4 Ahau - Follow Your Path

"Be here now = living in love." - OJO -

12.21.12
"Follow Your Path"

The sequence of numbers...as I sat down and began to write, the time was 12:12....the mirrored reflection of numbers are everywhere today. 
In completion of many cycles, within and without ,we all come together and create the mirror of reality.
All that's necessary is to simply be present and living in love is the direct result.

Follow the path of your creation!

In Lak'Ech,

Sunshine & Soulshine,
Joanna C. Cooke - OJO 

10 Ahau - Resistance Or Flow

"Within the movement of action is an ever present polarity of resistance." 
 - OJO -

What do you see?

Here is where I am....in an infinite field of knowledge and love yet in a bubble of creation, a womb, so to speak.  I float amongst the fields waiting to pop, to arrive in the infinite space of All.

With this floating ethereal experience I also feel a resistance building.  A space within that has gone past the present and into an unknown presence.  Hmmmm, present or presence? that seems to make all the difference in when the bubble pops.  As if just being present isn't enough....we must have presence while being present....hmmmm?

Onward is the only way and with this realization I have also come to the cycle of a new format and expereince of expression.  

This Blog has come to completion..... it has been such a rewarding experience to share over the last period of time and space. Two years have transpired in such a vast array of life lessons and love.

One more posting will be made in honour of the great shift on 12.21.12. - 4 Ahau.

An opening of the heart is here for eveyone and everything.  We are here to play, love and laugh in the ease of fully and abundantly living life.

To introduce my new Blog here is the link..... http://buddharidesaharley.blogspot.ca/

In Lak'Ech,

Sunshine & Soulshine,
Joanna C. Cooke     - OJO

3 Ahau - The Magic Of Three

"In the chalice of the heart the magic of the trinity exists." - OJO -

So much love can be felt at this point in our time lines - collectively, individually - past, present, future - all resonates within this frequency of time.  

I have been noticing quite frequently that what we see and create on all avenues is the magic of the number three - and like the most exquisite Trillium flower, the simple statement of its form shows the strength and beauty of the three energy.

As the heart and soul of creation is made with the union of one plus one to create a third life form....

As the colour wheel combines primary, secondary and tertiary colours to create a full spectrum...

As the inventors of our physical world, first a thought - then the process - and finally the realization...

Through this frequency a resonance of love flows through our heart chalice and we begin a process of design that is built on this solid yet graceful structure.

There is a knowing we now have of our return to each other, our union in this time line is what we have come for.  There is a powerful sense of the capabilities we possess as the makers of all we do and are.

In this space and energy, enjoy your point in the trinity of time and love.

In Lak' Ech,

Sunshine & Soulshine,

Joanna C. Cooke - OJO

9 Ahau - Creating Life on Canvas

Painting the dream of reality, or painting the reality of a dream.....either direction comes with the swift action of the brush we call life.  - OJO -

In this dream we create the vision, the purpose, the mandate, the mission......the reality.

To have this power is an incredible resource to our propensity to shift and change with the moments of our lives.  We are continuously painting the vision.....so paint it loud and juicy!

Feel the fears and paint them out, feel the joys and paint them on....colour your world with the beauty from within......be it, see it, and live it.

On this note I leave without much more to say, time to take action.

"Cosmic Web" - Joanna C. Cooke - OJO

In Lak'Ech,

Sunshine & Soulshine,

Joanna C. Cooke - OJO

2 Ahau - Serenity of Now

......what time is it?  have I awoken in a Dali painting? what day is it? have I just climbed out of a dali painting?  - OJO -

I have been lost in time...literally and figuratively and only yesterday did I come to this realization after 7 weeks!
I offer apologies for the mixups in time and posting dates since my out of time experience.

As I sat with this confusion, I was faced with the fact that I had lost count as a Day Keeper in the Mayan tradition of time keeping that I have been following since 2007,  I was in shock and disbelief.  How could this have happened and when?  What led me to discover the discrepancy I cannot remember, but needless to say I persevered and searched the dates in my journals until I found the exact date it all changed....this was August 12/13.  More disbelief that I had gone this long without knowing it.  Talk about time bubbles!

