Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Untitled
I have no idea what to title this blog as so much has happened (or not happened) or shifted or changed or fallen apart or rearranged since the last time I wrote, its hard to know where to begin telling the latest stories of Katalin: Artist, Earthkeeper, DreamTime Sister, Gypsy Mama. I am filled with the whirl and wonder and wisdoms of so much, and feel simultaneously light and open and fiery and chaotic, as if two sticks are rubbing in my heart, causing sparks to fly, newness is growing and I’m almost trembling, wondering what will happen as the golden sheen breaks out across the diamond skies. So, I call this one Untitled, appropriately, and leave it all open, nameless, undone so to speak.
Right now, this Wednesday afternoon, I’m sitting in my sister’s lovely new apartment in Bangkok, Thailand, the late afternoon sun starting to glow in the newly bought palms inspired to finally write another blog entry, after months of retreat away from this online journaling that connects me in with my dear community of family, spirit brothers and sisters, other dancers and weavers, artists and storytellers, vision makers and dreamers.
Two things inspired me to write this: firstly, leaving India this time, taking a short, one week vacation to Bangkok to visit my sister and mom has me feeling all achy and longing. I think I’ve fallen (even more) deeply in love with the Goddess that is India and she’s starting to work around the most ancient parts of my Self or selves, being as multidimensional that I am. Is this even possible? Last time I returned, my last blog entry, which was an amazing six months ago (can it really have been that long!?!), I felt great Mother India’s gentle loving arms reach up from the earth, through the cracked concrete of New Delhi to embrace me. I felt like I was coming Home. Not just the place I dwell, or the house we’ve made into Rubybleu House and painted turquoise and garnet. Not just the place where my daughter was born, her placenta buried under the palm in Kerala’s iron red soil. Not just the place where I have discovered more about who or what I am than any other place on Earth…in fact I’ve been exploring these questions so much, that I now have even less idea of who or what I am and some notion of walking the path moment to moment. But more on that later.
Right now, this Wednesday afternoon, I’m sitting in my sister’s lovely new apartment in Bangkok, Thailand, the late afternoon sun starting to glow in the newly bought palms inspired to finally write another blog entry, after months of retreat away from this online journaling that connects me in with my dear community of family, spirit brothers and sisters, other dancers and weavers, artists and storytellers, vision makers and dreamers.
Two things inspired me to write this: firstly, leaving India this time, taking a short, one week vacation to Bangkok to visit my sister and mom has me feeling all achy and longing. I think I’ve fallen (even more) deeply in love with the Goddess that is India and she’s starting to work around the most ancient parts of my Self or selves, being as multidimensional that I am. Is this even possible? Last time I returned, my last blog entry, which was an amazing six months ago (can it really have been that long!?!), I felt great Mother India’s gentle loving arms reach up from the earth, through the cracked concrete of New Delhi to embrace me. I felt like I was coming Home. Not just the place I dwell, or the house we’ve made into Rubybleu House and painted turquoise and garnet. Not just the place where my daughter was born, her placenta buried under the palm in Kerala’s iron red soil. Not just the place where I have discovered more about who or what I am than any other place on Earth…in fact I’ve been exploring these questions so much, that I now have even less idea of who or what I am and some notion of walking the path moment to moment. But more on that later.
I was coming Home to where the Earth meets the Sky in the crazy jumble of humanity, where the smells of Life and Death smack you in the face and you can’t pretend it doesn’t exist. Where spiritual Masters reside in special, quiet ashrams or communities, or in Himalayan caves and the Goddess is still revered. I have been coming to India for over seven years now and she is so deep in my blood, that for the first time I miss her upon leaving. Instead of the normal relief of escaping the madness, the chaos, the filth and the poverty for a while…somehow it doesn’t matter anymore and I know it’s not India that has changed.
The second thing that inspired me is my sister and her ‘fiancé’s’ decision to not
have a wedding. The gathering of family that transpired last night with the frank discussion of planning a giant U.S. wedding from Bangkok was very beautiful. They decided that since they are already married, to forgo all the intensity of planning this huge event and spending thousands of dollars and simply celebrate their love daily. The look of relief on Carmen and Esan’s faces was priceless. I swear Esan became a year younger. This photo is of them enraptured by their decision to spend all the time and love on creating wondrous lives for themselves instead of one special day. I realize what a non-conformist, cultural rule breaker I am when I noticed how joyous I felt over their conscious decision to not get sucked into the fairytale wedding nonsense that seems to have overtaken America.
