not always understand it especially when it happens within the deeper parts of ourselves. I have recently been thankful for such an experience despite the pain that has risen to the surface. I have learned that I can embrace death and be glad for its coming. I have been on an unannounced hiatus from writing on this blog since the beginning of the year and I thank the patience of my readers. But it wasn’t until I stumbled upon the simple beauty of Beth’s photo that I found something in it calling to me…cracking me open to write again.
Beth Kirkhart provided me with some interesting history of her photo that she took in Santa Ana Refuge in Southern Texas. It is home to an abundance of wildlife, in addition; to many birds, it is also provides shelter to ocelots, jaguarundi, jaguar, and mountain lions. The refuge is right on the border between Mexico and the US, where Trump wants to build his wall. However, such a wall would surely disrupt the wildlife there.
While Beth was watching the wind blow the grasses and framing the moon, she heard a woman hush a child: a family group who had just crossed the river were hiding in a thorn bush thicket, waiting for her to finish her photo so they could be on their way by night.
Such is the wind at dusk there.
As a Mexican-American, when Beth shared this story with me I could only imagine how that mother must have been feeling. It reminded me of things I missed out on as a small child when my own mother wasn’t present in my life….like being in the shelter and sanctuary of loving arms. So many times we humans can put up walls…walls that disrupt the flow of life. Walls that may shut life out. So then we are faced with a sort of Life-Death-Life cycle. Clarissa Pinkola Estés wrote, “Sometimes the one who is running from the Life/Death/Life nature insists on thinking of love as a boon only. Yet love in its fullest form is a series of deaths and rebirths. We let go of one phase, one aspect of love, and enter another. Passion dies and is brought back. Pain is chased away and surfaces another time. To love means to embrace and at the same time to withstand many endings, and many many beginnings- all in the same relationship.” So perhaps we can still find love on the dark side of the moon.
Navigating the Dark
What is felt
But not seen
What is so
But not apparent
The rattling voice
Of intuitive nature
Profound wisdom
Reaching down
To the very bones.
© Salem Islas-Madlo 2016
*photo by Antonio Mora, Dystopia Bella
I Declare My Truth
This time around
The same could be different
Born again in a new light
Moving towards inner longings
Trusting intuitive messages
Planted in a deeper knowing
A total shift in order
Within the sound
Of my voice.
© Salem Islas-Madlo 2016
Throat Chakra Affirmations
“I speak my truth. My voice matters. I express myself. I speak with kindness. I speak with love. My voice is strong. My voice is clear. My voice is steady. I have an opinion. I have the words I need. I stand up for myself.”
“I am gentle with my words. I listen to others. I am authentic, honest and creative.”
“I say what I mean, and mean what I say.”
“I play in my imagination. I create my reality. I know and share my truth.”
“I speak freely and with confidence. It is now safe for me to express my feelings and to create the life I desire. Everything I do is an expression of Love.”
“I move beyond old limitations and now allow myself to express my truth freely and creatively.”
“I release all fears, negativity and doubts that block my creative expression.”
“I am aligned with my highest truth and communicate this with love and honor. My words echo softly within the Universe.”
“I speak in alignment with my most authentic truth. I express my thoughts genuinely and with clarity. I communicate my feelings with ease. I listen with interest. I am a Divine receiver.”
Mh
Digging and Planting
In-between
Hard places
Intuition
Fragilily
Comes
To light
The task is
To release
All fears
And struggles
Connected to
Power and control
Letting go
Of doubt
Once and for all
Trusting
the
Flowering
Heart.
© Salem Islas-Madlo 2016
“Don’t dig up in doubt what you planted in faith” – Elisabeth Elliot
A Moment of Reckoning
In a moment of reckoning.
My soul is awakened
Rising up gently
On the breath
Of life.
© Salem Islas-Madlo 2016
It can be the easiest thing in the world to follow the aspect of our personality that is logical and rational. It is easy because it is the side that is protective and guarded. The rational mind means well, but often times it prevents us from the abundance our spirit yearns to experience. This emperor like energy can prevent us from taking advantage of the opportunities that life brings our way. It is that overbearing voice criticising every last hope and ambition that rises up with each swelling of the heart. Eliminating every last shred of intuition. The one reason for that is doubt.
Tame the mind and start believing in yourself. If conformity is no longer serving your life; let it go. Find out what your blind spots are and make more room in your life for imagination. You might just surprise yourself. It takes a lot to step out in faith, trusting the goodness in yourself. Keeping an open heart. You just might discover that your heart isn’t inside of you, but that you’re inside your heart. Deng Ming-Dao says, “Imagination is a tool through which we can make our lives better, different, and creative. By cooperating with it, we can acheive things that ‘we never dreamed possible’.” Imagination can build bridges. Connect your life with love.
