WUNJO - The Rune of Joy
Years ago I bought The Book of Runes by Ralph H. Blum. It's a handbook for the Spiritual Warrior and the rune stones are an oracle providing a mirror and a little magic for knowing yourself deeply. I've consulted these runes many times over the years and value the way they consistently bring my focus directly to the heart of the matter. Wunjo (joy) is a rune that repeatedly appears for me - an inner urge to follow my joy always. It's a good way for me.
Writing is something that brings me peace, joy and exhilaration to share my inner world. Writing helps me make sense of myself and my world. I started writing for myself in high school. Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way introduced me to Morning pages and they have been my friend for years.
Change
Almost 20 years ago, in my early 20’s, I was living in San Francisco. I was in a relationship with a man from Chicago who grew up in a predominantly white, Irish Catholic, working class neighborhood where it was very common for him, and mostly everyone in his life, to use racial and homophobic slurs…
Safe
I pray to be a safe person for myself, for ALL my fellow human beings, and a safe person for our environment. I pray to not only refrain from harming myself, others and nature, but to participate in allowing others to experience safety in my presence at all times. I welcome understanding of all minutia…
Humble
From Humble Beginnings – this postcard is from early 2010…yikes. Many people probably don’t know that my web design business, KojolaPower, actually started as a yoga class. I was cleaning out my computer files today and found this postcard design that I made in 2010. I am totally embarrassed by everything about this design (the…
Create
Today I’m happy about being invited to sit down and make a collage by Oakland artist Jan Stamos in her studio. I’m happy about art, artists and people that feel a burning desire to create and share their creations. I’m happy about the art in my life, all the creative education I’ve been blessed with…
Wonder
I’m grateful for a day of big, extravagant self-care. I got a massage and did the bathing ritual several times at the Sonoma Mission Inn with some loving sisters. I gave myself as much opportunity for calm, relaxation and peace as I could. It helped a lot. I feel a renewed inspiration to take care…
Grandma
I usually love costumes, dressing up, carving pumpkins and trick ‘r treating…but I just wasn’t feeling any of it this year. I found a way to celebrate Halloween at Medicine Theater improv class tonight where we invited ancestor spirits into our intuitive, spontaneous play. I connected with my maternal Grandma, Helen Berger, who died in…
Women
I’m SO blessed because my entire life has felt like one long empowering women’s circle. Every woman in my family is a strong, powerful, can do, make it work, pushing the envelope, outspoken about women being kind, fair, intelligent leaders kind of woman. Every Kojola, Berger, Ahrens, Martin, Murray and Meek woman I know is…
Impatient
I felt very impatient today with the snails pace of change in our world. I watched two powerful documentaries by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Miss Representation and The Mask You Live In. I feel fired up about so many ISSUES in our culture that contribute to so much pain for so many people. It’s so hard to watch so many…
Yoga
In my yoga class last night, I noticed a familiar inner dialogue that was in opposition to the teacher; her voice, her tone, her instruction, and her adjustments…just not exactly the way I like it. I kept thinking I would kindly ask her not to touch me, that I would tell her that I know…
Dating
I remember when online dating was new, maybe around 2002. My friend & I made dating profiles “as a joke” we told each other. It was embarrassing to tell people you had an online dating profile. If you meet someone, you didn’t really want to admit that it had been online. Now it’s almost passé.…
Food
Re: food. I’ve struggled in the past (as recently as yesterday evening) to eat in a good way. Oh. My. God. There is SO much involved with eating in a good way. A least it seems that way to me at this point. I’m defining eating in a good way for myself as consuming excellent…
Single
Today I’m happy about being a single woman! I’m grateful to be of a mind to celebrate my independence. I spend plenty of time wishing I had a really great partner, but the reality is that I don’t at this time. The most true thing I can say is that I don’t know if I’ll…