And I ask myself, so who has changed? What has changed? From the outside looking in, it’s clear that there are big shifts happening. Our dear Rubybleu House is being reclaimed by the owners and we will have to relocate next year. Where and in what way that will happen remains to be seen. We will certainly move to a house somewhere on Varkala cliff, maybe set back a little. But do I dare to say ‘certain’ when almost every person I know who’s made big life plans this year are all coming tumbling down? It seems the Goddess is having a great laugh this month, watching as dear friends are parting ways after years of relationships, businesses failing or changing form, weddings coming undone, and expectations are falling to pieces. It’s exciting!
I am almost done with my rewrite of the Reiki Warrior book, now titled The Sacred Art of Reiki: Healing as a Spiritual Discipline. Llewellyn Books plans to have it out December of this year, 2008, so you can really look for my book in your local bookstore! This is a huge step for me, a
contract as a soon-to-be published author and I plan to continue writing and writing and writing. I went off to Karuna Farm (check out http://www.karunafarm.in/) to work on the rewrite and reveled in fresh clear air, the misty mountains, time spent alone. Time to write and contemplate and do my practice is so nourishing that I smile just thinking about it. I went through a few months, after meeting Karmapa, and coming back to Varkala descending into caterpillar stage, curled up and quiet, even amidst the sparkling madness of Season Time. I came back from Karuna revitalized and joyous, so much so that since then I’ve been dancing, making fires on the moonlit beach, playing guitar furiously, writing poems, learning Neil Young songs (yes I’m finally branching out from Dylan).
I’ve also been connecting in with the sisters of Varkala and relating our stories of mayhem breaking loose in plans and relationships. Five of us, all struggling with our men, got together for Valentine’s Day and made collage, reclaiming a bit of continuity, in spiraling womyn style. Trying to gain clarity and open our heart’s to the growth and intensity that happens as we change as humans traversing the Earth journey.
Rubybleu Foundation has received an influx of support and we wish to thank you deeply for that. We will continue our scholarship program as the best and most sustainable work we can do with the funds we have. Some Varkala dwellers from England volunteered this year as well. Clare and Sabrina worked with training the women in making bracelets and Lucy began showing them basic computer skills. Our treasurer, Jasmine Tabisaura, is planning to come for a visit in May. Look for the upcoming information at http://www.rubybleu.org/
Yoko is growing fast, dancing more, singing songs and riding the waves in, letting herself tumble and splash about, kicking her legs furiously. Ocean child…ocean child… She is getting browner in the sun and she has tiger eyes that give a hint of Mogly from the Jungle Book. Her Malayalam is improving by attending a local school and speaking with the children. She is going with her dear friend Luis and enjoying making art, playing on the swings and the challenge of group social dynamics.
The second thing that inspired me is my sister and her ‘fiancé’s’ decision to not
have a wedding. The gathering of family that transpired last night with the frank discussion of planning a giant U.S. wedding from Bangkok was very beautiful. They decided that since they are already married, to forgo all the intensity of planning this huge event and spending thousands of dollars and simply celebrate their love daily. The look of relief on Carmen and Esan’s faces was priceless. I swear Esan became a year younger. This photo is of them enraptured by their decision to spend all the time and love on creating wondrous lives for themselves instead of one special day. I realize what a non-conformist, cultural rule breaker I am when I noticed how joyous I felt over their conscious decision to not get sucked into the fairytale wedding nonsense that seems to have overtaken America.And I ask myself, so who has changed? What has changed? From the outside looking in, it’s clear that there are big shifts happening. Our dear Rubybleu House is being reclaimed by the owners and we will have to relocate next year. Where and in what way that will happen remains to be seen. We will certainly move to a house somewhere on Varkala cliff, maybe set back a little. But do I dare to say ‘certain’ when almost every person I know who’s made big life plans this year are all coming tumbling down? It seems the Goddess is having a great laugh this month, watching as dear friends are parting ways after years of relationships, businesses failing or changing form, weddings coming undone, and expectations are falling to pieces. It’s exciting!