Having traced back to these dates it coincided with going into the hospital, both injured on the outside and sick internally....my body had literally crashed.  This was my initial time lapse.....maybe it was the morphine?   All I know now is that a day of my life was vanished and from that date I had been living a day ahead in the gregorian calendar of my journal date entries, yet they were really words written and reflected of the date before....and yet again, I was on track with the Mayan Calendar and the energy of the day.  So where was I in the grander scheme of time? Essentially I was living every moment in the NOW, wether that consisted of being awake, asleep, oblivious or aware.....life became so Now oriented in all my actions that dates made no difference to my experiences.  Not sure how I made it to my appointments!

It was as surreal to me as living in a Dali painting. 

In retrospect I look back on how this period of time has affected my life, my choices, my relationships.  There have been some hard lessons learned, some heartache, growing, loving, releasing and mostly trusting.
In relation to the overall feelings of being back on track and the newness that has sprung from this time frame of confusion, there is a genuine sense of serenity from within.

All that remains is the serenity of now....that is what must be focused on at all times.

I share this experience to all my fellow brothers and sisters who are also going through the time warps and lessons in learning to open our hearts and to completely love and trust.  


In Lak'Ech

Sunshine & Soulshine
Joanna C. Cooke - OJO 

8 Ahau - Time Bubbles

"In the corners of my mind, time is framed...in the expansion of my heart, time is patience....in the freedom of my soul, time is eternal."  - OJO -

As I come to yet another cross roads in life I can see so much more into my time lines ..... or time bubbles as I have come to so fondly refer to them as.   
Why time bubbles?  
Well, bubbles have always held such a magical connotation in my life.  The naive childlike fun of blowing bubbles remains a part of me to this day, as for many of us, we feel a celebratory effect upon our souls when we delight in these magical 3D orbs. The beautiful, swirling colours, the instantaneous burst into nothingness, bubbles joining together, and simply watching as they drift out of sight into the skies....what magic & joy they are!

Time bubbles are so much a part of this essence.....life is unpredictably beautiful in it's form and flow.  For myself, as a witness to my own life and those around me,  there appears to be times when we drift along so securely and elegantly in our lives.  The bubble we live within carries us far, can be spacious, with beautiful iridescent colours surrounding us.  We may be joined with another or a few bubbles as we drift along, yet sometimes we ride through the winds of time alone.  As we float along we learn to live in the eternal moment, knowing that in any instant we will gently pop in the wind, our time ceases to exist in that experience.

Reflecting back to five years ago a beautiful art project in White Rock B.C. Canada called 'Murals In Action', done during the annual Spirit of  The Sea Festival.  Participating in the first year of this project was Elizabeth Hollick, Nicci Battilana, Alicia Ballard and myself.  The project itself was fabulous in promoting local artists while they worked for the public to witness and interact with, and also to re-create new murals with new artists each year during the festival....the bubbles in the wind....everything changes, nothing remains the same.  

Mermaids at Play - Murals In Action
Spirit of The Sea Festival 2007
Artists: Alicia Ballard, Nicci Battalana, Joanna C. Bevis

Primed and ready for a new beginning 2008

This time frame  has also been a personal 'time bubble' of creative contemplation and growth.  I contemplate often how we may be living in various time bubbles simultaneously, realizing some bubbles seem to overlap in experiences/places/people and yet they also float solo on their journeys.  The experiences over these years have come to fruition in many outlets, some have re-seeded themselves with new vigor to begin anew and some have returned to compost and nurture concepts yet to come. I know not when this bubble will burst, I know only that it is in each moment  of Now  that I remain in trust and love for the beauty that surrounds all of us.  I am in awe and gratitude at the creative souls I have joined with during this time bubble, the love and light shared by many.



