Cara Lumen | Sing a Deeper Song

Sing a Deeper Song

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What Are The Foundation Stones Upon Which You Build Your Life? 

By

Our Luminous Legacy

“If it’s time to restructure our life, it’s always the foundation that must change first. Knowing this, we must ask ourselves, ‘What is the nature of our foundation? Do we have foundation stones? What are they? How many are there, and are there any missing?’”

I set out to figure out what foundation stones are and if I had any, and what were they. The book is Bowl of Light by Hank Wesselman, a shamanist with whom I’ve studied.  The words were spoken by Hale Makua, the Hawaiian kahuna mystic.

What are foundation stones?

A foundation is an infrastructure that supports and dictates the shape that is formed. That can be the foundation of a building. It can be the foundation for a body of work.  It can be the foundation for your life path.

How is your life unfolding?

Life is constantly evolving, so it makes sense that we should check our infrastructure often.  We do that by noticing how things are going.

There’s a very tall, very expensive, fairly new apartment building in San Francisco that is slowly sinking and tilting.  The builders now say it should have been built from steel rather than concrete, which is very heavy, and that the foundation should have reached down to bedrock, not fill.

Good hindsight.  Bad original decisions.  Hard to correct.

So, perhaps we get to look at what is shifting, or leaning or unsteady in our lives and work on our infrastructure.  Our foundation stones.

What is your purpose?

Before you begin to restructure or rebuild or rearrange, you need to look to see how your purpose has shifted.  It’s pretty obvious that there’s change when you graduate, or change jobs, or get married, or have a child, or…. Those are major changes that suggest we need to restructure our life.

It’s the subtle changes that can sneak up on you – the aging process being one example.  Physical change occurs in very small increments over time and you make small adjustments to accommodate them. Then suddenly you realize standing or walking or lifting is a lot harder to do than it once was. That’s when you notice your foundation has a few new cracks in it.  And you need to make some adjustments in your foundation stones.

Define the purpose of your restructure

Create a mission statement for the change you want to make. “At the end of this (book, post, experience),  people will leave with an understanding of….”

That’s a very powerful question to ask.  What is your purpose? What is the purpose of this action? How does it help others?

The answers to these questions focus your choices and dictate the design of the foundation you build. Do you know your life purpose?  Do you know your soul’s purpose?

Define your core purpose before you begin to restructure and shift your foundation stones.

What is the nature of our foundation stones? 

It may be that our foundation stones shift and rearrange themselves in importance as we move through life.  “Figuring out life” is something we work on all our lives, but that process will take many shapes and forms.

If I’m an athlete, my physical well-being stone will be quite large.   As I age and my interests shift, that foundation stone may change shapes and become less prevalent.

The Foundation Stone for the Indigenous People is respect

A foundation stone for the indigenous mind is reverence, an active sense of respect.

That means respect for our earth and all who live here – plants, animals, people, land, rivers, oceans.  When indigenous people kill an animal for food, they leave an offering for its spirit.  They honor each part they use, the skin, the bone, the flesh.  They treat each part with respect and gratitude for the sacrifice of life.

We could do that. We could add a blessing to our meals to thank the source of the food, to the land that nourished it and the people who brought the food to us.

Indigenous people are conscious of the soul of the earth and take great care to listen to her needs and care for her.

They do not feel they own the land, they have great respect for what is offered and provided by the land.  It’s not about worship, it’s about reverence and respect and honoring the energy, the spirit of the land.

I want to become more reverent of the soul of nature. I will spend time looking out my window at the snow falling and mindfully observe the changes it makes in the landscape.  I will watch the sun go down each day and offer gratitude for the events and lessons I’ve received that day.  I will become more conscious of my consumption – of everything – and choose to live more simply and walk more softly and leave a lighter footprint on my planet.

The desire to be more reverent of the earth requires me to shift my awareness, to become more mindful, to be aware of the spirit of the land upon which I walk, the spirit of the birds that cross the sky, the spirit of the mountains in the distance.  Look for the spirit in all things and honor it.

Spirituality is a verb.  Spirituality is action

Every moment of our life is spiritual.

Our spirituality expands with every experience we consciously explore, every choice we make, and with every thought we think – both positive and negative.

Take a long look at your spiritual foundation stone. Is it strong yet flexible? Is it responsive to my life? Can you trust your spiritual foundation to support your service to our world?

Spirituality is a verb.  Make certain your spiritual foundation stone keeps you fluid and responsive.

Your spirituality stone

We all have a spirituality foundation stone. It may be large or small.  It may have shifted position over the years. But we all have one.

What does your spirituality foundation stone look like?

I know that spirituality is, for me, my center foundation stone.  But it has had many shapes and colors and tonality over my 85 years – Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Transcendental Meditation, Metaphysician, Reiki, crystals, New Thought Clergy, QiGong, Tai Chi, Taoism, Shamanism. I’ve built upon each layer, keeping some of what I learn, discarding other concepts that do not resonate.  Bits and pieces of spiritual exploration layered throughout life, carried forward and adapted.  A mosaic. A foundational stone with many layers and many colors.

What matters now is what I’m currently doing in my spiritual life –   how it’s expanding my awareness and nourishing my life.  Shamanism is taking me on unbelievably informative meditative journeys. The form of my illumined service keeps expanding as I build up layers of spiritual insight.

My spiritual foundation stone includes continuous spiritual exploration, a powerful need to learn, an enthusiastic response to many things spiritual and a powerful need to follow my own calling.

What does your spiritual foundation stone look like and feel like?  Is it strong enough to support you right now?

Your purpose stone

We each come into this world with a soul’s purpose.  It’s an agreement we make before we enter this body suit.

It may be a purpose that focuses on personal growth.  It may be a purpose that expands our world service.

One of our major tasks is to identify our soul’s purpose and make certain we accomplish it.  It’s the lesson we have come into this lifetime to learn, the gift we have come to give.

My awareness of my soul’s purpose has recently shifted as I listen more closely to my inner guidance. I have seen myself as a messenger and an interpreter of the inner worlds, which I still am.  But my purpose has recently expanded into helping light beings recognize their own light and consciously join with light of other light beings to heal our world.  I’m just now coming into that place of service.

