Nikki Starcat Shields's Blog, page 12

9 Self-Care Practices You Can Do at Home

Self-care is particularly crucial in a time of crisis. Sometimes you cant get out into the world for a massage or an artist date, whether its due to the global pandemic were experiencing now or for personal reasons from health to finances.

Here are 9 things you can do to fill your own cup, from the comfort of your home.

Play with art. You dont have to be good at art to experience the benefits. You dont need to have fancy supplies. If you have paper and black ink, try some Zentangling. Use old...

Starcat’s Favorites: Home Base

Home base? No, its not a baseball metaphor. I am feeling blessed, at this time when were all being advised to stay home except for essential supply runs, to absolutely LOVE where I live and the people I live with.

The exciting news here is that my daughter ElvenTiger and her new husband are staying! They came home to get married, planning to go back to Denver for a few months and then move home for good. Because of the pandemic, its safer for them to just stay put, here with us. Yay!

Were...

Exquisite Self-Care in a Time of Crisis

This is a bit hard to write, because I dont want to appear to minimize anyone elses experience. But it feels important to share my perspective. Please know that Im offering this with the utmost love and compassion for you, unconditionally.

Here it is: Im not afraid. Im not stressed. Even in this time of crisis, Im able to be grounded, hold space for others, and have fun. Im not freaking out.

Why? Its not because Im dumb, or misinformed, or burying my head in the sand. Im not wealthy or...

A Love Affair With the Sea

One of my favorite places to be is by the ocean. I suppose thats why I was born here in Maine.

There are many reasons why were drawn to stand at the edge of the sea. The natural beauty. The negative ions from flowing water that help us feel less stressed and more joyful.

The power and magick of edges, the places where two disparate elements meet.

The sound of the waves. The grounding sensation of bare feet in wet sand. All this and more.

For me, the shoreline is a place of creative...

Travel and the Creative Soul

What comes to mind when you hear the word “adventure?” For me, it’s a no-brainer.

Adventure means TRAVEL.

Travel feeds my creative soul like nothing else.

I first caught the travel bug when I was a shy teenage Girl Scout. The longer I stayed in Girl Scouts, the fewer peers and the smaller the troop size. However, there were some really cool things that were offered to the older girls – like “Wider Opportunities.”

As soon as I heard about the concept of themed two-week camps, scattered across...

Ahead of Her Time: Natalie Clifford Barney

Natalie Clifford Barney, turn of the century.

One of the members of a Pagan women’s group I belong to recently led a program for us on Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party. I got to see the exhibit in person in 2018; it’s now permanently housed at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it!

We were collectively inspired to each choose one of the women commemorated with a plate in the exhibit, do some research on her life, and craft a presentation to the group....

Channeling Through Your Inner Source

Me with my dear friend Jenn, who helped teach me to channel

My experiences with channeling began with reading and studying channeled material. Then, in polarity therapy sessions, I watched channeling in action, receiving wisdom from my own non-physical guides through a talented practitioner. Now, I’ve opened up to becoming a channel myself, allowing wisdom to flow through my fingers as I type the words of the Goddess.

It might appear that becoming a channel for non-physical information is an...

Starcat’s Favorites: Staying Healthy

A lot of people I know have been down for the count this winter, with various viruses. We’ve had relatively mild weather here in Maine, yet there is a lot of sickness going around.

Personally, I’ve been blessed with good health this season.

What have I been doing to stay well? Wash my hands a lot, especially in public places. Eat healthy food. Get plenty of sleep. Minimize stress – actually, I’ve pretty much given it up at this point (meditation is key, for me). Do yoga regularly. Some years...

Doorways to the House of Wholeness

When I was a young child, I was wildly creative. I was also sensitive, smart, and a people-pleaser, which led me in the direction of academic achievement. Striving for straight As in school became a way of seeking approval.

Over the course of my school career, my creativity became secondary, and even atrophied. It’s hard to think for yourself when you’re trying to get all the “right” answers.

In college, I discovered spirituality, and an Earth-based path that appealed to me. Not having been...

Step Back and See the Big Picture

I was having a conversation with a friend who was expressing concern about some of the things he’d done, earlier in life. Things he regretted deeply. These actions were causing him to suffer, mentally and emotionally – in the present moment, many years later.

Another friend expressed her intense rage and sorrow about the state of our planet. While it’s not something she can control, she wonders how she can pursue her personal happiness when so many beings are starving, dying, and even...