In Lak'Ech,

Sunshine & Soulshine, Joanna C Cooke - OJO -

1 Ahau - Touching the Sun

"In what dream do I fly when I feel the heat of the sun caress my soul?  In what reality do I dwell when I feel the scorn of fire by touching the sun?" - ojo -

Here we go into beginning a luscious cycle with the energy of Ahau....in it's essence it is about our dedication to oneness and light and to be aware of the guidance we receive from our ancestors.

For a detailed account of what this energy is about please visit The Mayan Calendar Portal by Birgitte Rasine

http://www.maya-portal.net/newsletters/quetzal/ahau_trecena

There came a very interesting correlation for me regarding the words 'touch the sun' as this is the image I am working on right now, my passionate expression of an earth angel looking to touch the sun through her golden chalice....it's a piece that will be a work in progress due to my new experience with oils, of which I absolutely lusciously love to work with!!!!

Touching The Sun - beginning sketch - OJO -

This really is an exciting time of creation and detachment....simply BE, there is no such thing as doing in this time frame we embark upon.

Enjoy every now moment, live & love it fully!!!!!

In Lak'Ech

Sunshine & Soulshine,
Joanna C. Cooke - OJO

7 Ahau - There's No Place Like Home

"A creative heart is found in a creative home and home is in our heart." - OJO 

So many of us are shifting and moving physically that there feels to be a tornado effect happening.....as if we are being picked up and carried away in the eye of the storm, to fall where we may and create our homes from within the heart.

As we travel the path we are continuously given the opportunity to create our life every day.  And the more focused from the heart we are the more real and quick the process of reality becomes. No matter where we are located physically we are creating our home all around us.....the people we meet, the dramas, the love, the friendships, the annoyances, the beauty, the environments, the needs, the wants & desires....all of it.  

We come to the heart of the home or the 'home of the heart'.  Here we can truly be who we are without judgement or dishonesty and BE this reflection on the outside world around us.  

Simply living each day as a new experience, living our truth, loving and laughing we reside in the energy of creative expression. All flows along without resistances and a progressive pattern spirals on in our physical world.  We explicitly are here for a good time, not a long time in the NOW.  And as we continue to transition and re-locate or re-design our life patterns there comes some moments of uncertainty and this is when we are given the opportunity to shine brighter and remember that home is in the heart and therefore we are always home!  

Just in case you need a reminder though here is a fabulous technique that most have grown up with already, and just like Dorothy..... the storm, the path and the destination to home are right there within......

Close your eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, "there's no place like home".   

(from "The Wizard of Oz")

My Ruby Slippers That Brought Me Home!!!!

In Lak' Ech,


Sunshine & Soulshine,
Joanna C. Cooke - OJO

13 Ahau - Love Magic

Love is the essence of magic and magic is the essence of love......be in the magic of love! - OJO -

Art & Love Everywhere!

Where do we begin with this?  Nowhere......it is All, the circle of love.


Am sure many of us are feeling overflowing amounts of love from those in our lives and in all different forms of relationships.  Even when looking deeply into those that are filled with anguish and pain we can find the root cause of it all is love.  


It is so simple and yet so over complicated.  


The only route is LOVE!


And while travelling this route we come to the magical experience of being our true essence and loving self.  It's all truth and all love, we are driving the superhighway of bliss!  We have become vulnerable enough to speak our truth and listen to the truth of others without judgement or fear of being hurt.....we have become solidified with those that share this way of love and being in the state of feeling over thinking.  There still remains moments of growing that are not always easy, yet well worth the effort to communicate in truth and vulnerability.


Speak your truth, live your truth......


And listen to music that brings you bliss and magic.......enjoy!


Creed - With Arms Wide Open http://youtu.be/xoGWe9l-OG8
Ithtaka - Sleeping In The Shade http://youtu.be/aGVtQQ4ie2A
Van Morrison - Crazy Love http://youtu.be/6vS8GKcl9KQ


In Lak'Ech,


Sunshine & Soulshine,
Joanna C. Cooke - OJO

6 Ahau - This Is......NOW!

"The illusion, the reality, the past, the future....this is the NOW"!   - OJO -

On this creative journey, living in our present moment is the complete essence of life.  Our reality and our illusion are one, we see and feel in such a deeper meaning to being 'in the world, not of it'.   The ability to be unaffected by external circumstances and being in a natural state of bliss comes so easily when we are acting in 'now' experiences.  Living in a sequence of events rather than a set time frame of achievement and accomplishment creates a space of love for what is being done and who you share these experiences with.