Look at your purpose stone and see how clearly marked it is. And what’s changing within it.

Your gift stone

To accomplish your soul’s purpose, you come into this world with certain gifts.  You may or may not develop them, but they are powerful tools if you put them to use.
Some people recognize their calling at a very young age.  I began to write for my high school newspaper and was made Managing Editor in my senior year.  The faculty saw my gifts for writing and organizing before I did.

Sometimes your gifts take a while to uncover.  My foundation gift stone contains the ability to see the overview and to share that with others through my words.  My gift stone also includes my willingness to listen to and be guided by this very loud inner voice that leads me on all manner of adventures. It’s taken me a while to figure that out. I have the freedom to continue to explore.  I’m fearless when it comes to taking a new path.

Take time today to journal to find what’s in your gift stone.

Your Illumined Service Stone

Finding your place of illumined service may take some exploration.  Some people know they have to be involved with music, or a particular sport, or a certain form of business.  They know it early in life and their path is quite focused.

Others of us wander around experimenting.

But there are always signs.  Look at your gifts.  Look at what others ask of you.  Look at what you love to do.  Those are clues to your illumined service.

What other foundation stones might we have?

Based on the idea of having a foundation stone of respect, I personally need to add an unconditional love stone. The passage that I read didn’t list what the foundation stones are.  That’s for us to figure out.  Spirituality, Gift and Service are just three that showed up for me.  You may have an entirely different set of foundation stones.

A Learning Stone

A Learning Stone is part of my personal foundation.  I have to be constantly exploring and examining and adapting and applying.  It’s a big stone in my foundation.

Interaction with another’s foundation stone

Sometimes we’re drawn to people with similar foundation stones. Sometimes we’re drawn to someone simply because their foundation stone is something we want to learn, to absorb, to adapt.  What foundation stones of others are you drawn to? Do you need/want to add your version of that stone to your foundation?

A Like-Minded Explorer’s Stone

As my spiritual path evolved, I have moved from friend to friend, learning from some, exploring with some. The more specialized my own philosophical interest, the fewer people who are walking on that exact path.

Find the people that grow you and spend focused, exploration time with them.  (The two people that expand my work are in different parts of the country and we regularly connect on Skype.)

A Love Foundation Stone

The Love Foundation stone may be about giving love.  It may be about being able to receive love.  It may be about how you give love to the world through your thoughts and actions.  Look at its qualities and shape the stone the way you want it to be.

How many foundation stones are there?å

There are as many foundation stones as you need.  Take time to figure out what your foundation stones are and how they need to be modified or strengthened.

Tangible Service in the world may be a foundation stone. Help the world may be a foundation stone for you. Select and build on the foundation stone your need for this part of your life.

How to reshape a foundation stone

The first step in reshaping your foundation stones is to identify the foundation upon which you currently stand.  Are your foundation stones steady or do they rock a bit?  Are they big enough and strong enough to hold you where you’re headed?

What small foundation stones are outdated, or no longer useful?  Clear those out.  What about that belief pebble that is stuck under a foundation rock that makes it wobble?  Get rid of those hidden, no-longer-useful beliefs.

Your life is the way it is because of the foundation stones you’ve built upon

If your life is not unfolding as you would like, you’ll want to examine your foundation stones. Particularly look for pebbles and large rocks that say, “I don’t deserve that” and “I don’t think that is possible.”  Clear out the old, out-dated, no-longer-useful rocks from your foundation.  It will make you stand taller and be stronger.

Then look closely at where you want to go next. And begin to build up the foundation stones that’ll take you there.

Your foundations stones will be different from mine.  They’ll have different meanings.  They’ll be of different shapes and have different priorities.

It’s for you to decide.

What are your foundation rocks and are they the ones you need for this next portion of your life?

To Deepen Your Luminous Legacy Consider:

Unleash The Power of Your Inner Garden  

How to be Nothing

 How Modern Mysticism Will Save the World  

Live in the Center of  Your Being 

Lobbing Light Balls

By

Lobbing Light Balls

Insights OF A Deeper Song

Ashe
(“Ah-Shay”)
The Creative in me honors the Creative in you!

Sometimes I sit here and watch so many disruptions all over the planet that I feel inadequate to do anything –  until I remember light balls.  I can lob light nalls any place I want – like LeBron James or Step Curry, just making one ringer after another.  

A light ball is just that – light.  It carries with it a higher vibration that enables us wherever are, each and every one of us, to send light vibrational energy anyplace we choose. We have forgotten sometimes that when we are only aware of ourselves as human bodies, we feel restricted in our power.  Until we remember that we are actually energy. We can use energy to change our environment and our experiences.

So for me, the prospect of a lobbing a light ball is to bring some light to the darkness, some compassion and inclusion, and right action into a situation or a place. You get the picture – a light ball goes and does what light does – it raises the vibration and reminds us that we are all one energy. 

Pretty powerful stuff. 

Sometimes I lob a lot of light balls in one direction.  Sometimes I toss more light balls than at other times but the intention is the same – to remind us all that we are one whole interconnected vibration. That there is no difference and we harm ourselves when we harm others.  

A lot of powerful results come from lobbing a few light balls. 

I have also been know to toss a light ball up in the air and then stand under it till it bops me on the head and I get it!

Sure, I could attach a strong intention, but light is light and it is whole and that’s what I want to send – the awareness of, the feeling of, the knowledge of our oneness, our wholeness, our existence as one energy. 

A light ball.  Lob a light ball…

I suppose we could make them colored, but I’ll leave that up to the light ball.  And since I send it with my intention, I don’t even have to be a particularly good shot  – it knows where it is to go.

Next time you are feeling a tad helpless, get out our bag go light balls and like a ball throwing machine, start tossing them out into our world with the intention that those who see them and are ready, will recognize that light within themselves and will join in the collective consciousness that is forming a layer of light around our planet.  

Where will you lob light balls today?

DEEPER SONG AFFIRMATION

I raise my vibration and intentionally lob light bells 
into troubling situations in the world.  

