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Mental Health Mantra 18/365  Be the Observer. My lovely friend Barefoot Doctor, Stephen Russell who suddenly passed away last January would always talk to me and write about it in his countless books and at workshops - that is - moving our awareness to the very back of the head, ie. physically imagine you're taking awareness of what you're seeing to the back side of your head space, Behind your skull. Once there, watch, observe, at what is going on around you. It's a practice like anything else. A skill. Try it. It's fun. It gives you a perspective where you can detach from the actual movie theatre playing right around you. It relates to our third eye, based right on your forehead, between the eyebrows, slightly above, and symbolically relating to the chakra point which is coloured indigo. Your third eye is the central point for your intuition, imagination and inner wisdom. It can't be seen per se, it's an energetic eye. However if you close your eyes and look at the sun and meditate there upon, you may see an eye appear behind your eyelids. Be The observer. Deflect. Reflect. Stand Back. There is alot going on, physically, emotionally, spiritually, energetically, world wide. Step back from judgment, flip it to compassion. We are all having very different experiences based on our frame of references in our life. Be the observer. Take your time to make decisions. Do your own independent research. Ask questions. Go with your gut. You'll know. Sending heaps of love. Keep shining starseeds. Thank you for being here and watching this unfold. It is great to be writing here again.  "Art with Heart - Calm your Mind, Soothe your Soul."
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Mental Health Mantra 16/365  As I am creating these Mental Health Mantras I wait for the mantra to appear to me. I do have lists upon lists of many of them over the years, and lots of new ones that appear. But I wait for the right one to appear. With this particular Muse, her hair went a little off the beaten track and I had to cut her hair off and start again with a backing sheet (the joys of art production). In doing so, what then appeared was this cracking head scarf, which I totally loved. It just made her feel different and quirky. I am a head scarf wearer but don't wear that many any more (who knows but I'm going to ponder on that one). It's something I will definitely be picking back up because as I was drawing it, I realised that there is something about wrapping colourful scarves around my head and hair that instantly makes me feel creative. I step into a mode of being, that I really love. Do they suit me - I don't know? But I love them. As my lovely Uncle Freddy used to say in his thick German accent "Who Cares ... !! " Bam, that's when the mantra popped up from the Muse. Do YouYes it could have been Be You, but actually Do You felt like a real powerful mantra as I look in the mirror wearing my scarf wrapped around my head. Do You. It's okay to Do You. Don't Do Anyone Else. Just those two words say more. I'll leave it there. Take this and go with it. You will know what Do You means for you. Sending heaps of huggles, keep that intuition shining.  "Art with Heart - Calm your Mind, Soothe your Soul."
People often ask me how I integrate and weave Reiki into Muse Mantra Portraits How can a 2D piece of paper/canvas absorb Reiki and what does that mean anyway? I find myself talking about this a lot, so I thought I would share my ritual, whether I’m working with paper or canvas. If you’re not familiar with Reiki, it is a wonderful energy system that can be used in any part of your life. It's pronounced “ray-key” which means Rei “spiritual” or “sacred ” and ki “energy.” Together they are translated in the West to mean “Universal Energy.” Ki has the same meaning as Chi in Chinese, Prana in Sanskrit, and Ti or Ki in Hawaiian, however, whatever you choose to call this energy, it’s the same vital energy force of all things. Energy in Art Have you ever looked at a piece of art and felt the energy within the painting? Or perhaps been drawn to an image on a greeting card in a shop? Are you pulled to certain colours and felt soothed by them? As a Reiki Master and having worked with it for the last 15 years, I know that everything is energy; you can feel it, hear, see it and sense it. Ultimately I am infusing the 3 of the symbols I use into the paper. You've heard of using a proxy when giving Reiki, often we can use a teddy bear, or plant or a photograph to send the Reiki, in drawing an illustration of you, I am weaving in the symbols directly into the pencil, pens and markers. You won't see it in the finished piece, but you'll feel it. Any Muse Mantra will become a totem or a talisman for your daily journey.  The more I use Reiki in my creative process, the more messages and stories I pick up, which I now pass onSo what do I do? There are three parts: 1) Setting up the Space: I always take time to set up the zone and space where I’m working. As I gather my things together, and lay them out, I will light incense, a candle and put on some mantra music – I love Snatam Kaur and Deva Premal. 2) Quiet Time: Sitting down, ready to start, I get quiet, and relax. Here I will invite in my Reiki, Spiritual and Animal Guides. I activate my hands with Reiki and ask for it to flow freely within the sketch/or the colour. I wrote my own private prayer so this is where I’ll say it. After I have done this, I then cast my eyes over the collection of photographs that I have of the person I'm drawing. The photos are for me to get a sense, a feeling of who they are. I never create the same image from a photo. 3) The Creative Act (sketch/colour) I now just let this process flow – I begin to sketch. I note down any thoughts, feelings or messages I’m getting, which I can share with them when we connect later. Whether this is for an individual or for a family, the process is the same. During this time, I like to listen to any sonic music, sometimes classical. After I have finished the sketch I then move on to the colour-fill. I make sure to haven lemon water by my side. I’m never without lemons : ) When I’m happy with the finished illustration I will invoke the distant healing symbol within the piece, sending a blessing to the person who I’m creating, even if they have passed over. I also create portraits of animals and do the same. In the past couple of years I have been choosing crystals, laying the illustration down on a crystal grid - the crystals add more insight to the process and I love discovering the ones I have chosen and their meaning. The more I use Reiki in my creative process, the more messages and stories I pick up, which I now pass on. Julia xx |
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