Love is a huge factor to being in this frame of existence.  A complete ease of time and circumstance we encounter when seen through the eyes of love, a bond of soul mates, brothers and sisters of the sun.  To look into another's eyes and feel their reality and their illusion is part of this connection.  There is no judgement or expectation to or from another.  The acceptance of no past, no future.....that is the understanding to living in NOW time.

We are here to help one another and take care of each other in whatever ways we can.......harmony and balance comes with these relationships in our lives.  They are reflected back to us regularly in the eyes of friends, family and lovers. Also, we experience brief encounters of love with complete strangers, smiles are shared in every culture on this earth, so smile freely, look into their eyes and share the love you are. That 'now' will never come again.

We can never underestimate or second guess this strength of love to help and heal another's heart instantaneously either. Standing by a friend in need; saying what you mean; being true to self; helping a stranger; laughing together......all are acts of love and experienced in this 'now' time.  We cannot deny ourselves or another these genuine acts of love & joy.


Being back to BC for a week  now has been a continual stream of events, love, smiles, and unity of souls. It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how long an actual amount of traditional time has gone by, we instantly look into another's eyes and feel their heart.  It's beyond memory, because many times memories fade, but connection of the heart and soul continue on.....and more eternal moments of now are shared together.

Feeling these experiences of now and living our sequence of events in bliss, creates such an expansion and openness to everything and everyone we journey with.  When we physically part the sensation is simply felt as ease....knowing all is just as it is meant to be.  There becomes such grace in our lives as we continue to trust and follow our path of now living.

Of course, we continue to work and plan our lives......just from a different perspective of living in love and experiencing the love of now.

I have to pass on a video that a friend recently blogged about also
  http://astroalchemy.com/whatever-tomorrow-brings-6-24-12/  

Drive by Incubus  http://youtu.be/RpwsuhOUAkk

....it is so befitting for the road we travel and the love we all share.

A passion for the open road is expressed in many forms...... physically and metaphorically.......drive your life right into the NOW!!!

Here I captured a great sequence of events while recently driving in Puerto Morelos MX.

Mexican Road Hazard #1
Tree in the middle of the road

Immediate Road Hazard #2
Tejone crossing on  a sharp corner

Road Hazard #3
An old BC Burb with a cracked frame taking the sharp corner too fast on a nice new road

Enjoy the Road, Enjoy the Love, Enjoy the Now!

In Lak'Ech,

Sunshine & Soulshine, Joanna C. Cooke - OJO -

12 Ahau - Luminous Synchronicity

"let your brilliance out.....be the light that shines from within and without"  - ojo -

In creative bliss this posting has taken a few days to come into fruition, so please accept the delay in time as a from of time jumping....all has been a whirlwind of being in past-present-future simultaneously in an energy vortex I have found myself at.
It truly is as if time and space are non existent, like one continual flow..... from one heart moment to the next heart moment and from one physical location to another physical location, all happening within all time lines.....crazy ass shit!

The light of love is shining with such brilliance in this time of resurrection...... on all levels of creation.

So this posting has many aspects to it.......get ready for the ride!

The actual day of Ahau being 6.4.12 we began an experience and alignment like no other we will experience again in our lifetime..... here is a link to a wonderful companion on the journey with us who gets the message of the stars out beautifully, artfully and oh so real he is!
 
http://youtu.be/4k253sQZGKw


The experiences in this time line I have encountered have all been filled with love, love and more love......no matter what the words, what the hurts, what the traumas have been, there has been the essence of love within every moment experienced through them.  For those close to me physically and those so far away I feel the heart beat, I feel the essence of love on all levels of existence.......it is astoundingly awakening.........to feel love and know love in a whole new context.