DEEPER SONG PROCESS 

  • It only takes a second to lob a light ball.  One thought, one intention and it’s done.
  • Lob a light ball at the news.  Lob it out int the world. Toss one up in the air and stand under it till it bops you on the head…
  • It’s not about looking for negative energy, it is about encouraging you to feel that you are working for a higher good and it is effective. 
  • Keep lobbing light balls 

***
MY DEEPER SONG THIS WEEK
How to Reframe to Get Better ResultsAdventures in the Unseen World

This was a huge, life-changing discovery. Change is as simple as reframing how you see it. That means all you have to do is reframe the perceived problem in order to get different results. 

What needs to change? Could it be me?

(Read More)

***
Inner Work
STOP JUDGING YOURSELF

It’s a funny thing about being creative, you just have to let it flow. You have to trust what you create. You have to understand that the mere act of creating is honing a skill, clarifying your thought process.  

None of that can happen if you judge yourself during the creative process. You are not creating a final product, you are simply creating, you are exploring, you are expressing yourself, your feelings, your thoughts, your understanding, your passion. You are simply expressing yourself creatively – however it turns out. It’s the process that creates the change in you. 

Once you birth it, once you allow your creativity to flow and immerse yourself in that magnificent discovery process, then you can return to strengthen it. Just don’t stop the creative flow.  It is a free-flowing, reckless, exciting process that lets you bring up ideas from your deepest self.  If you get out of the way.  

The more you listen, the more you hear.

I’m at the point where not only do I close my eyes and type when I write, I close my eyes and type when I take a shamanic journey.  There is no judgment. I am strongly in the present moment and act as a conduit, a passageway for my inner wisdom to express herself. 

The more you listen the more you hear.

When I write a first draft, I do not craft it, I simply shut my eyes and type what shows up.  I simply capture my thoughts and go deeper to listen. 

In my podcast scripts, I have a template that asks for three points. Can you bring your idea down to three points?  If not you have several scripts ideas. 

If it feels right to you, release it into the world.  Fortunately, since I’m not selling anything, I get to write what I want.  However, I do listen to what you respond to in order to identify a need I may want to address.  

Listening is an important part of creation. Keep listening and don’t judge.  Just listen and see what is offered by your inner wisdom, your inner voice – the Unseen World. 

I like what I write so in one sense I write to please myself. I learn from what I write so I  am teaching myself. And people read and listen – or they don’t. I hope they do…

Again, I’m not trying to sell anything. But we all want to reach others.  We all want to make others think or feel.  So we do care.  But we cannot please everyone, only the people we reach with our hearts. 

Let the rest go.  Focus on those who are drawn to you and your work and your light.  Let the rest go. It is not yours to do. Follow your own calling.

***
Outer Work
PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE

We get to keep things in perspective by doing a periodic reality check.

I can record a new podcast in 20 minutes. I can edit one in 45 minutes.  That affects how I think about those tasks and where I schedule them.  Writing them takes days because I need space between drafts to get some distance on what I wrote and come back to it with fresh eyes.  But I work ahead and there is no pressure.

It really helps when I take time to gain perspective on something I keep putting off.  I live in an apartment.  If I divide the tasks, there is not a lot of floor space to either sweep or wash. That was a game-changer for me.  Break a task up into small segments, set aside 20 minutes and just do it.  

Reframe what you need to do.   Approach it in smaller segments.  Washing my crystals can be a most lovely time of holding each one and talking to it.  I can make the cleaning a ceremony of blessing. What a lovely experience to create.

Take small steps a lot of times.  If I tidy or clean a surface in my kitchen every time I go in, it will be sparkling in no time.

I often wait until I am “in the mood” but stepping up to put in 20 minutes on something I’ve been putting off will carry me a long way forward.

Look at how little time it takes to do some of the things you have been putting off and see how that changes how you approach it. 

Put it in perspective and watch it become easier. 

***
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PROGRESS

At the end of every month, or the beginning of each new one, acknowledge your progress. It gives you an awareness of your success ad insights into what you may want change.  

Perhaps start a journal on your computer.  Your self-acknowledgment can be something you discovered, received, achieved, or let go of that month.

Then explore what you experienced and journal how it changed you.

***
AN ECLECTIC USE OF YOUR TIME

It occurred to me that I “waste” time.  And that may be simply a judgment call. 

I feel productive when I am at my computer making stuff up.  But it’s the break times that I could be put to better use. I need to find an alternate use of time besides listening to news and playing Spider Solitaire.  Truly I do.

How balanced are your choices when it comes to time?  We do need a change of pace.  But instead of going from one chair to another I could  – stand up and do something – exercise, dance, clean something.  I am not using some of my time well and I would like to change that.  

I’m going to add some music in the mix – more than my flute playing, I have an Om Bhur Chant that takes me want to dance.  I will find a time to play it each day and wiggle away.  

When I gave talks or learned lines for a play, I always reheard standing up because it is understood that you learn better when you engage your whole body.  I could memorize some of the quotes I love, particularly from Stephen Mitchel’s translation of the Tao Te Ching or bi of Emerson because I am deeply touched by them. I could see myself practicing those quotes with great gusto and movement.  Acting them out with my whole body as I learn them. It would be a form of exercise.

I could do mindful chi walking when I go to get the mail. I could even dance down the hall when no one is looking.  I could sing while I clean. You get the idea – use your imagination to create a change of pace in our life  – a more eclectic use of your time. 

***
FOUNDATIONAL INSIGHTS FROM PAST POSTS AND PODCASTS

18-How Your Light Has Illuminated Darkened Paths

28-How To Walk Beside Someone in Service

Are You a Ripple of Hope

***
SUPPORT YOUR BASE

Whether you are in business for yourself or choose to apply this concept to your friends and family, it is important to support your base. 

Christine Stevens of Upbeat Drum Circles does this magnificently.  She has been my teacher for both drumming and native flutes, but what she does so well is to send videos – support videos, encouragement vides, experiential videos – often.  It can be a video of her playing her flute in the g gorgeous mountains where she lives.  Recently it was a drumming video about breathing.