I am almost done with my rewrite of the Reiki Warrior book, now titled The Sacred Art of Reiki: Healing as a Spiritual Discipline. Llewellyn Books plans to have it out December of this year, 2008, so you can really look for my book in your local bookstore! This is a huge step for me, a
contract as a soon-to-be published author and I plan to continue writing and writing and writing. I went off to Karuna Farm (check out http://www.karunafarm.in/) to work on the rewrite and reveled in fresh clear air, the misty mountains, time spent alone. Time to write and contemplate and do my practice is so nourishing that I smile just thinking about it. I went through a few months, after meeting Karmapa, and coming back to Varkala descending into caterpillar stage, curled up and quiet, even amidst the sparkling madness of Season Time. I came back from Karuna revitalized and joyous, so much so that since then I’ve been dancing, making fires on the moonlit beach, playing guitar furiously, writing poems, learning Neil Young songs (yes I’m finally branching out from Dylan).I’ve also been connecting in with the sisters of Varkala and relating our stories of mayhem breaking loose in plans and relationships. Five of us, all struggling with our men, got together for Valentine’s Day and made collage, reclaiming a bit of continuity, in spiraling womyn style. Trying to gain clarity and open our heart’s to the growth and intensity that happens as we change as humans traversing the Earth journey.
Rubybleu Foundation has received an influx of support and we wish to thank you deeply for that. We will continue our scholarship program as the best and most sustainable work we can do with the funds we have. Some Varkala dwellers from England volunteered this year as well. Clare and Sabrina worked with training the women in making bracelets and Lucy began showing them basic computer skills. Our treasurer, Jasmine Tabisaura, is planning to come for a visit in May. Look for the upcoming information at http://www.rubybleu.org/
Yoko is growing fast, dancing more, singing songs and riding the waves in, letting herself tumble and splash about, kicking her legs furiously. Ocean child…ocean child… She is getting browner in the sun and she has tiger eyes that give a hint of Mogly from the Jungle Book. Her Malayalam is improving by attending a local school and speaking with the children. She is going with her dear friend Luis and enjoying making art, playing on the swings and the challenge of group social dynamics.
I breathe in the sultry night of purply, wild Bangkok air and wonder about the future, but try not to think in terms of plans. The Goddess is teaching me well and I dance the moment, buy fire poi and sticks, striped socks and sparkling cloth for circus March in Varkala: come and sit with us by the fire on the moonlit beach, ocean crashing, while the drum of Mother Earth's heart beats on and fires sing through the night, just celebrating the turning of this precious earth and mysterious wondrous Life.
Now that my sister has canceled the summer wedding, the days are open again and who knows what adventures lay await for us! All I know is that change awaits, hovering, every moment, every sparkling second...this ever unfolding Journey.
Take care all of you and remember ………. All you need is LOVE, LOVE, LOVE…
katalin
Now that my sister has canceled the summer wedding, the days are open again and who knows what adventures lay await for us! All I know is that change awaits, hovering, every moment, every sparkling second...this ever unfolding Journey.
Take care all of you and remember ………. All you need is LOVE, LOVE, LOVE…
katalin
Labels: Bangkok, canceled wedding, fire, India
Thursday, July 08, 2004
Ripening
High summer is moving along, swindling its golden afternoons to my delight, embracing my skin with a quiet softness. Of course, living in south India is a perpetual summer of sorts and I should say rather, it's mid-mango season, mid-monsoons, mid-pregnancy. Things are indeed ripening both inside and out. Summer solstice has passed, and I gave my offerings to Yemaya, the Goddess of the sea, under a misted morning adorned with a full rainbow at sea. She, Yemaya, is wild and passionate these days, frothing gray blues and greens on windswept crests. Even the hearty fishermen do not dare venture into her wily waves and dangerous currents. The beach has completely disappeared, been sucked out with an oceanic frenzy, leaving the cliff to bear the constant barrage of endless tides. The full moon has passed as well and I sit in my airy studio, looking out at green and yellow jungly mayhem growing before my watchful eyes, hear the eagle's cry, the twitching bats and the crow's cacophony. Inside my womb, the new one, the little one pulses and stirs with eager Life, embracing my heart with Hope as the days, although achingly slow still slip by like sand through fingers, like sunsets over ancient horizons.