We are so gifted with this time to experience these rapid shifts of change.   We must remind ourselves and each other to never let the fire within smolder......to continue in all aspects of our being as burning fires that em-blaze our world......to light the way and to be guided by the stars.

We are all cosmic brothers and sisters, we are all in this together.

The energy that is with us now is of such magnitude it is hard at times to fully absorb in our physical bodies.....it is now time to completely trust in what we feel within, the fire that ignites our souls.  To completely abandon ourselves to being consumed in this fire.

The freedom of truth is all consuming now, we learn to live our truth, to freely express who and what we are in this truth......we can dance in wild abandonment, we can love without fear, we can be outrageously beautiful, we can express our words, thoughts and deeds to bring joy to all......and the freedom from living this, is the wind that blows the fires to burn even stronger.

To blaze our own path and to create with love at the core of all we do - IS ALL there is to do in this life.....we travel and live in luminous synchronicity together.

Let us all live and love in the fire of truth & freedom.....and let's remember when we have nothing left to lose we have gained everything!

.....feeling some Janis Joplin coming on from those words....hahaha.........start smooth everyone and share in all your moments of love & light!!!!! .....and then sing loud and dance passionately!!!!!
http://youtu.be/ca7vydyo3sU


Today, this day, we begin anew 6.6.2012.
Being in this moment of now, beginning another cycle of time brings us to 1 IK...another wonderful link to share with you.....

http://www.maya-portal.net/newsletters/quetzal/ik_trecena


In Lak 'Ech,

Sunshine & Soulshine,
Joanna C. Cooke  - OJO

5 Ahau - Smoke & Mirrors - Images & Reflections

....smoke signals and seeing into the unknown, all thoughts are travelling on the wind.....like the seed of a dandelion, waiting to fall and take root in a new land..... - ojo -

Sometimes we are given some very decisive answers to the internal questions of the heart.  I came across a piece of paper yesterday with this phrase scribbled on it : 'Divine Clarity - Go to the Heart'.   How absolutely convenient it was to reconnect with this message once again in my life.  


Recently I have been on a quest to sort through a lifetime of belongs in a storage locker back home in B.C.   This is an enormous task yet so completely cleansing and necessary at this junction of life. It is like a giant smudging of the physical world we create around us.  It is in this smudging process a release happens and all attachment rises away in the smoke. What a feeling of weightlessness.  When we look into smoke, many images appear and we can see the sacred messages they offer, learning to read smoke images can be a valuable tool.

Smoke Ceremony of 13 KAN - 'Bird Spirit'

And then the realization of the message comes in our interactive everyday world, the mirrors of reality are seen all around us.  We are carried on the winds of time as a baby bird leaving the nest and we are flying toward a new sky.  

Leaving the Bird's Nest - 'Images Within Images'

What does the writing on the mirror say?
F. forgive
T. the
W. world
Love The Universe


I AM THAT I AM


Prosperity = Love & Creativity


Conscious Thought: 'What you SHOULD or COULD do with your life no longer matters. The only thing that matters from this day forward is what you MUST do - LOVE!'


Wow, what powerful words as I look back now, the shadows are dissolved with such love and strength.




What do we reflect, as we soar the skies and travel the cosmos? 


How do we transform, through the rising of the smoke? 


Where does the seed drift to? 


Navigating the winds of change, we play and laugh, and as children we are in joy and rapture for the sacred shadows revealed and the lighting of the fires that burn within.  




In Lak'Ech


Sunshine & Soulshine, 
Joanna C. Cooke - OJO

11 Ahau - The Aspect of Freedom

" the sky, the earth, the volcanic core.....up, down, within......"  - ojo -

Where am I?   Has the earth fallen on the floor of the universe?   Has anyone else been feeling this euphoric sensation of not knowing where you are, yet still in a mode of pure exhilaration to be in this state?