She continues to offer value so when it comes time to pay for a new course, I know it will be valuable.  

But what made me want to share this is that as she continues to support us – her community. Her videos also serve to remind us of her place of service in our lives. 

I think I’m doing that with this newsletter.  I share my eclectic life lessons and awareness in hopes some of it will resonate and help you create positive change. 

For those of you with entrepreneurial web sites figure out what your regular gift/reminder will be and at least offer something monthly.  

I know several major players who offer a monthly newsletter.  I think Christine puts out a new video every two weeks.  Begin to build a body of work on your web site and in the process figure out your message and the way you will continue to offer active support to those you desire to serve.

Explore the formats – video, podcast, newsletter, posts.  Begin with something you would enjoy producing and start doing it. You will get better with the doing. 

Look at how much time you can spend to create an outreach to your base and choose your format accordingly. 

Outreach is important in today’s stay at home, too much information stage.  What can you offer that will change the lives of the people you serve?  Start doing that.

And send me a link so I can subscribe…

***

TIP THE SCALE WHERE IT IS TIP-ABLE.

Some battles are meant to be fought, some are meant to be worked around. 

I’m a liberal sitting here in the conservative mid-west.  I have to go online to talk with like-minded friends.  It occurred to me that one of the things we each could do is to support a national organization in a more active manner than money.  We could immerse ourselves in the energy of like-minded people through violent work.  That would feel both supportive and powerful. I’m not talking giving money here, I’m talking service.  Service in which you get to interact with other like-minded people who are passionate about the change they are helping to create.  Look at your skills and your passion and go find a place of service where you can combine with the energy of others to truly tip the scales where they are tip-able. 

***
THE PWOER OF A STRUGGLE

“Struggles shape you toward  your purpose.”  – Chadwick Boseman. 

I heard this statement in a clip from a speech he gave at Howard University and it put “struggle” in a different space for me. “Struggle” means “to strive, to try harder, to do your best.”

Those are all good experiences to have. Periodically I watch myself persevere with great tenacity.  It’s usually about figuring out something technical I need for my work, but I am persistent, I do not give up and ultimately I succeed.  

What have you pushed through recently? What have you persisted in doing when it seemed discouragingly difficult?  And how has that changed you?

What is your purpose?  How have and are your struggles bringing you closer to success?

***
OUR EVOLVING FUTURE 

Our actions affect our own lives, but even more than that, our actions affect those who come after us. We leave a legacy, whatever we do. That means with each choice we must think beyond ourselves to those who follow.  What are we leaving to them?   

That makes every choice a big one – for the effect, it has on us and the repercussions it has on those who follow. 

Choose wisely. With increasing awareness.

***
THE REFLECTING POOL


Change

Yellow-brown leaves lie scattered on the ground,
A signal of the end
And of the beginning.

What do I need to let go
in order to move on?
I look closely within
and lay some of my burdens on the path beside me. 
I stand up straighter now 
with less to carry. 
I walk more briskly 
with a lighter load.

What yellow-brown beliefs and expectations 
are you ready to leave behind?

T’is a new season. 
A time of harvest. 
A time for gratitude
And reflection.
The end of a season.
The beginning of a new cycle. 

Greet it with open arms. 
And move forward into the new adventure. 

– Cara Lumen 2020

***
CARA’S CORNER

A CEREMONIAL PAUSE

I love tea and this week I ordered four new teas from Starwest Botanicals. My favorites are Yerba Mate and   Long Life for my morning tea.  I now have Afternoon Delight for an afternoon pause and a  Calming Rest for watching Rachael Maddow (which is a bit of an oxymoron.)  I  now have Matcha which I will explore. I have visions of taking lovely, mindful, replenishing pauses in my day.

Then I journeyed and was given the idea to turn those tea times into a ceremony.  I will make up a ceremony or two.  Morning tea would be about blessing my body and gratitude for my creativity.  Afternoon tea would be a deliberate turning off of my mind to look out the window and be with nature. Evening tea would be acknowledging the blessings of the day and opening the door to some lucid dreaming.

Watchful pauses – aware pause. Drink mindfully, walk mindfully, speak mindfully, feel, mindfully, go within n and see what your inner voice suggests, what our body might want, what the practice of taking those long slow breaths releases, and frees up.  

A pause.  Make it a distinct and mindful pause.  

In the 80’s I temped at Este Lauder Cosmetics for a while.  I used to walk across Central Park to get there. There were mostly women executives which was extremely unusual at the time.  I remember one vice president always sopped at 4 pm and had her Pierre with lemon. No calls, no interruptions.  She mindfully took 15 minutes each day to let go and recenter herself.   

Sometimes it helps just to stop what you are doing and shut off your mind and look out the window.  

We could all use more of that. 

Establish some mindful, self-care pauses in your day and sink yourself into them.  Changing your rhythm will change the tonality of what to experience when you return to your work. 

Take time for a positive pause – several times each a day.

***
A DEEPER SONG
The quieter you come the more our will be able to hear – Rumi

Keep singing a deeper song.

Namaste,

Cara

Come Sing a Deeper Song 
I help those seeking to sing a deeper song to expand their relationship with the Unseen world.
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Walk with the Wind

By

Walk with the Wind

Deeper Song Insights and Applications

Ashe
(“Ah-Shay”)
 The Creative in me honors the Creative in you!

It’s much harder to walk against the wind than with it.  As long as it takes you in the direction you want to go.  In sailing, there is a technique called tacking, in which in order to go forward you must zig-zag, tack your sails in order to gradually go forward. Unless of course, you have the wind at your back. Then it is full sails ahead.  

Let’s tale about zig-zagging to catch the wind to keep going in the direction you have chosen.   

I zig and zag a lot because I love to learn, so I eagerly sign up for online class and immerse myself in the learning until I emerge with a new skill level. So learning new skills is part of walking with the wind at my back.  

The wind blows in new insights, a new awareness that makes us have to rethink our beliefs, our values, and our behavior.  In today’s world, we are being asked to raise our sights and raise our vibration and aspire to a higher purpose.  What wind will get you there?  What wind do you need to catch?