The rubybleu foundation continues to grow, thanks to your kind donations, and lead Leon and I on new, unexpected adventures. Through a contact from England, we met an Indian social worker named Subhash Chandra Bose who has started women's self-help groups in several villages south of Varkala, where we live. We went to visit the communities last week and were inspired by the women's active participation and drive to make changes. They live in poverty-stricken environments that lack clean sanitation and water and rely on a very low income from their husbands to get by. In forming these self-help groups, Subhash has inspired the women to learn their rights and find a voice amongst the deafening silence of oppression. These villages are a harsh example of ancient India crashing headlong into the modern age. The women are finding it increasingly hard to get by on their men's wages and have begun looking for their own sources of financial income. The rubybleu foundation will be supporting the group by offering small grants to women that will allow them to take a Windows computer course at a discounted price. Our hope is that the women will use this opportunity to further their education and skills in an ever-increasing modernized world. Other projects are also underway including micro loans for the women, skills development and intentions to bring in health and education volunteers. For more information on this project and others that are happening with the self-help groups, check out our website at www.rubybleu.org
Meanwhile, at the rubybleu house and gardens, we are using this slow time to continue our own projects. The organic gardens are beginning to look amazing, truly gorgeous. Leon uses his plant wisdom to create art with his precious 'babies' as he fondly calls the plants. He is always picking out newer, stranger, more wondrous flowering bushes and plants to fill the earth. We have orchids, Buddha bellies, ferns, hibiscus, papaya and banana trees just to name a few that you might be familiar with. One of the most extraordinary aspects of the garden are the various tropical vines that he has either bought or grown from seed that creep along strings around the house, up to the roof, blooming brilliant pink, purple or white flowers. I have become so inspired that decided to forget the fact that I've killed every plant I've owned and even plant a few seeds myself. Along with taking up reading Organic Gardening by J.I. Rodale, I find myself racing out to my small patch of spinach, lavender and basil to see if any seeds have sprouted yet. Gardening is fun!
My time is also devoted to Yoga, writing and painting these days. I've finished half of my book, tentatively titled The Cancer Chronicles, an autobiography of my journey of chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease when I was nineteen years old. As you may know, thus far Slade has received one big fat rejection and is perched, ready to dive back into the world of submissions once again. I am also working on painting the Major Arcana of the Tarot with a kind of cosmological, feminist bent. Lots of swirls and androgynous beings and brilliant colors. Some of my recent paintings will be showcased on http://spiralmuse.com/art_home.html in the next couple of months. Leon is working on his infamous music collections, avidly turning analogue into digital with a few complaints about the fallibility of music software and the digital sound.
This is a time of expectancy, of waiting. I am waiting for baby. I am waiting for the season to begin. I am waiting for family, friends, and travelers who will again traverse our doorstep, seeking rest and knowledge and joy. After the birth, I plan to resume practicing and teaching Reiki with one or more assistants during the season. I am offering courses in Reiki I and II and may do some individual Yogic teaching as well. Leon and I welcome you to come for a visit in our lovely home, alongside the gorgeous Indian Ocean. If you are interested in any aspect of what we are doing or want information about us and/or the rubybleu foundation, please contact me at katalin@rubybleu.org
Take care this summer, do a wild dance for me and have joyous celebratory affairs, dear ones!
Katalin
High summer is moving along, swindling its golden afternoons to my delight, embracing my skin with a quiet softness. Of course, living in south India is a perpetual summer of sorts and I should say rather, it's mid-mango season, mid-monsoons, mid-pregnancy. Things are indeed ripening both inside and out. Summer solstice has passed, and I gave my offerings to Yemaya, the Goddess of the sea, under a misted morning adorned with a full rainbow at sea. She, Yemaya, is wild and passionate these days, frothing gray blues and greens on windswept crests. Even the hearty fishermen do not dare venture into her wily waves and dangerous currents. The beach has completely disappeared, been sucked out with an oceanic frenzy, leaving the cliff to bear the constant barrage of endless tides. The full moon has passed as well and I sit in my airy studio, looking out at green and yellow jungly mayhem growing before my watchful eyes, hear the eagle's cry, the twitching bats and the crow's cacophony. Inside my womb, the new one, the little one pulses and stirs with eager Life, embracing my heart with Hope as the days, although achingly slow still slip by like sand through fingers, like sunsets over ancient horizons.