There is an immense feeling of freedom....from whatever we have been bound to.  In all aspects of our lives there exists an internal and eternal freedom of choice - to live, to love, to laugh, to be joy and creativity....this is the freedom I am coming to understand as the pure essence of living.....truly living and being alive.  

And with this feeling also comes the side of rebellion, anyone else relate?   The rebellious nature....hmmm, who are we?  The Rebellious Ones?  

Who comes to mind for me, james dean, marilyn monroe, martin luther king, jesus, alice cooper, pythagoras, inanna, really I could go on with this list forever......are we not all rebellious by nature?  Do we not all want freedom?  Is this not what the human soul and aspect of evolution is about?

I see so many profound examples of how our free will and choice governs what we achieve, what we believe, where we soar to essentially.  


A very amazing friend of mine is one of these examples of how far we can soar.....I have been recently blessed to witness his achievments in recovering from a life altering accident.  He sees it in his mind's eye, he feels it in his heart and his body responds to this.  it is a miracle to observe.  And the bigger mriacle comes from what his experience has collectively taught many of us as a community, as friends, lovers and simply humans...again, my gratitude for being in these moments of NOW to experience it all has been profound! He has a freedom we all seek to attain, and he shows us the way to it. 


One of the Earth angels on our path..... 

Words of Love

James Shepard

Friends With Benefits - Chris Edwards Fundraiser

Jason Buie

Love From GF Strong

The Team

Chris live Skype during the Benefit

So much to ponder as we proceed one step, one leap, and carried onto the wings of angels to fly and be free, to carry us home.

However you seek your freedom, live it and be the soul of love in all you do!!!!!

In Lak'Ech

Sunshine & soulshine,

Joanna C. Cooke - OJO

4 Ahau - Freedom, Love, Health, Success, Peace

"When do we know we have achieved these aspects of the whole?  Do we see it in the material or in the metaphorical?"  - OJO -

    

Within this photo lays the many levels of just this concept.....is it the physical or the metaphorical you see?  Or perhaps it is the artistic and creative juices that come alive from such an image or experience of exhilaration. 


I see the symbolism of numbers; the play on word; the sultry flow of design and geometric form; the anticipation  and exhilaration of speed; the prestige so many seek within insignia's; the ability to achieve dreams; a sense serenity and autonomy......how amazing that one simple image can bring this much emotion and realization.  


Look around your world and see the signs that bring you freedom, love, health, success and peace.  Notice what comes in various forms of the material and metaphorical and how all can be combined and balanced to create that whole and complete self.


There are no rules to what you perceive.


In Lak'Ech,


Sunshine & Soulshine
Joanna C. Cooke - OJO

3 Cimi - The Serpent of Light Arrived

"Follow your bliss - Live your quest!"  - OJO -

Yesterday was one of those days that fills the heart with such profound stirrings of bliss, the kind that brings forth tears of joy and exhalations of love.  

A journey to Chichen Itza for the viewing of the serpent.  


I have been on this quest for several years now, since a 'calling' came to me in the Spring of 2009 and all parts of my being 'knew' I needed to get there. Each year the circumstances have kept the experience from arriving, and as I have come to understand, the energy of the serpent remains, it is above the clouds or rain and even in absence it is there! 


But yesterday the serpent of light appeared!  People from all over the world come to join and experience this glorious event that forms before sunset on the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes in the land of the Maya. This spectacular appearance occurs for a few days around the actual date of the equinox (just in case you think it happens only on that date and you may miss it).  
Waiting patiently as the grass area surrounding the great pyramid of Kukulkan began filling with people, the skies remained with intermittent clouds.....then the winds came in gusts and the sun shone to reveal what we were there to see.  

We wait.......

There was a moment where all of a sudden I felt so complete and so at One with All, that my heart felt as big as the universe itself, the tears came filled with love for this gift.  I cannot even possibly begin to explain what I felt, yet that is what it was.....feeling......all of the experience was about feeling - beyond seeing the serpent's shadow and light image, hearing the crowd clapping, praying and the conch being sounded, the scent of sage & copal burning in the air, the taste of water on the palette, touching the grass and earth beneath me or the emotion of love surrounding us.  


