The Duende of Life

imagine

Within this world of sun and shade, sol y sombre,

reside magical moments, the duende of life.

Often tucked within the cloak of contrasts and opposites,

sometimes hidden from conscious view,

they hover like resonant keys

to golden doors

of long awaited stories.

Available to each and every one of us if we will but listen

and then dare –

to taste the fruit of their knowing,

drink from their cup of unlimited possibility,

luxuriate in creation’s abundance,

and know it to be our own.

Aliana Alani (c) 2013

where is…

“Where is God?” The weary man asked.

“God is everywhere.” Answered the boy.

“But how do you know?

“Because I see you.”

Elijah Harper

elijah harper 2Elijah Harper left us today.

Ojibwa-Cree Red Sucker Land band member – former Chief – NDP opposition member of the Manitoba Legislature from 1981-1992, he will be forever remembered as the man who stood against the Meech Lake Constitutional Accord in 1990.

Sitting quietly in his legislature seat, holding a single Eagle feather, he appeared to be a lone wolf who actually represented many. One word was repeatedly what he brought forth – “No”. It was that No that would stall the process and it was that No that ultimately scuttled the Meech Lake Accord. He said the deal ignored aboriginal rights and so he could not vote for it. There too he appeared to be a lone wolf. One can only imagine the pressure.

For many Canadians today, Elijah Harper is probably but a fleeting memory. For the very young, perhaps no memory at all. Do we teach that moment of history in our schools today? I do not know. What I do know is this. Looking to that time, there was nothing so profoundly powerful an image as Elijah Harper in his legislature chair with his elijah harper 3Eagle feather and his serene dignity refusing to bend to the tide. That image swept across the nation and touched the hearts of many. No matter your politics, then or now, it cannot be ignored that Elijah Harper brought honour to the political landscape of our country. We could use more like him.

I am not First Nations. I have not had the privilege of walking that road, at least not in this lifetime, so there is no way I can truly know what it must have felt like, for him or for the First Nations people, then or now. What I can reflect on is the enormous pride he brought to many. There stood a man of integrity willing to fight, oh so quietly, for what he believed in. He was a member of our human family who just happened to call Canada, home.

As you read the biographies, you come to know that Elijah Harper was not without his frailties. There too he was one of us, perfect in his imperfections.

Bless you, Elijah. You were an inspiration.

May your journey home be a gentle one.

We are grateful.

The Garden of Love

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Sometimes love comes like a gentle breeze on a soft summer’s night. Sometimes it’s a bear hug and a big sloppy kiss.
Sometimes the heart opens like the tender flutter of a butterfly’s wings. Sometimes it crashes apart in sheer wonder at the magnificence of it all.
It’s the same with change. Whether big or small, long predicted or just come upon, it always carries a taste of the unknown. It can feel like a tsunami, a whirlwind, or the fluttering ripple of that butterfly’s wings. It’s your picture after all, your change, so it’s up to you.

Tuberose_Spray_Deep_Red

AS WE USHER IN this new era and level of being, as we welcome in this year to come, and as the heart of humanity opens and breathes life anew, I wish for each of you the greatest joy and unfolding happiness.

WHEREVER YOU MAY BE, whatever you may be doing, may you bring unending love to it and may you throw open the windows of your heart and, with abandon, dance the dance of life in the Garden of Love.

hawaiian_leis

star dust gold

We are stardust.
We are golden.
And we’ve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden.

…..Joni Mitchell (from the song, Woodstock)

true laughter …

“True laughter from an enlightened soul is an expression of divine joy and a high manifestation of wisdom and compassion with the Oneness of being.”

Jorge Pereira

always remember

Aside

Be the change you want to see,

Be the love you truly are,

and always remember   –     YOU MATTER!

This is a Call to Imagine

FOR SOME PEOPLE, 2012 is a year of monumental possibilities, a time when things truly change and humanity reaches for the stars of its own heart, ushering in a new way of being and a harmonious life for us all. For others, it’s a walk in the park, business as usual, the status quo. There are those who consider it all a roll of the dice no matter which way you look, and then there are the rest who aren’t really thinking of it at all.

LIKE IT SAYS in John Lennon’s amazing song, Imagine – I’m a dreamer. And I’m not the only one.

SO THIS CALL IS TO YOU – OH DREAMERS OF OUR WORLD.

CREATORS, storytellers, artists, doctors, educators, lawyers, tribal elders, one and all – whatever your role may be, this call is for you. We stand at the precipice of possibility. It’s time to tip the scales. To do so requires focus, daring, passion, and most of all, love. It requires imagining.

SO WHAT IS YOUR IMAGE of our world? What is its story? Where do you want us to be?

I CARRY WITHIN a remembering, a heart song like a beacon that won’t let go. It speaks of a time of harmony, beauty and love. A time of abundance, serenity and joy.  Being a remembering, you could say that it speaks of a time past, but I know it also speaks of a time that is coming into being, here and now.

SUCH A TIME requires our active participation. To decide, once and for all, that this is the way we want it to be and in it is where we intend to live. It asks us to dive deep into the ocean of love, to shed the skins of yesterday and be born anew. It calls on us to script the story, frame by frame; to vividly colour it with expectation and delight, and daily sing it into being.

YES, OUR WORLD APPEARS fraught with escalating chaos and destruction. Old ways of being are crumbling and with them comes wave after wave of anxiety, doubt and fear. I know that world, I’ve walked it, and I know how devastating it can feel.  How hard it can seem to step out of the mire and reclaim the power and light of who you truly are. But the truth is it is only one picture, one story.

SO DREAM THE NEW DREAM, you dreamers of our world. Hold its picture in your mind and heart. Write about it. Paint it. Make a video. Put it on YouTube. Share it with your friends. Encourage others to do the same. Listen to their picture of what it looks like and find the common ground. Celebrate your dreaming into being. Celebrate it now.

REMEMBER, whether you see yourself on a Polynesian island, midst a pine-filled forest, an amazing city, surfing a wave in Bali, a vineyard in the Mediterranean, a boat in the tropics, in the land of OZ, or where you are right now, it’s about harmony, beauty and love. And it’s about us all getting along, finally.

SO GO ON, IMAGINE – A WORLD OF PLENTY, A WORLD IN PEACE, A WORLD OF RADIANCE AND LOVE.

If this resonates with you, if it touches your heart, pass it along to as many people as you can think of.  Aloha, and may we meet in the world of radiance; our version of Shangri-la.

 

The Aloha of Life

No matter who you are,begonias of love
No matter where you are,
No matter how easy or tough life appears to be –

Within every thought, every moment
And every breath

There lives an opportunity –
to love.

This is your moment.
Aloha, Aliana

Between Worlds – Sneak Preview!

CHECK OUT THE NEW PAGE – Between Worlds – Sneak Preview

I’ve made it available especially for you.

When you get there, ponder the cover image (you’ll know its depth when you have read the whole tale), scroll down and click on the pdf link. It will take you into a Sneak Preview of the land and story of Between Worlds.

I hope it wets your appetite and encourages you to want to read more.

Enjoy!

Aliana