The rubybleu foundation continues to grow, thanks to your kind donations, and lead Leon and I on new, unexpected adventures. Through a contact from England, we met an Indian social worker named Subhash Chandra Bose who has started women's self-help groups in several villages south of Varkala, where we live. We went to visit the communities last week and were inspired by the women's active participation and drive to make changes. They live in poverty-stricken environments that lack clean sanitation and water and rely on a very low income from their husbands to get by. In forming these self-help groups, Subhash has inspired the women to learn their rights and find a voice amongst the deafening silence of oppression. These villages are a harsh example of ancient India crashing headlong into the modern age. The women are finding it increasingly hard to get by on their men's wages and have begun looking for their own sources of financial income. The rubybleu foundation will be supporting the group by offering small grants to women that will allow them to take a Windows computer course at a discounted price. Our hope is that the women will use this opportunity to further their education and skills in an ever-increasing modernized world. Other projects are also underway including micro loans for the women, skills development and intentions to bring in health and education volunteers. For more information on this project and others that are happening with the self-help groups, check out our website at www.rubybleu.org
Meanwhile, at the rubybleu house and gardens, we are using this slow time to continue our own projects. The organic gardens are beginning to look amazing, truly gorgeous. Leon uses his plant wisdom to create art with his precious 'babies' as he fondly calls the plants. He is always picking out newer, stranger, more wondrous flowering bushes and plants to fill the earth. We have orchids, Buddha bellies, ferns, hibiscus, papaya and banana trees just to name a few that you might be familiar with. One of the most extraordinary aspects of the garden are the various tropical vines that he has either bought or grown from seed that creep along strings around the house, up to the roof, blooming brilliant pink, purple or white flowers. I have become so inspired that decided to forget the fact that I've killed every plant I've owned and even plant a few seeds myself. Along with taking up reading Organic Gardening by J.I. Rodale, I find myself racing out to my small patch of spinach, lavender and basil to see if any seeds have sprouted yet. Gardening is fun!
My time is also devoted to Yoga, writing and painting these days. I've finished half of my book, tentatively titled The Cancer Chronicles, an autobiography of my journey of chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease when I was nineteen years old. As you may know, thus far Slade has received one big fat rejection and is perched, ready to dive back into the world of submissions once again. I am also working on painting the Major Arcana of the Tarot with a kind of cosmological, feminist bent. Lots of swirls and androgynous beings and brilliant colors. Some of my recent paintings will be showcased on http://spiralmuse.com/art_home.html in the next couple of months. Leon is working on his infamous music collections, avidly turning analogue into digital with a few complaints about the fallibility of music software and the digital sound.
This is a time of expectancy, of waiting. I am waiting for baby. I am waiting for the season to begin. I am waiting for family, friends, and travelers who will again traverse our doorstep, seeking rest and knowledge and joy. After the birth, I plan to resume practicing and teaching Reiki with one or more assistants during the season. I am offering courses in Reiki I and II and may do some individual Yogic teaching as well. Leon and I welcome you to come for a visit in our lovely home, alongside the gorgeous Indian Ocean. If you are interested in any aspect of what we are doing or want information about us and/or the rubybleu foundation, please contact me at katalin@rubybleu.org
Take care this summer, do a wild dance for me and have joyous celebratory affairs, dear ones!
Katalin
Labels: cancer chronicles, garden, Goddess, India, Kerala, monsoon, ocean, painting, rainbow, Rubybleu Foundation, Rubybleu House, South India, tarot, tropical, Yemaya
Saturday, May 01, 2004
Hey all… Firstly, let me wish you a joyous May Day, Beltane that is, and for those of you old friends, just think back to Come As Your Madness and you’ll be refreshed. For everyone else, let your hair down and your hips swing on this newest day of Pagan summertime. It is a time of retrieving your sexuality and letting her out to air. I’ll be painting with eggshells and doing a wild dance on the roof under moonlight tonight to honor the Goddess and her welcome compatriot, the God of Fire and Light.
I am finally back in sweet, soft Varkala and feel like I never left. The timeless ocean just lulls one back into the effortless life of Being. Of course, Leon’s magical garden helps with its glorious multitude of greens, brilliant red and orange flowers and an outgrowth of radishes. They’re huge! And so is Goba, our dog. She’s gone into heat so we’re a bit wary of her lifestyle these days—no puppies for her! We have several guests now: recent ashramites…somehow we seem to attract the Sivananda yoga people after each Teacher Training Course and Yoga Vacation ever since I did my course at Neyyar Dam. There seems to be a sort of special karmic connection which keeps yoga alive and steady on our rooftop twice a day. I’m eating fresh fruits and doing my own special yoga as well. Since I am now almost fourteen weeks pregnant, (yay!) I’ve started modifying my practice.
The States was a really intense whirlwind of Doing for me. I taught a Reiki workshop in San Francisco. Two of my students I knew, one an old friend, miss Emily Becker and another a new friend from my teacher training at Sivananda, Camron. The workshop went really well. It was an all day intensive that included the four attunements for Reiki One as well as working with the Reiki healing technique with a look at the Chakra System. My students said I looked like a cherub in all white, young and wise. The class was held at the SpiralMuse house in San Francisco and I encourage any of you who live in the Bay area to swing by and check it out. It is a house full of incredible, powerful women who are bursting at the seams with creativity and out to truly change the world. For the rest of you, who are far from SF, check them out at www.spiralmuse.com Women connecting more women...