The 'feeling ' was beyond all I have know.


I suppose now my quest could be considered over, but I think really it has just now begun!

El Serpiente 3.21.12

In Lak'ech,


Sunshine & Soulshine,
Joanna C. Cooke - OJO

10 Ahau - Soular Flares

" A fire burns within the soul, the mind, the heart and the great Sun of our times sends forth the powers of light to guide our way into creative bliss."   - OJO -

Solar Flare Image from NASA

Many great forces are being given to us at this time through the emanations of the Sun.  A powerful gift is received through these intense vibrations of light.   Some are felt so strongly that we can find ourselves feeling off balance mentally, emotionally and even physically depending on our sensitivity levels.  

It is important to keep a regime of balancing ourselves during these flares of energy and light.  The practice of 'stilling' the centre of our beings is of utmost care to the soul.  Each of us has our own techniques that will suit us personally to find this centre of stillness and quieting.  This is also important to honour, that we are all unique and need to create our own path to our core.  

During this new time of creation we have unbounded opportunities to be our own creators......in every aspect.  Creativity is what we are!

Whatever your medium may be use it to all of your potential, feel it in everything you do, express it as boldly as you are able......be a bursting soular flare unto yourself.  Everyone and everything in your path will feel the warm radiance of this power you send forth.   Allow all of your senses to 'know' the intensity of this fire.   When we come to the point of knowing, we are living in our full range of feeling, and with the emotion of this juicy fire that burns within we become amazing sources of light and creators of everything we experience.  Our ability to manifest is heightened to extremes as we continue on this journey.  The connection of our thought-emotion-experience can be instantaneous as we approach this beautiful fire of our souls with love and compassion.

Here is an exquisite short video shot of a recent Solar Flare, experiment with using it as mediation tool and focus on your central fire, ask for what you want to create in your life and breathe it in!  Then see where it takes you in your creative process, whatever your medium is.......We are beings of Light!

http://youtu.be/4xKRBkBBEP0

We are One with the Great Central SUN!

In Lak'ech,

Sunshine & Soulshine

Joanna C. Cooke - OJO

3 Ahau - Soul Companions

"The vision resides within, the soul seeks what already exists." 

- OJO -

Living far from my home of origin can at times be challenging.   I miss many aspects of what has been my life experience; my family, friends, a familiar community, creative inspirations from fellow art associates, and the scenery. Then there are those that I have met and formed soul companionship's with on the journey. 


I have just recently had a visit from one of these beautiful souls in this far off land I now find  myself living in. No matter how virtual this world may become there still is nothing in comparison to me than 'feeling' a pure physical hug of joy from another on a soul level.  Our visit was not long enough, yet my spirit is so renewed from the moments we did have together.  I am ever so grateful for these simple gifts life offers.
As an artist who paints through visions from within, I truly feel that each painting that comes from these visions already belongs to a soul that is just waiting to 'see' it.  And I have had this experience confirmed many times observing the connection that some of my collectors and friends have had the moment they laid eyes on 'their' piece of art.

My Soul Sister Marita & I with "Flight of Cosmic Union"

In this recent visit from my soul sister she connected with a painting I was just finishing.  In some sort of twist the original vision I had, transformed to 'needing' a set of eyes that represented the presence of Creator.  






This piece was extremely personal to me and something I quite easily lost myself in during the process of its creation.  
It was just these eyes that she fell in love with!   

"Flight of Cosmic Union"
 in its process of creation

I am thoroughly honoured that she now has it in her possession and it has returned with her to my homeland.  



This has been such a powerful experience on so many levels of my being......as an artist, as a friend, as a visionary, as a healer, as a human being and as an eternal soul.
So, onward to another vision and to another connection awaiting it's physical reality.


In Lak'ech


Sunshine & Soulshine,
Joanna C. Cooke - OJO

9 Ahau - Cultivating Patience in a Creative Cauldron

....boil and bubble, toil and trouble......simmer and stew, glimmer and new.......

