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“A life without love is of no account. Don’t ask yourself what kind of love you should seek, spiritual or material, divine or mundane, Eastern or Western. Divisions only lead to more divisions. Love has no labels, no definitions. It is what it is, pure and simple. Love is the water of life. And a lover is a soul of fire! The universe turns differently when fire loves water.” — Rumi

Harvesting what life offers seems to be the theme unfolding as I write this post for the October newsletter. There is so much darkness and despair in the world, so very many unforeseen circumstances that we face each day, lest not forget the numerous blessings that surround us. Through community, compassion, action, sound and music there are so many ways to accomplish things in meaningful ways. We certainly experienced this on our recent trip to the Arctic. This was a trip that we researched heavily, saved and planned for since we went to Antarctica in 2005. It did not unfold as expected, it was not even close. But we did get to experience climate change in a most dramatic form and we were blessed to see much amazing wildlife, even the shy and elusive Narwhal. One of our expedition leaders, who has been travelling in the Arctic for more than thirty years has only seen Narwhal once before. Our visit to Inuit communities, and conversations with our Inuit expedition member Leslie also provided us with first-hand knowledge of Inuit myths as well as more dramatic numbers regarding the high suicide rates in the Canadian arctic, particularly among young people. We also saw many films that were new to us, including Qapirangajug an Inuit film that raises awareness about climate change through the stories of Inuit elders and local knowledge holders directly affected by it. http://www.isuma.tv/inuit-knowledge-and-climate-change/movie

I find myself challenged by tense as I write this month’s blog post. I am writing before we depart for the Arctic about things which have not yet happened, but which you will read when we are already mid trip. As I reflect on the word tense, the form a verb takes to describe what is true when words are spoken or written; there are three primary tenses, past tense reflects words that were true at the time they were written or spoken; present tense things that were true before the words were written or spoken; future tense things that will be true after they are written or spoken.

Returning Art and Spirit to Medicine is a deeply held mission of the Acutonics Institute. Engagement in expressions of creativity ignites the spirit and promotes integrative and innovative new directions in health care, while encouraging a health-care system that is rooted in promoting harmony between body and spirit psyche and soul. This is truly the work that this month’s profiled newly certified Acutonics Practitioner Patrice Repar is engaged in every day. Creator of the Arts-in-Medicine: Healing and Humanities program at the University of New Mexico, Patrice has a deep understanding of the extraordinary power of creative expression and human connections to empower transformative change.

In July we are touched by the energy of both the Moon and the Sun. Representing a perfect balance between yin and yang, male and female, fire and water, coherence and wholeness. A true alchemical process of balancing opposing forces richly represented through their archetypal qualities and rich correspondences.

This month we celebrate Mercury, identified by Thomas Moore as a key player in our care for and understanding of the soul an aid to rediscover the sacredness in everyday life: “Care of the soul is not solving the puzzle of life; quite the opposite, it is an appreciation of the paradoxical mysteries that blend light and darkness into the grandeur of what human life and culture can be.” If Mercury is present in our lives with wit and humor, there is a good chance that we will be successful in cultivating the magic, wonder, and creativity of life, which is the gift of the soul.

Each year on April 22 we honor the founding of the modern day environmental movement in April of 1970, which to this day, nearly 50 years later, provides a voice to both heighten and raise consciousness that the Earth and all living organisms are in trouble. Despite these efforts, we still have climate change deniers a plenty. 

Fierce winds, snow and rain do not feel like harbingers of spring but here in Northern New Mexico we’ve grown accustomed to mother nature’s might. Ever so grateful for every drop of moisture as we leave a very dry winter behind. The most dramatic change has been in the growing dome where the fig tree has definitely decided that spring is here. Ducks and many birds have returned to the pond. Donna is hard at work doing a complete redesign of the outside vegetable gardens, with goals to simplify, while also making it easier to deal with critters and weeds. 

After a very mild almost snowless winter a blast of cold weather, high winds and snow roared in like a lion. The moisture always welcome in the high desert of Northern New Mexico, made us grateful for the warmth of the growing dome and the beautiful greens that sustain us in winter. 

A walk through the woods on our land brought me to a hidden grotto, a memory palace opening a door into all possibilities. This serves as a fitting reminder as we celebrate the Lunar New Year, welcome the Year of the Dog in the Chinese Zodiac and explore themes associated with Uranus the awakener. There is so much potential for our future. Each of these events plays a role in the seismic shifts currently underway in the political landscape, a potent reminder of the possibilities before us in 2018.