Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Feeling Very Virgin

Oh Famous Moon, I am yours!
Look down upon me,
See only yourself.

--Rumi

Hello Bloggers,

I'm feeling very virgin today sitting down here to write my first blog ever! I'm really even new to reading here, having just spent yesterday afternoon exploring the site. Some very talented peeps here! I already feel I'm among good company, though after absorbing the atmosphere through the senses of some other bloggers, I can tell there will be surprising new scenes ahead.

I got here by way of a summer writers' bootcamp -- a thousand words a day! Phew! That was intense -- and a wonderful experience! What a commitment I made to myself -- and I accomplished it! A thousand words a day for ten days! Not bragging, just kind of elated over the whole thing. This was the site used for writer relief--the participants could "talk amongst themselves" here, and, believe me, towards the end I did some sweating and wringing of hands in our blog space. So you can see how, during my ten day intro to this site, I kept entirely to that small, contained, and "known" space--it was my comfort zone!

Had my conference with our "mentor" yesterday and he suggested opening up a blog here--you know, to keep the momentum going and to further explore and expand on some of the topics I introduced in my ten day writing spree (all first draft stuff, of course). So here I am, blogging away and not saying much of anything at all! Aaah, *sigh*, had to change positions--that chair was getting hard on my sit-bones. I'm on the floor now, sitting on my purple meditation prop chair with my 'puter warming my lap. *sigh* again.

Oh, about the Rumi poem... Well, actually a lot of references to that-- Should I have a countdown, or just cut to the chase? Well, today, I'm into cutting to the chase. I obviously have plenty of time and space to elaborate as we go forward. OK, even though Rumi was, here, as the mystical poet, describing that tantric union with the divine, my take ("in her own voice") for now is that the power of greater knowing and greater experience is mine for looking upon it, feeling into it, sensing it deeply. And so I relish in these lines that feeling of awe in claiming for myself the opening to self-love and self-empowerment--the gifts rather than the limitations of narcissism.

Besides further exploring myself here and encouraging my readers to do the same, I expect to be making social commentary--observations about current trends and their future ramifications. I may do so from time to time with references to psychological, astrological/cosmological cycles, past and future history (yes, I may go slip-streaming for our info--I'm a sci-fi/fantasy-phile)--annnd, I am a therapist (and yes, I've already seen it split into two words and have spam-blockers set all around me for bouncing it right back at ya!) I'm into personal and planetary transformation and I tend towards chaos theory (or evolutionary systems theory) as a social change model.

I also have my Moonwalk Mission which is all about manifesting the good things of life (inner and outer). I write and send by group email short essays with the phases of the moon, using those as a guide for creating projects, making life transitions, achieving personal goals. I call it MotherSource Speaks. My essays are self-referent, hopefully giving my readers some insight and inside knowledge into how the method can work for them along with a charge of inspiration and encouragement. I may decide to post some of that writing here, but it is time sensitive and seasonal, so must be read in the moment to gain most from its "wisdom".

The transit zones of birth, life peaks, death and dying are areas of interest, exploration, and lucid witnessing for me, as are the more non-ordinary experiences. Periods of both pain and pleasure are intensely and intimately associated with all these experiences, the more extreme being traumatic or at least very discombobulating. I work with those who've experienced trauma and other non-ordinary experiences, such as NDE's and psi. So you see the "dark" side and the "other side" are territories familiar to me. Some things I write, especially my poetry (oh, yeah, there'll most probably be a poetry section in here once I figure out how to set up this site in at least a beginning version of what you more sophisticated bloggers have created here for yourselves)...will be reflective of those other zones of awareness.

The metaphor of myth I find very helpful in making meaning of these altered states into which we are thrown when we meet with the unknown. So I will make reference in many of my essays to myth and to Jungian thought, which just naturally takes us into the deeper mysteries of life and death. But bloggers, I am not all about the deep and mysterious. In fact there can be a very playful impishness about me and the way in which I like to interact with you.

