“Until you can say ‘I can let my energy flow under any and all conditions’ you will not really be free.” – Abraham-Hicks –

 I have been working with the idea of Answering Energy. I believe that our emotions are how Energy speaks to us and we have the opportunity to answer in so many ways. How we answer is what directs the tone of what we receive as we continue to call energy. When The Buddha within, or spirit, or soul speaks (which is all the time) often we don’t listen. And when we don’t listen, the energy just gets louder. Most of us have been trained by societal norms to ignore our inner spirit when it speaks––we are told to control our emotions, medicate our feelings, expect less–– and when we agree to that, we ignore the voice of our ever awake consciousness. That agreement leads to following the pack into the general malaise of dull complacency. Excitement is so much better than that. Why limit oneself to the smallness of societal or structured beliefs? When we are more connected to our center, it is easier to listen to the energy––and Answer it––with clarity. Then we can begin to have the deeper conversation with ourselves about why we are drawing what energy we draw.

~*~ When I opened Mountain Mama’s Medicine Chest, I was thinking about my literal medicine chest, but I notice that people are often asking for a piece of my mind. I enjoy sharing some of the pieces, but i get so excited about what I myself am learning, that i can ramble on. Here, I can be sure that those who are getting my rambles truly came for what they find. Several people have asked me to spend some time elaborating on my take on some of the quotes I share on facebook. They were feeling that, although they are inspired by them often, they would like to know more about how I relate to the information. The energy calls… I am listening and answering by appreciating the gift of such requests, and I am excited to share as I savor and ponder the flavor… In the world of life coaches, spiritual guidance, religious movements and motivational speakers I find that spirit has many avenues for expression.  It is said that when The Buddha taught, he was understood by anyone in any language. Even a baby could understand. Now there is so much “Christ Consciousness” flowing, “Shakti Energy” surging and “Buddha Nature” thriving that there is much opportunity for every one of us to find a way to understand how energy moves. When children are playing Hide-and-Seek, they have such a great time in anticipation, that the seeking is as exhilarating as the finding. We are so fortunate to live in a time so rich with seekers.

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I grew up with strong women (most of them single mothers) around me. They were all Seekers. Truth Speakers. Women of Wisdom. Medicine Women… Alchemists, the lot of them. Turning a few dollars into meager stashes of food and from there to delicious nourishing meals. Inefficient falling down houses transformed into warm, inviting, cozy homes for us. Raising us with richness, from well below poverty level. Answering Energy with grace and allowing. I was fortunate to pay attention to the energy they molded in order to stay grounded and solid in their lives. That was my after dinner hide-and-seek as a young girl leaving childhood behind. Because of the women who Inspired me, I made the commitment to grow and learn and seek more to expand on. And because of that, I seem to have many opportunities to tackle difficult situations and play with the energetic genome of what may have brought one to a particular situation, why it was brought to my attention, what I can learn from it, what I can share about what I am learning, and how to assist in moving myself and others to an even better experience. Although I have “studied” all kinds of traditions and bodies of work, I do not have any certificates on my wall that denote my expertise in any school, modality, religion or training. Life has trained me to be the Me that I am now. Some people get me, and some really really don’t, but over the years, I have become a sort of “Front Porch Therapist” for many of my friends and associates. I want to change the dynamic of the word Therapist. Because my limited understanding is that most therapists provide a ground to vent on, and I am not good at keeping my mouth shut very long once the vent has opened and exhausted gas in the furnace.  But honestly, isn’t therapy applying soothing and remedy to dis-ease, nurturing and encouraging wellness and inspiring joyous expansion? A lot of stuck places get unstuck in conversation on my front porch. Sometimes there are several of us wisdom seekers to bounce a topic off of, and sometimes it is just me working it out with someone, and sometimes it is just me working it out with me.  It can be draining  to sit in front of a friend and try to help them process their way to a better place, it can be frustrating when I find myself in front of the same person processing the same pile of stuff, again––searching for new ways to express the same process. Sometimes it is exhausting when all I really want to do is sit by myself and stare at the wall, processing nothing but a blank slate. But all of the time I see opportunity. When I am sitting with someone, processing the same “stuck” spot within a relationship, or tackling the same insecurity, I have to recognize that I must be in the same stuck spot somewhere in my own life. I don’t believe that we ever happen upon a situation that we are not an energetic match to. This is why ten people can sit in a room and focus on the same subject and have ten different experiences doing so. The cantankerous one can be frustrated with the subject while the happy one can be joyous beside the subject and the excited one can be inspired by the subject and everyone gets to choose how they relate to it. And this is why I continue to draw these experiences. People only ever ask me for advice that I need to give to myself. And so I allow myself to take such opportunities to expand. I do believe that experiences and relationships personal, local and global are all to be taken with accountability. When something “happens to me” I can’t not look at why I am having it. When someone “does something to me” I do not encourage or engage denial about whether or not they indeed may have done something, but I do choose whether it happens to me, or if it happens near me or happens in me. In other words, even the experiences I have with other people are still mine to be accountable within. I am not the friend to happen upon when you just want to vent with no response. Nor am I always gentle with my truth. I may sound like a hippie sometimes, but I don’t mix words, I don’t hold back and I always look for humorous ways to get real with the shit on the table. My closest friends have come to know that they will get me when they come to me and sometimes they go elsewhere when they only want to dip a toe into the accountability pool.  When they want a guts out approach to moving energy, they find me. They always find a woman who is a seeker and a gleaner and an energy alchemist. I cannot help it. I am fascinated by the concept of human as creator of their own experience. When you come to me and inspire me to go deep into the way out of a conundrum, I am off and running toward a better feeling place about it. Now you can come here and pick my brain any time of day or night. I might not join the conversation until I wake up the next morning, but in the meantime you might read some of what is here and find your own way to the other side. We have so much to imbibe from the pithy center of our experiences… I have only ever really opened my medicine chest for those very close to me but I love and crave the conversations that arise when the intention is to expand consciousness. I am so excited to put some of this down on “paper” that I can’t even stand it. I intend and expect that these offerings will inspire some deep conversation! Check back, comment, share, inquire… The playground is all ours!

 ~*~