Nikki Starcat Shields's Blog, page 29

Digging Really Deep

I’m sitting here on a rainy May morning, contemplating how much my life has changed over the past few years. On the outside, it might not look like things have shifted all that much. I’m still living in the country, enjoying my writing, still working at the radio station part time, very involved in the lives of my family members, happily unschooling, with many of the same interests (books, spirituality, drumming, dancing, art journaling, hiking).

But on the inside, it’s a whole new landscape....

Dancing Amidst the Chaos

Recently BlackLion and I were having a conversation about Being. What I mean by that, with the fancy capital letter and all, is that feeling you have when you’re centered in your own essence. You have a senseof inner calm and relaxation, and you’re comfortable with yourplace in the Universe.

You’re not (necessarily) doing anything, you’re just Being.

Over the past year or so, I’ve been practicing Being in that state, no matter what is going on around me. It’s a great way to cope with stress a...

Making Other Plans

In my high school yearbook, back in the late 1980s, my senior quote was this:

“Life is what happens while you are busymaking other plans.” – John Lennon

I can’t recall what spurred me to share that particular bit of wisdom. I like the Beatles well enough, but I’m not an avid fan. It pleases me to think that my teenage self was somehow drawn to this quote, which still rings true now, in my mid-40s.

It’s certainly an apt description of this past week. I had plans to share blog posts with you on...

Starcat’s Favorites: Follow the Bliss

What’s been lighting up your world this week? I’ve been recovering from a head cold, so I’m moving slowly. But even so, I’ve been following my bliss as often as I can. This week it means walks with my son and a bunch of happy dogs, working with BlackLionon revising our novel, hula-hooping to SuperHeavy with my daughter, laughing with Quester, playing cards with my extended family, and putting up my feet & reading a good book. And that’s only a sampling. The rising energies of spring are such...

The Gift of Creativity

Today marks the start of a new offering here at Starcat’s Corner. From time to time, I’ll be presenting a Tarot card and then taking a look at a relatedtopic through the lens of that card.

I’ve been working with the Tarot since 1997, and I find that it shines a different kind of light on a topic, problem or situation than we’re able to grasp with therational mind alone. I invite you to take a look at the card, read the post, and then come up with your own insights and questions. I’d love to h...

Creativity, Spirituality, and a New Notebook

This week I’d intended to write a post for you about the connection between creativity and spirituality. In my experience, I’ve discovered that the two are delightfully entwined. When I focus on my creativity, it expands my sense of connection with the entire cosmos. This increases my personal joy and my sense that I’m doing meaningful work. The converse is also true: when I take time to become connected, whether through meditation or taking time in nature or practicing mindful presence, I fi...

Starcat’s Favorites: Warming Trend

Guess what?! I just looked at the forecast for my neck of the woods, and all the high temps for the foreseeable future start with fives and sixes! Woo hoo!

I took a walk earlier this week, even when it wasn’t quite so warm, and saw other signs that Spring is finally arriving here in Maine: robins, melting snow, and the rushing of the brooks and streams.

Yay! I’m so happy! I mean, I was happy before, but this provides an extra boost of joy. Add that to the fact that I finished writing the firs...

Leaving Space for the Mysteries

Sometimes it seems like we live in a world where everything that isn’t completely rational has been either brushed aside or ridiculed. If there’s no research proving it, forget about it. It’s kooky. If it doesn’t involvemaking or spending money, it’s not important.

I used to listen to the NPR news all the time. Now it often seems two-dimensional. Journalism, even good journalism, follows a formula. Here’s a problem. This side says blah blah blah. The other side says blah blah blah. The facts...

Decisions, Decisions

Why can it be so hard to make decisions? Not just those life-changing This Is A Big Deal decisions. I find it can be a challenge sometimes to make the daily decisions that form the shape of our lives.

I’ve always been one to feel the lure of many different paths. I’ve evidently collected quite a few souls around me who feel the same way. What should we have for dinner? What do you want to do tonight? Which project should I work on next? These are some of the simple questions that give me – an...

Let Go Of the Need to Be Mean

I recently read an article titled “Could You Go 40 Days Without Being Mean?” (thanks to Spinster Jane for the link). At first I was thinking, sure, no problem, I’m a pretty kind person in general. But the article has been rattling around in my mind, and I started thinking about the various aspects of being “mean” that the author explores. I’ve noticed how I do some of these things, especially in groups of people, without really thinking about it.

The most interesting part of the article, for...