I like the way the Caffeinated Librarian made names and categories for her family, friends, and reading public. I am going to work on devising a similar kind of code and order. Hopefully I'll figure out how to get these postings divided up into categories where the peeps I know can pick and choose according to their interests. B/c I am a traveler, an adventurer and a scout within and beyond the realms of knowledge and awareness. I took on the Star Trek mission for my own at an early age--"to go where no [one] has gone before" (and maybe where many care not to go!) I want to know and be known (and the latter may be the more difficult of the two to achieve!)

But here is to my beginning, blogmates! (Geez, I hope there are no initiation rites -- *looking timid and a'feared*) Let's see, do you sign these things? hmm, "in her own voice" -- how will I be called? IHOV? In her? Voice? MoonWoman? hmmn, we'll see what develops.






9 comments:

aWoman'sBlog said...

I love the title of your blog. I am blog surfing today and found your blog from someone else's blog (Caffiene Librarian). I was curious about the note you left there regarding the camp that you're in and how you learned about blogging. I'm a journalism/English major and found out about blogspot through an online journalism course. It hasn't been a completely easy ride and sometimes has even been kind of sad (closed out my first blogs due to spamming, etc.) but whatever, a writer has to do what a writer has to do I guess. Anyway, nice beginning and I have a special affection for the moon, and of which I just had a special revelation this morning, but I'll save the overwriting and maybe I will blog about that some time.

In her own Voice said...

awoman,
Thanks for your comment--my very first one! Journalism was the path I didn't take at that proverbial fork in the road. Took the therapist path instead, but still love writing.

The summer writers' bootcamp came from the writer's group I've been attending this year. Our mentor operates out of Boulder, CO and does freelance teaching and coaching. He managed the Summer Writers' Program at Naropa U in Boulder for a while. He's amazingly perceptive, knowledgeable, and helpful.

The bootcamp was challenging, but exhilarating for me. First time I'd ever tried anything like that.

singinghawk said...

wow! I'm definitely impressed with your first post! You don't seem like a virgin at all...wish I had your talent with words! I guess that's why I'm a visual artist...

I admire those who have such skill and ease with language.

Welcome to bloggerville! And thank you for visiting my blog!

okjimm said...

Wowser...you are a therapist! and you found AnaB's blog! My first path was journalism as well...but the pay was really bad....then I was a Library technician....and the pay really sucked....now I am a hopeless romantic....and the benefits are great...and the pay is nonexistant....why did you leave journalism?

In her own Voice said...

ana,
I am pleased and honored you visited my site. I happened upon yours b/c of your "singinghawk" signature. Hawk medicine is strong with me and I love to sing! But your art work really gets at me energetically -- especially "Onagocog". I don't think I've ever had a piece of artwork or photo give off a "presence" like this one does for me. I'm still trying to grok the effect--it's like a deep sexual and spiritual attraction I feel from/with it/him. God! I want that man! :-)

jimm,
hey, thanks for dropping by! Yes, I made it ana's blog (above explains how!) I went to Dad's and the other guy you mentioned. Was fascinated with those sites as well. Love seeing that I can still understand at least the simple comments in French from my college study so long ago!

I was never "in" journalism except in high school. In college went straight to psychology and sociology. In the last 8 years have been into the study of astrology (psychological and historical/future cycles).

I'm loving being here--beginning to make myself at home---but oh, so little time, so much to know!!

mary said...

Welcome to the world of blogging. I can't wait to read more from you.

Lisa said...

hey!trying to get in...

singinghawk said...

In her own voice!

well thank you for the kind words. I'm happy that you feel a connection with that particular image. That image was inspired after a three day camping trip in an area that was once inhabited by Native Americans. I live in the city, although not a city girl in the least, so those trips are always special and give me a chance to reconnect with nature. Just to see the stars again, at night...always a lovely experience. Glad you feel a sexual or spiritual attraction toward the subject...don't know who he is...although I have an inkling it might be Ana Banana in disguise! ;o)

In her own Voice said...

lol Ana Banana in disguise! Hadn't really thought of it from that angle! More than likely the animus spirit of Ana Banana. And wowser, did he have an energy for me.

Are these pieces on your site ones you have sold? Do you make prints of them or keep them in their sacred one-of-a-kind originals?