I traveled back to the east coast where I spent time with family and friends and working furiously on the third draft of my novel: Slade: The Seven Nuances. Starting the work at Grandpa C’s on his ancient computer, continuing at my dearest friend Desiree’s apartment in Brooklyn where the clouds were gray and the city pulsed earth gone urban under my feet, I finally finished the work back at my parent’s. I sent the manuscript off, the entire 468 pages, to an editor’s desk in New York and hope to hear from him in the next six months. New York was cold and ancient, seeping her sparkly, chaotic rhythm back into my blood, but fainter this time. I have spent so many days walking the streets that city in the past but this time I heard her only softly. I guess I’ve become too addicted to the nature. Although, the city did reawaken my passionate urge to paint which I am now doing in my studio in Varkala: female figures, layers and inks. I also found out I was pregnant in New York, and smile remembering the look on Desiree’s face as I told her. Through all her tiredness of surviving in the city, creating in the off hours, a wondrous glow spread across her face that surely mirrored mine.
My parents were wonderful to see and I also had the rare treat of visiting with my aunt and cousins from Riverside. We spent some time in D.C. at the art museums and had some lovely meals together. I managed to see my oldest friend Bridgette and present her with her wedding sari that I bought here, in India. She picked out the one she wanted from my digital pictures and I chose it with care in the sari shop. We dressed her up in it and she looked AMAZING. Her wedding will be a special day. Other dear friends graced my days, and I had some good times over tapas with Regina and Lauren and looking at ancient Buddhas with Craig. The time was short, fleeting and I felt I had to rush back to California before I’d barely had a chance to tap into that deep level of familial love and friendship with the people that I care so much about.
Back in Cali, I held the second Rubybleu Foundation fundraiser with the help of Matthew, Emily and Melissa. It was held at Matthew’s cottage where we sold his gorgeous pottery and some lovely fabrics that I brought from India. The affair was rather small, as many people were busy on Easter weekend, but we managed to raise over seven-hundred dollars, mostly due to the generous contribution of the Boddum family. The Rubybleu Foundation IS growing and we now have plenty of money to contribute to our next project. Also, we’ve launched our new website! Check it out at www.rubybleu.org. The website was designed and created by Jennifer from www.chaotech.com. She has been extraordinary in getting this up for us, feeling the vision from across the globe and manifesting it to the best of her ability. I admire her and strongly recommend her if you are in need of a website. Stay tuned because the website will be updated in the next couple of weeks. I also signed up on www.blogger.com where you can find this letter and my upcoming blog entries at www.rubybleu.blogspot.com
After running like crazy for five days in Cali, including a wild, freaky dance party that my body much needed, I left San Francisco in mid-April and traveled back to Asia to spend a week with my sister in Malaysia. She has been living in Kuala Lumpur for the past year and we had a fabulous time trekking about the city. The food is excellent, truly divine and I got my fill of seafood, tofu and sauces to die for. The people are incredibly mixed: Malay, Chinese and Indian with over ten-thousand ex-pats and the intermingling over the years has resulted in an interesting masala of humans. They seem really open and my sister has several friends that are locals as well as ex-pats. She is doing marketing work and enjoying the high life of great food, a nice apartment and cool clubs for very little money. We also spent a day in Malaka, a major port city that was inhabited by the Dutch for some time. The hundred-year old quaint Chinese houses were wondrous, as I have never spent any time in Chinese culture besides Chinatowns in the U.S. Red lanterns, lucky cats, a couple of gorgeous Chinese boys and some pop music had me feeling like we had found our way into our own version of Lost in Translation. Again, we had more excellent food. We enjoyed a savory, peanut, sweet and spicy sauce that sat simmering in the middle of our aluminum table where we dipped in kabobs of fresh vegetables, tofu and shrimps. It was one of the best meals of my life! I had a fabulous time in Malaysia before heading back to my simpler life in India.