The Wind of Opportunity is interesting.  What has shown up to nudge you, to tempt you’ to invite you?

My new emphasis on podcasts is bringing new people into the Deeper Song Community. As much as I want to sail into deeper waters, I need to balance that desire with information that allows people to learn how to figure out there destinations and learn how to set their sails to get there. 

The path to “there” is seldom a straight one.  But we do need to keep an eye on our desired destination. 

What if you are becalmed if no wind seems to be coming your way?

Use that time to change our course, to explore possible new destinations and see how they resonate with where you are and where you want to be.  

You may have veto walk into the wind.  Just do it.  Just lower your shoulders and keep walking with all the determination you can muster.   Periodically check to make certain you are going in the right direction.  Change course slightly or a lot depending on how things are going. 

Walk with the wind.  Raise your sails and enjoy the ride!

DEEPER SONG AFFIRMATION

I am prepared to allow the wind to move into deeper service.

DEEPER SONG PROCESS 

  • Where do you have the wind at your back in your life right now?
  • Where in your life are you walking against the wind?
  • Where do you want ho go?
  • Shift your sails to take advantage of the winds of change.

***

MY DEEPER SONG THIS WEEK

Stand Steady in Your Own Truth

An Exploration of the Unseen World

“She is planted in his own integrity, and there she stands, gnarled and knotted, perfectly at ease with herself, her roots deep in truth, her branches held up to let the light in.”  –  Stephen Mitchell, Second Book of Tao

I’m Cara Lumen, spiritual philosopher and founder of the Deeper Song Community. I am a  cosmic explorer who consciously travels into the unseen world to serve as a bridge to help us expand our relationship with the spiritual world. I share what I learn and guide those who are ready to the next level so we can sing a deeper song.  

Thank you for being a part of this journey.

In this episode, we consider how we can stand steady in our own truth.

(Listen here)

(With Transcript)

Listen to
Reflections of a Deeper Song Podcast on 

Apple / Spotify /Google

Deeper song.com

***

Inner Work

WHAT IS THE HIGHEST CALLING OF YOUR HEART?

John Lewis asked us to “answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe.” 

I  had to stop to look at what the highest calling of my heart is. 

I care deeply about the well-being of animals.  I’m a vegan.  I cannot watch the heart-wrenching ads of mistreated animals that ask us to give money to the shelters. 

The state of negativity in humanity feels overwhelming to me.  I want there to be peace and compassion and I continue to look for energetic ways to help that evolve.  

The highest calling of my heart – what is it.  I know where my head is taking me, I know what experiences make my heart sing.  They are all inner world work, inner wold lessons, inner world guidance.  My heart is calling me within and I wonder at my role in the “without.”

I can hold High Watch for the Planet (How to Hold High Watch for the Planet.) I can send energy to situations and people.  But most of all I can work to raise my vibration and hold my light high so others can see it and recognize it in themselves.  

Finding the highest calling of our hearts requires us to do some introspection.  What is important?  Who is important? What is our role?

On one level I know my highest calling is to explore the Unseen World and bring back the insights I am given. 

All I know to do I to move more deeply within and listen with an open heart.   Perhaps I am in fact, doing the highest calling of my heart

***

Outer Work

ARE YOU IN YOUR OWN HUSTLE?

On “The view”, Carrie Washington said she was “In her own hustle.”  She had just won four Emmys for producing and directing.  I had never heard the term hustle used that way but it’s a fun one.  I stopped to think what my hustle was and if by any chance I was in it.

Alignment came to mind as a key component to hustle.  Alignment with what you believe, where your passion is and the skill sets you have to create it.  

That’s a lot of criteria.  

Conscious choices are another important element to a hustle. There are many opportunities to make a difference in this changing world.  What criteria are you using to chart your path?  A year ago I thought I would go more deeply into sound healing.  Raising your vibration is huge but sound healing is just one approach that I incorporate. It is only a step in my overarching goal to explore the Unseen World.

Passion is the fuel of a hustle.  My core passion is to learn.  So my job is to make certain my passion is aligned with what allows me to serve where I am called to serve, with the gifts I am to offer, as well prepared as I can make them. 

What skill sets do you use in your hustle? Begin with the skills you know you have and expand those.  I’m a really good organizer so at the core of what I do is to organize ideas in a meaningful and impactful manner so others can absorb them.  

Hustle means to “move unceremoniously in a specific direction.”  Love that.  Unceremoniously. Just doing it.  Just knowing it is yours to do and going for it.  

What is calling to you that you need to answer?  Listen and you will hear.  Then go do it.  How will you “get into your own hustle”?

***

YOUR SACRED LIVELIHOOD

Sacred Livelihood.  It’s a phrase I heard recently and it repositions how I think of “work.”We have each been given unique gifts with which to earn our sacred livelihood.  

“Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.” – Kahlil Gibran

Do you work with joy?  Joy at what you do? Joy with the whole world?  Joy for who you serve?

Since we currently seem to be offered an opportunity to rethink our sacred livelihood and reposition ourselves, how do you want to make your love visible?

Creating podcasts instead of posts has upped how I feel about my work. I love my work and I love it even more with the podcast format.  I have a blessing I say before recording, a blessing before editing, and a blessing before posting it, each with the intent of lifting spirits and deepening awareness of those who hear its.  And then I let it go — as vibration into the world. It is freeing and I trust those who are to hear will find it. 

The work is the same, the different form has made a difference in how I feel about its reach. 

Do you simply need to change the form of your work in order to experience it as sacred?

A person with a strong musical background may turn to be a sound healer.  I have turned to my native flutes and drums to heal myself and the world. 

What gifts do you have you might choose to repurpose?

A hobby may turn into a sacred livelihood.  I write really unusual poems but they deeply touch my heart and move me forward. 

I have often found myself far down a path because I want to know more about it for myself. 

Sacred Livelihood.  Think on that.  What is your sacred livelihood?

***

THE DEEP COMPLIMENT

A new member of the Deeper Song Community gave me a deep compliment.  In fact, she gave me several.  And they were important in that they give me insights into why my work was valuable to her How it was in service.  That’s what I mean by a Deep Compliment.  