Putting our energies into the cauldron of creative fires can be an act of patience, waiting for the outcome of our juicy ingredients to come into fruition is not always an easy task for the creative spirit.  A tendency for restless cravings and 'I want it now' attitudes is a common expression of creative minds all over the world.  

We see a vision, we hear the words....the act of getting it 'out' of the mind and into a tangible experience for others to enjoy, is where the gift of patience is sometimes required.  

The artistic soul has a sense of drama attached to it and this can be where the witch's brew conjures up many situations we could do without.  The boil and bubble, toil and trouble of the imaginative spirit can easily find itself in a full pot at any moment when we become impatient.  The inspired spirit is found when we allow a simmer and stew approach.  Here we see a golden glimmer, and a new recipe to conjure from the depths of our souls awaits the cauldron of desire.  This stew is slowly and lovingly stirred and sometimes this recipe takes years to prepare.

I used to spend hours with a fine line marker and white paper, endlessly drawing images from within my minds eye (I had much more patience at that time of my life for such detail). Now, I find the paint wanting to be squeezed directly onto the canvas in a juicy burst....no more fine lines! 

'The Cauldron' - OJO 

In both avenues I have found there is a process of creation that brings me to my centre, where I know that persistence and serenity are part of this state of being.  It is pure contentment and bliss.   Much like a huge, hot bowl of your favourite home cooked soup.....comfort food for the aesthetic soul is found in the stillness of joy.

In this moment remember to appreciate the processes in your life that take time to invoke......this is your golden cauldron, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

In Lak'ech,

Sunshine & Soulshine

Joanna C. Cooke - OJO

2 Ahau - Walking The Path Of Love

"with each step we enter into the centre of self, the heart of all.....where we are connected to each heart that has ever crossed our path, or is yet to cross our path, on the journey of life"    - OJO -

There is so much we have to give and receive from one another.  We share the same air in a continual flow, the breath of a planet. We are the mirrors of the soul of all time and space.   

We are gifted with endless opportunities to look into the soul of another, every time we make eye contact.  We may only have made this contact once and we never see these eyes again, but the impact can be forever.  There is a transference of information.......a soul exchange. We are altered in some form.  

I often find it interesting how when wearing sunglasses we do not look into each others eyes, how convenient in this time of change.  The option to choose who we make eye contact with,  who we share our souls with.  

I have to ask, "Is this helpful or hurtful?"

We learn from each experience with another, we do not know in that instance what will transpire in our life from our connection or if we will ever join again.  Sometimes we have fleeting experiences of  re-connection throughout our lives with another, whether it be casual acquaintances or familiar friends and whether it be joy or sorrow.  Here in this moment I am also reminded that even in death when the memory of a physical set of eyes is in front of us, such as a photo, we are really remembering this connection in our hearts, the place of joy from a soul connection we made. Their essence remains as part of us.

Some we have an internal connection, that of our families, our eyes are one in the same, sharing physical traits and genetics.  How much of the mirror we allow ourselves to look at is a personal choice.  Our families are a constant reflection to us and a steady beam of light to guide the way.  Our souls are connected from the eye within.

I feel that it is more important than ever to make this contact.  To take off our sunglasses and look each other in the eye.  In joy and sorrow.  To dare to learn something from another and to learn from what we see as a reflection from them within our selves.  Our companions that travel beside us come and go with time and distance in physical form.  Some are filled with very intense situations where we learn and grow.  Some last for long periods, yet fade with time, burning out.  

ALL are gifts of LOVE!

Unless we make the contact we cannot truly experience what there is to give and receive.  This is walking the path of love.  

Walking the Path of Love

To look left eye to left eye in heart connection

To see as souls not minds

To see from our heart centres  

To see within the eyes of another soul

To see the reflection as our own

To use the inner eye for feeling the presence of another

my left eye to your left eye

              In Lak'Ech

             Sunshine & Soulshine,

             Joanna C. Cooke - OJO