Wisdom in Quiet Whispers
Feather
In the evergreen
Nestled in love
© Salem Islas-Madlo 2015
Meditating on symbolic meanings
Evergreen
“We too have the ability to stand strong in the midst of adverse conditions. Whether comparing them heart chakras, or Celtic wisdom, evergreen symbolic meanings deal with life-loving qualities such as:
• The capacity to love in the coldest of times.
• The inner resources to feel warmth (empathy) in spite of austerity.
• The ability to feel deep magic in a sterile, fact-finding world.
…a reminder of emerald potentials forever glistening within the strongholds of our souls.”
~excerpt from http://www.symbolic-meanings.com/2014/02/13/evergreen-symbolic-meanings-and-reminders/
Feathers
“When you find feathers upon your path it could be taken to mean that you are on a higher spiritual path (whether you accept it or not), and it may be a sign of encouragement as you philosophically travel on this path.
Finding feathers on your path is also symbolic of having a lighter outlook on life or a particulary situation. When we see feathers in our midst it is considered a message that we need to lighten up, not take things too seriously, and try to find the joy in our situation.
Some common symbolic meaning of feathers are:
Heightened awareness
Light heartedness
Enlightenment
Prayer
Divinity”
~excerpt from http://www.symbolic-meanings.com/2007/11/03/finding-feathers-on-your-path-symbolic-meaning-of-feathers/
“For a start, feathers (and other items such as coins, and creatures such as birds, butterflies and dragonflies), can be signs from the angels, guides, or loved ones in that they are near – that they hear you, guide you and are supporting you. It can be an acknowledgement of you or your thoughts or it is their way of saying hello.
Finding a feather is often a magical moment…Feathers represent flight and freedom, soaring above, looking from a higher perspective, and moving beyond boundaries and limitations. Different colours and colour combinations can also add extra meaning. (see further below about various colour meanings).
Interpreting the Meaning of the Feather Sign
Whenever you observe a sign, take note of what you were thinking just before it happened, or what is going on in your life at that moment. What could the sign be telling you? Don’t stress yourself about finding a meaning. Even if you do not understand the meaning of the sign at the time, it could become clearer later, or you may be absorbing it in at a sub-conscious level. Just trust that it is a sign and let go of any doubts. Enjoy the way that Spirit works, and embrace the fact you are intermingling with it and paying attention…
It is just a matter of believing, letting go, and staying aware. Signs often remind us to be at peace and relax into the nature and flow of life. The meanings can at times be profound, and at other times quite simple. The best advice when signs happen is to not put any pressure on yourself to understand it. Take it as an opportunity to connect, take notice of and thank the ever-present Spirit. If your sign is an item such as a feather, you can keep it in a special place whether that be by your bedside, on your dresser, or added to your sacred space / spiritual altar. Or you can gently release it back to nature or where you found it.”
~excerpt from http://www.nataliakuna.com/feather-signs–colour-meanings.html
Photo Credits:
*(feather) first photo by sue.h https://www.flickr.com/photos/sue_h/6402420301/sizes/l/
*(evergreen) second photo by Kathy Diemer, found on http://agardenforall.com/2015/04/21/golden-opportunities/
Recognizing and Releasing Forms of Fear
Recognizing fear
Restlessness
Leads to truth
Of experience
In this moment
Release the old
Welcome the new
Adjusting focus
Change and flow
Past the blockage
That no longer serves
Its purpose
Releasing the fear
Of what might happen
Of making the wrong choice
Releasing into
the compassion of
Self-trust
A gift, I give
Myself.
© Salem Islas-Madlo 2015
Today’s post was inspired by another post I stumbled upon in Instagram @shanananalove74:
What Are You Waiting For?
“I remember a time when I used to do a lot of waiting. With many decisions I would take the “wait and see” approach. So, I would wait and wait and wait. I would wait for the “right” time, some event to happen, enough money or for someone to give me permission. I realized after taking the “wait and see” approach for much of my adult life, that waiting, for me, was a form of fear. Fear of making the wrong choice fear that I wouldn’t follow through, fear of disappointing someone or myself, fear of the unknown or fear of what might change if I did follow through, but at the end of the day, it was all fear. I saw that if I kept waiting, I was cutting myself off from new experiences and new possibilities. If I kept waiting, I would spend the rest of my life waiting. Finally, at some point waiting became more painful than moving forward. So, I started making quicker decisions and letting my intuition guide me. I started doing things that scared me and stretched me outside my comfort zone. The more I did this the more my life expanded in extraordinary ways. I learned that stepping into the unknown is like a muscle and the more you work it the stronger you become and the more exciting life gets. It seems like the moment I stopped waiting is the moment I started living. Everyday I remind myself to keep stepping out. Even if I can’t see the path ahead, it always shows up to greet me just like magic. Each and every time.”
~Shana Ekedal
Heart Whispers
Bumble bee humming
Amidst the Forget-me-nots
My heart whispering
© Salem Islas-Madlo 2015
Deep Souldiving 