Everyone appreciates a comment on their work because when it is detailed it lets them know what is resonating and helps them do a better job of meeting the needs of the people they serve.  

For instance, this new friend said she was going to keep reading back over my past posts.  So I have added a new Curated Post/Podcast section to this newsletter to bring forward some of the topics I have already explored that are needed when people are in earlier stages of this work.

A few friends sent me specific, positive comments when I started doing podcasts again that not only encouraged me but helped me make podcasts a larger part of my offerings. 

See how this works – a deep compliment tells the recipient why they made a difference or how.  

And even if you think that a well-known person has heard it before, say it anyway.  She/he will look for and listen to growing needs or what is working and do more of that.  You serve as a running fork we/they can tune our offering to.

Who will you offer a deep compliment to this week?

***

CHANGE AND THE POWER OF YOUR INNER VOICE

We are constantly changing, constantly needing to make aware choices.  The easiest way to do that is to build up your relationship with your inner voice, that inner guide who sees and knows more than your planetary being does and can guide you.  

It may begin as a knowing, intuition, or even s distinct word. The more you listen the more you hear. 

As I move more deeply into the direction I am going and use podcasts to deliver them my inner voice is practically dancing a jig!  It is flooding me with ideas and insights to explore and share.  

When you are on the right track, all sorts of powerful inner help shows up 

Listen to your inner voice.  It will guide you on what you are to do and what you are to leave behind.  The more you listen the more you hear. 

***

NURTURE THE STILLNESS IN YOUR LIFE

That was the message in a shamanic journey I took this week – Nurture the Stillness in your life.  Now I’m a woman with a very active mind so the idea of stillness made me stop – and well – think. When do I experience stillness?  Where do I experience stillness? If I want more stillness how do I make room for that? How do I invite it in?

I had more questions than answers.  But I’ve been thinking about what I can do to cultivate more stillness in my life. 

It has to do with being present.  I play my flutes in response to the moment of the branches on the weeping birch tree outside my window.  I play to the setting sun reflecting on its trunk. Each morning I open my window and play to – the world.  I could surround that with more stillness – before beginning, and after completing it.  I think it is going to ask me to do some deep listening. 

I could create a definite pause for stilling in my spiritual practice I am trying to establish each afternoon.  Tt would include transcendental meditation, perhaps a ceremony or ritual I make up to honor the day so far, or what I have done in the way of creating a new offering or…there are many possibilities  I just need to do it. 

I have a podcast script in progress about the still point. It is a process so perhaps I will record that next. The still point is the gateway to the unseen world.  What kind of ceremony or spiritual time, or meditative practice can I create and put into place that will encourage me to move into stillness for a period each day? 

I know it will be very healing. What will you choose to do? 

***

OUR EVOLVING FUTURE

There are 500 people in my flute class from all over the world.  There are 300 people from all over the world in my shamanic circle class.  I don’t know many of them, in fact very few, but we are drawn together in a common pursuit, a common interest. And we cover the planet with our raised vibration.  

That’s how the world is going to change – people of like raised vibration finding each other online and raising our vibration together.  

I have many sacred surfaces in my home.  One of them holds a statue of Quan Yin, pouring the waters of compassion over the wold. At her feet is my soft hug-a-planet. She is in place day and night blessing the world.

I have three Quan Ying statues and five Buddha statues.  It would be good if I gave each of them a purpose, a task if you will, to help heal the world  I’ll have to think about that.  

I continually work to increase my vibration and send it out every day. In a journey I was told to offer a healing ceremony to the land I live on and that it would radiate forward and backward to heal the future and the past.   I am doing that. 

Pick a few actions that appeal to you, that call to you and put them regularly in our life.  Periodically change and rearrange them  Perhaps at the Solstice and Equinox, reevaluate what you are doing and how it’s working.

The key is to notice the changes your actions are creating in your and select what you want to continue.

***

DO IT ENOUGH TO OWN IT

Last year when I spent a lot of hours on The Shift Network Sound Healing Summit. I bought tuning forks and I used them for a while.  Then I stopped. I go them from Dr. John Beaulieu biosonics.com and in this year’s summit, he said we only need two tuning forks – the C and the G and we are to use them several times a day. I also had gotten the Otto Tuner to address acupressure positions. I moved my turning forks closer to the chair that I will use them in.  He said intention is very important.  So I have begun a more focused healing effort with my tuning forks. 

I have to find time for all of this.  I keep leaving things behind and I don’t want to lose them. I also want to give myself time to experience the results.  I’m looking at 4 PM to play my drums, dance to some music I found, play my flutes, and do the Transcendental Meditation I want to return to. 

What do you want to bring back into your spiritual practice and where will you put it in your day?

***

FOUNDATIONAL INSIGHTS FROM THE PAST

New Feature: A short curation of posts and podcasts from the past:

STAND IN YOUR LIGHT

Follow Your Personal Drumbeat 

Build on the Distance You Have Come 

Does Your Path Have a Heart? 

Start Where You Stand

***

CARA’S CORNER

KNOW YOUR CALLING

They all called to me at the time.  But I have so many varieties of instruments that some sit neglected. It would have been good if I had been more discerning. However, they excited me at the time and they all served a purpose.  I got out my small Tibetan Singing Bowl l after hearing a singing bowl master speak on the Healing Sound Summit.  It spoke eloquently to me and I was grateful for its presence.  As did the Tingsha (cymbals) w which I was using each day with the intention to clear and protect my home. 

Now I’m sitting here at my desk surrounded by crystals and flutes and gong and stained glass suncatchers hanging int he window and a whole range of items nearby I used to use more regularly.  I have to make room to explore those wondrous gifts more regular  

Every speaker I heard talked about how vibration affects our bodies.  We are made up of a lot of water, so just as a light breeze makes ripples in the waters and storms make huge waves, we, through the use of vibration, have a way to balance and heal our bodies.  

Is there a sound that calls to you? Is there e rhythm that resonated? How do you feel after singing those tones, those rhythms, those sounds?   Notice and keep exploring the ones that resonate more. 

