As this year comes to a close I’m happy to report: I’m glad THAT’S over!
Svaha! We release what is no longer of service to ourselves and the highest good of all beings.
Since 2012 our world seems incredibly strange and intense on the world stage and in our personal lives. Changes are happening rapidly—where as several generations ago, people expected to live the same lives as their ancestors today we are expected to change and change fast. These are the days of innovation, high speed internet and a movement towards slow food. Systems are falling. The news is aggravating. Tensions around the planet are ripe for massive transformation. Old issues and soul lessons are pressing in on us. Some of us are diving deep. Others are running faster the game of distraction and fragmentation. I personally feel called to root down into the earth, to slow down, work hard, go deep within, serve my community on purpose, cultivate peace and compassion, and to keep my hopes high as the stars.
This year I plunged deep into my wounds and the locks around my heart chakra. I was so afraid to face the ways in which I was closing down to love in order to feel safe, even if feeling safe was simply an excuse not to grow. I looked at the ways I pushed people away to protect my hurting heart and really dug into the karmic roots of that pain that was manifesting in my back in all sorts of uncomfortable ways. I spent a lot of time weeping for the pain in the world. A lot of time praying. Today I’m amazed at how much more life force is flowing up my spine through those old blocks and activating my crown chakra and inspiring so much creativity. I’m so grateful for the practice of yoga and all of the fascinating lifelong wellness gifts it offers. I have enjoyed sharing the gifts of yoga through my personal business TARALOMA EARTH TEMPLE for four years now! The past year I have been meeting with clients in my home living room (Blue Lotus Studio) and expanding offerings to include reiki, mantra practice, oracle readings, and creative healing sessions. I’m excited to start meeting with clients in our new yurt!
This summer I said yes to marriage again. Yes to more scary but fun adventures in cultivating a loving healing home and all the hard work that requires. Yes to working out my issues with another human and the practice of loving our perfectly flawed humanity. Yes to being a motherly figure to five kids and standing in the fire to create new routines and healthy lifestyles together. We plan to marry this June.
In the fall I finished my third book! I love the experience of taking time to be still and let the words flow. This work helped me dig deep into the shadowy aspects of humanity and shed light on places I needed to practice more compassion. It’s a story about true love. About falling. About a great loss. And a great redemption. I hope you enjoy it!
I’m letting the lotus unfold slowly at TARALOMA EARTH TEMPLE as we integrate our new family and find ways to weave our gifts together. Mr. G, My Lord, Grant-ma, G bear… I love this man. He has such a tender heart. He cares so deeply. He works so hard to support everyone. He lost his job right before Christmas. It was time for a change. We both felt it coming. It’s taking a lot of faith to trust that things will work out when you’ve lost $90,000 a year and full benefits. We are living in big faith right now.
Both of us feel called to lead sovereign lives. This means right livelihood—as in I can support myself and my family by not harming myself, my family or any others while also not f**king up the planet—basically caring for ourselves, others and the earth. It seems pretty simple, but it’s actually quite a work for all of us right now. There’s a lot of pressure to sacrifice yourself for others. A lot of years of not wanting to be selfish and to do the right thing. A lot of rewards for working at a job that really is soul sucking and destructive to the family and our community. It’s time to go after the other green (Earth care!) and get off of co-dependent systems that are not sustainable. Also, no one should be a slave to the dollar. We all need means right now to provide for our families but no one should have to work at a loss of soul or sovereignty. Employers who want to own your body, force you into unhealthy habits, grind you down and throw you out before you’re old enough for retirement is just not what we’re saying yes to anymore. We want to create win/wins. We want to work for soul growth, Earth care, ethical technology, healthy families, healthy communities. And we want to cultivate joy. We are changing sandboxes.
In 2019 Grant will be partnering with me and offering more creative healing services at TARALOMA EARTH TEMPLE including reiki, men’s drumming circles, and renting out our new yurt for the community to use for an Airbnb and small wellness events. We are also excited to start growing lots of food in our yard and to become more self sustainable. Grant is also starting his own consulting business as a Digital Shamanist (he really can do magic with computers!) and he’ll be available for local and long distant contract work. Thank you for keeping him and our family in your thoughts and prayers during this transition!
And if you feel called to support us, please consider making an end of the year donation to the temple <3 We are dedicated to offering creative wellness services to the Fargo-Moorhead area.
Thank you so much.
We wish you a miraculous 2019, full of faith, hope and joy! May humanity find our sovereignty, know our soul worth, and work together to create a world that serves the highest good of all. We can do this!
The light in me salutes the light in you <3
Namaste, Jessica