Overall, the trip was very exciting. I was overjoyed to find out I am pregnant and glad to be back in my home where I can cook my own foods, swim in the ocean, do my yoga and watch my belly swell. Funnily enough, I have very little fears concerning this child. I do feel he is a boy and am excited for his arrival. We will most likely birth the child in an excellent hospital that is less than an hour away. It is one of the best hospitals in Kerala and, unlike Western hospitals, has a much calmer feel to it. My gynecologist is the same woman who will also deliver the baby, no matter what time of night he is born. Unlike the west, there are less machines, less that feeling of a state of emergency that seems to pervade labor and delivery floors in the west, and an overall, sunny attitude. And they have all necessary equipment there if needed. I feel less attached to the birth this time. I would love to have a home birth and would like to put out there, that if anyone does know a midwife that would be willing to come to India for a few months to deliver my baby, I am open to this option. But the most important thing is this baby’s life journey which I hope is a lot longer than Rubybleu’s. I feel he is a quiet, dreamer, brilliance hovers as his life grows inside.
I encourage all of you to come for a visit when you can. I am continuously teaching Reiki and welcome new and old students. I am also working on my next book about my experiences with Reiki and the Chakra System. Yoga, art and new ideas are encouraged here along with great food and of course, Yemaya, the sea Goddess who rises endless, searing her vast, infinite beauty across my soul. As I said, we are seeking our next project for the Rubybleu Foundation and are open to any suggestions that you may have. We are also in need of someone to care for our Foundation on the western side of the world. This work would involve receiving and keeping track of donations and mailing in our minutes bi-annually. It should not be too much work, but we cannot, as yet, pay anyone for their time. If you are interested, please contact me at sister_fireheart@yahoo.com
I want to send some shout outs to all of you who welcomed me to sleep and live in your homes: Moses, Emily, Mom and Dad (of course), Desiree and Beth. A big thank you to SpiralMuse for hosting my Reiki workshop and for truly making the world a better place. Thanks to Jennifer for designing our website…how many times can I thank you for such art? I thank the Boddum’s for giving so much to our cause and Matthew for hosting our lovely little get together. Thanks to Mary Richerson for supporting the Foundation so much, for running around to the bank and doing all those nasty little paperwork jobs that make Rubybleu an incorporated organization. Thank you to all of you who have given your time and money to the Rubybleu Foundation, given us the wonderful little gifts that make us smile and have supported us with all your help. Keep smiling and keep making art cuz our little planet needs all the beauty she can get!
Much love to you all,
Peace,
Katalin
I am finally back in sweet, soft Varkala and feel like I never left. The timeless ocean just lulls one back into the effortless life of Being. Of course, Leon’s magical garden helps with its glorious multitude of greens, brilliant red and orange flowers and an outgrowth of radishes. They’re huge! And so is Goba, our dog. She’s gone into heat so we’re a bit wary of her lifestyle these days—no puppies for her! We have several guests now: recent ashramites…somehow we seem to attract the Sivananda yoga people after each Teacher Training Course and Yoga Vacation ever since I did my course at Neyyar Dam. There seems to be a sort of special karmic connection which keeps yoga alive and steady on our rooftop twice a day. I’m eating fresh fruits and doing my own special yoga as well. Since I am now almost fourteen weeks pregnant, (yay!) I’ve started modifying my practice.
The States was a really intense whirlwind of Doing for me. I taught a Reiki workshop in San Francisco. Two of my students I knew, one an old friend, miss Emily Becker and another a new friend from my teacher training at Sivananda, Camron. The workshop went really well. It was an all day intensive that included the four attunements for Reiki One as well as working with the Reiki healing technique with a look at the Chakra System. My students said I looked like a cherub in all white, young and wise. The class was held at the SpiralMuse house in San Francisco and I encourage any of you who live in the Bay area to swing by and check it out. It is a house full of incredible, powerful women who are bursting at the seams with creativity and out to truly change the world. For the rest of you, who are far from SF, check them out at www.spiralmuse.com Women connecting more women...
I traveled back to the east coast where I spent time with family and friends and working furiously on the third draft of my novel: Slade: The Seven Nuances. Starting the work at Grandpa C’s on his ancient computer, continuing at my dearest friend Desiree’s apartment in Brooklyn where the clouds were gray and the city pulsed earth gone urban under my feet, I finally finished the work back at my parent’s. I sent the manuscript off, the entire 468 pages, to an editor’s desk in New York and hope to hear from him in the next six months. New York was cold and ancient, seeping her sparkly, chaotic rhythm back into my blood, but fainter this time. I have spent so many days walking the streets that city in the past but this time I heard her only softly. I guess I’ve become too addicted to the nature. Although, the city did reawaken my passionate urge to paint which I am now doing in my studio in Varkala: female figures, layers and inks. I also found out I was pregnant in New York, and smile remembering the look on Desiree’s face as I told her. Through all her tiredness of surviving in the city, creating in the off hours, a wondrous glow spread across her face that surely mirrored mine.