Notice how our body feels after you use a sound instrument.  Whether it is a drum, or a penny whistle or pan flute, notice where it resonates in your boat and how your body feels when you stop.  I realize that as I write this I am tingling all ower.  Today I had a flute class, I got out my tuning forks again, and I played my Timgsha and my Himalayan bowl.   Tomorrow will be the drums.  

You don’t need to be a full orchestra.  Listen to the sounds of instruments and notice what resonates.  I have a Kalimba Thumb Piano that I use every day.  It is an incredibly soothing way to start m day.   If you have a collection of sound friends, send some time with each one and ask how it wants to be in service.  Then do that.

***

A DEEPER SONG

“Bring the sky beneath your feet and listen to celestial music everywhere.”  – Rumi

Keep singing a deeper song.

Namaste,

Cara

Come Sing a Deeper Song 

I help Transformational Leaders
deepen our relationship with the Unseen World
and expand our role in the New Consciousness

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Use the New Moon As a Clean Slate

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new moon

There’s nothing better than a clean slate.  Perhaps clean sheets.  A clean plate.  A clean kitchen.  Clean clothes. A shower after physical exercise.  The New Moon signals a new beginning, a turning point, both the end and the beginning of a cycle.  You can use it as a catalyst for a fresh start.

The New Moon is a perfect time to begin anew

Since we are made up of over 50 percent water, it makes sense that the moon affects us just as it does the tides.  The first step to using the power of the new moon is to notice how the moon affects you.  You may not have the same response I did.  Notice when you are at your peak and when you are in rest mode.  Plan your life accordingly.

Once I realized that I come to a slow crawl as the moon wanes and that I whip into a full gallop when the moon increases, I began to use that organic timing to support my choices and my actions.

Perhaps you journal your wins during the month along with a date.  Note the difficult places along with the date. Look for a pattern and notice the stages of the moon.  Look for the pattern and use that insight to guide your choices.

Check in with yourself 

On the day of the New Moon, do the introspective work that’ll identify your starting place.

How do I feel right now? Check all levels – mental, physical and emotional.  Be honest with yourself.  This is your barometer, your starting place.

What happened in the last month?  What new insights did you uncover? What friendships did you deepen?  What did you accomplish that felt especially good? These are the gifts you were given over the past month. Offer gratitude for the gifts. These were the lessons you were given.  Give gratitude for the lessons.

What worked and what didn’t work?

The more you can distance yourself and see the patterns you’re drawn to, the more adaptable you become and the more powerful the changes you can make.

As I continue to study shamanism, I find that some types of journeys are more powerful for me than others.  Some of the ways to offer the work are more appealing than others. I get to notice that and pay attention to the work that calls to me on all levels – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

What new idea called to me? How does that align with my overarching place of service?

In shamanism, there’s an inner work transfiguration process of learning to simply radiate light from within and see and feel it moving throughout our world.  It’s very powerful and I’ve added it to my daily spiritual practice.  As I work with it, I begin to get ideas of how I can share it with others.

It may be all inner work, it may be physical-plane work with a small internet group.  It may be one-on-one work. This transfiguration work may be focused on cities and countries or a species or element.  I get to choose.  And I need to keep choosing until I find what fits me – my needs, my time, my gifts.

It’s unfolding. I watch.  I explore. I choose. And I repeat.

Release, Replace, Renew, Acquire

At the time of the New Moon, ask yourself what you need to change.

Release.  You obviously will want to release what’s not working. It could be an action or an attitude.  It could be a demanding friend or a limiting belief or a habit you want to change.  What do you need to release that’s no longer supportive of you or the direction you’re going in?  Take active steps to do this so you have room for what will replace it.

Replace. In my case, I need to replace “little movement” with “more movement.” What will that look like?  When will I do that?
Renew What have I let slide this month?  How do I put them back in?  Or do I want to?  Even though I’d like to do more vLogs, studying shamanism seems to be my priority at the moment, so it’s not yet time to renew those.

Acquire:  The more I learn, the more there is to do. So I have to choose. What’s important to me?  Where do I want to put it in my life?  What does that replace? I’ve immersed myself in the study of shamanism for nine months now.  There’s another nine-month course I can take.  Something is going to be replaced as I learn new things.

The time of the New Moon is a good time to be reflective.  What is new? What do you want to release, replace, renew and acquire?  Make a short list and let things unfold.

Tune in to what shows up in the coming month

We don’t know exactly what’ll show up in the coming month. I’m still at the “trying it on for feel” stage.  I have to leave room to explore the new opportunities that present themselves.

Figure out a gentle measuring stick for what shows up.  How does this feel?  Do I have the time?  Do I have the skills?  Will this be a more impactful way to do my work than what I’m currently doing?

Don’t be in your head too much. Allow your inner voice to guide you in exploring the new opportunities and choices that show up.

Set an overarching goal for the coming month

Perhaps you mind-map an overarching flow for the coming month. Perhaps you brainstorm ideas on your computer.  Check in with your feelings, notice the place you’re in now, and choose three steps that have a beginning, a middle and an end, steps that you’ll recognize as being completed.  Beside the steps, note how you would feel about completing these steps.

Mine, for instance, might be:

1. Continue to let the practice of shamanism unfold and be open to the doors it opens.

2. Consciously add more physical movement and more time in nature to each and every day.  Congratulate myself when I do.

3. Be open to making another one-on-one connection with a fellow light worker online.

4. Make room/time to explore whatever shows up and calls to me.

Make the objective broad rather than specific.  Then let it unfold…

Build a ceremony around your choices and set new intentions around the New Moon

This introspective work is a major part of your preparation for the New Moon.  You can ritualize it and seal your commitment if you create a Ceremony of Intention.  As it’s dark at the New Moon, you can’t go outside and make a promise to a big moon but you can light a candle or sing a song or drum or rattle or dance.  Or simply sit quietly in focused meditation. Do whatever calls to you that helps you set an intention for the month to come.

Prepare the space:

  • Give gratitude for the gifts you’ve been given
  • Set your intention for the coming months
  • Ask for insights and guidance.  Then stay silent and listen. These nudges and ah-ha’s can show up at any time.
  • Seal your intention with a promise to nurture your intention for the next 30 days.

You could do intentional ceremonies at the Full Moon too.

Add a Moon Progress Process to Your life. 

I have included a Deeper Song Process for Moon Evaluation and Intention-Setting. As I happen to love to journal, I put it at the beginning of each month so I can track, evaluate and shift.

If this seems like too much, simply circle the good days on your calendar and at the end of a moon cycle see where the high points were clustered.  Then use that knowledge to become more productive.

The New Moon gives you a fresh start, a clean slate.  What will you write on this coming month?

Deeper Song Process

Moon Evaluation and Intention Setting

What worked this month? Add dates and its place in the cycle of the moon

What didn’t work this month? Add dates and its place in the cycle of the moon

What new idea called to me? Add dates and its place in the cycle of the moon

Notice and record the pattern.  When is your most productive period? Work that knowledge into your schedule. 

What do I need to:

  • Release
  • Replace
  • Renew
  • Acquire (Learn)
  • What belief or expectation that I hold now do I want to change?

My overarching focus for this next moon cycle is:

Another quick way is to simply circle the good days on your calendar and then look back over the pattern.  

To Sing a Deeper Song Consider:

No Timetable, No Destination

Our Work in the World

How to Hold the Space for the New Vision to Emerge

The Unfolding Vision Board

Magic is Simply  a Change in Consciousness

How to Create a Fertile Field for Positive Change

By

Life is a cycle of continuing changes. You can’t force change, but there are specific steps you can take to create a fertile field that will encourage positive results.

Become more self-aware

You have to know what you want. You have to know where you want to go. Take time to become more self-aware. Take time to become more reflective. Know yourself. Accept yourself. Understand yourself Begin to examine your circumstances and opportunities more closely – uncover what, how, why, who and when? What do you want? Who nourishes you? What talents do you want to develop? Knowing these answers will help you make informed choices that create the fertile environment for those changes to develop.

Enjoy the detours

Keep your mind open as you explore new options. I would never have arrived at the serenity of my current life without all the detours I’ve made in my life and the lessons I learned during my journey. I question what I discover before I decide to embrace the concept and move on, or I discard it as not being aligned with my personal path. Each time I explore a new idea I have to question the concepts I currently value. Have I grown? Have I changed?  How are my circumstances different? What choices can I make that help me move in the direction I desire? You progress by consciously building on the distance you have come and the detours you made along your journey.

Learn to utilize what you discover 

Studying a concept is just the beginning. Living it, learning to apply it to your daily life, makes you own it. Sometimes a word or phrase holds such intense appeal that it stops me in my tracks. They spark an idea or a question that I choose to explore more deeply.  What does that mean? How do I add that to my life experience?  A great deal of my writing is my way to figure out what an idea means to me and how I might embrace it. For instance, this article is written to help me figure out how I personally can build a more fertile field for positive change. Notice the ideas that call to you. Take time to figure out how you might absorb that concept in your life. Go exploring. Question what appeals to you. Select what aligns with your vision and figure out how to express it in your life.

Embrace a willingness to change

You cannot prevent yourself from changing. Change is going to happen whether you want it to or not. Begin to notice how you hang on to the old ways, keep the familiar close by, and reject anything new that shows up. Hanging on to the familiar, the past, the outdated, is hard work and only makes the natural on-going process of change more difficult. When you embrace change, when you accept change, when you are willing to let go of the safe and familiar in order to go exploring in whatever shows up, you will find unexpected insights, welcome support, and the peace that comes from allowing life to organically unfold.

Re-choose your values and principles

As you grow more experienced and become better at defining yourself, you may elevate new values and principles to guide you. “Mindfulness” is a quality I’ve often thought about along my journey, but only in the past years have I made it one of the top qualities I embrace. The principle of “unfolding” is turning my life around as I learn to let go and simply shape things as they come. What values and principles are relevant in your life today?

At every crossroads tale time to rethink

A major change always calls for a re-evaluation. When I retired, I had a difficult time redefining myself. I was no longer my business. Then who was I? How can I express my life purpose in these new circumstances? What values and qualities do I want to have at the forefront of my life for this next portion of my journey? It’s important to do some soul searching when you begin a new cycle of change to see what you have and determine what you want. There are cycles within cycles. Identify where you are and watch for the crossroads where great change is possible because of the opportunities you see and the choices you make.

Seek alignment 

When you move through life with conscious awareness, the world becomes richer. You become more observant of what you say and think and do. You understand how profoundly those choices affect your life and the responses of others. When you become more aware of how you are perceived by others you discover aspects of yourself you might choose to adjust. Question your beliefs to decide if they are still meaningful and relevant to your life. Tune in to your surroundings and monitor your responses for their appropriateness. As you align yourself with your values, principles, goals and circumstance, you learn to cherish and utilize the freedom you have to choose your own destiny.

Develop self-discipline

You are the only person who can change your life. Your decisions, your choices, and your actions reflect in the life you lead today.  If something is not working – change it. Self-discipline is about perseverance, resolve and determination. It is about taking small steps that move you nearer your goal.  It is about finding what works for you, what you are willing to do, and wanting to achieve the final result so deeply that every choice you make keeps you moving toward it.

Cultivate your fertile field

Nurture the growth that appears in your life. Cultivate it, feed it, water it, and give it room to grow. In my fertile field, I grow more patience with my own unfolding process. I have tossed aside goals and objectives and simply allow my writing projects to unfold in their own unique time. I am more aware of how others perceive me and I continue to soften some edges. I am nurturing my body, my mind and my spirit as I add, subtract, and try out new approaches to my self-nurturing process.

Each new growth has a purpose

Are there weeds in your fertile field of change? A weed is simply a plant that is growing somewhere you don’t want it to be. What makes a weed undesirable is that it chokes off other plants, it takes over, it is more aggressive than other plants. I examine each new “plant” that grows in my field and decide where it best fits into my overall field of change. Then I transplant, or prune or discard it according to the change I want to accept in my life. What are you actively cultivating in your own field of change?