My parents were wonderful to see and I also had the rare treat of visiting with my aunt and cousins from Riverside. We spent some time in D.C. at the art museums and had some lovely meals together. I managed to see my oldest friend Bridgette and present her with her wedding sari that I bought here, in India. She picked out the one she wanted from my digital pictures and I chose it with care in the sari shop. We dressed her up in it and she looked AMAZING. Her wedding will be a special day. Other dear friends graced my days, and I had some good times over tapas with Regina and Lauren and looking at ancient Buddhas with Craig. The time was short, fleeting and I felt I had to rush back to California before I’d barely had a chance to tap into that deep level of familial love and friendship with the people that I care so much about.
Back in Cali, I held the second Rubybleu Foundation fundraiser with the help of Matthew, Emily and Melissa. It was held at Matthew’s cottage where we sold his gorgeous pottery and some lovely fabrics that I brought from India. The affair was rather small, as many people were busy on Easter weekend, but we managed to raise over seven-hundred dollars, mostly due to the generous contribution of the Boddum family. The Rubybleu Foundation IS growing and we now have plenty of money to contribute to our next project. Also, we’ve launched our new website! Check it out at www.rubybleu.org. The website was designed and created by Jennifer from www.chaotech.com. She has been extraordinary in getting this up for us, feeling the vision from across the globe and manifesting it to the best of her ability. I admire her and strongly recommend her if you are in need of a website. Stay tuned because the website will be updated in the next couple of weeks. I also signed up on www.blogger.com where you can find this letter and my upcoming blog entries at www.rubybleu.blogspot.com
After running like crazy for five days in Cali, including a wild, freaky dance party that my body much needed, I left San Francisco in mid-April and traveled back to Asia to spend a week with my sister in Malaysia. She has been living in Kuala Lumpur for the past year and we had a fabulous time trekking about the city. The food is excellent, truly divine and I got my fill of seafood, tofu and sauces to die for. The people are incredibly mixed: Malay, Chinese and Indian with over ten-thousand ex-pats and the intermingling over the years has resulted in an interesting masala of humans. They seem really open and my sister has several friends that are locals as well as ex-pats. She is doing marketing work and enjoying the high life of great food, a nice apartment and cool clubs for very little money. We also spent a day in Malaka, a major port city that was inhabited by the Dutch for some time. The hundred-year old quaint Chinese houses were wondrous, as I have never spent any time in Chinese culture besides Chinatowns in the U.S. Red lanterns, lucky cats, a couple of gorgeous Chinese boys and some pop music had me feeling like we had found our way into our own version of Lost in Translation. Again, we had more excellent food. We enjoyed a savory, peanut, sweet and spicy sauce that sat simmering in the middle of our aluminum table where we dipped in kabobs of fresh vegetables, tofu and shrimps. It was one of the best meals of my life! I had a fabulous time in Malaysia before heading back to my simpler life in India.
Overall, the trip was very exciting. I was overjoyed to find out I am pregnant and glad to be back in my home where I can cook my own foods, swim in the ocean, do my yoga and watch my belly swell. Funnily enough, I have very little fears concerning this child. I do feel he is a boy and am excited for his arrival. We will most likely birth the child in an excellent hospital that is less than an hour away. It is one of the best hospitals in Kerala and, unlike Western hospitals, has a much calmer feel to it. My gynecologist is the same woman who will also deliver the baby, no matter what time of night he is born. Unlike the west, there are less machines, less that feeling of a state of emergency that seems to pervade labor and delivery floors in the west, and an overall, sunny attitude. And they have all necessary equipment there if needed. I feel less attached to the birth this time. I would love to have a home birth and would like to put out there, that if anyone does know a midwife that would be willing to come to India for a few months to deliver my baby, I am open to this option. But the most important thing is this baby’s life journey which I hope is a lot longer than Rubybleu’s. I feel he is a quiet, dreamer, brilliance hovers as his life grows inside.
I encourage all of you to come for a visit when you can. I am continuously teaching Reiki and welcome new and old students. I am also working on my next book about my experiences with Reiki and the Chakra System. Yoga, art and new ideas are encouraged here along with great food and of course, Yemaya, the sea Goddess who rises endless, searing her vast, infinite beauty across my soul. As I said, we are seeking our next project for the Rubybleu Foundation and are open to any suggestions that you may have. We are also in need of someone to care for our Foundation on the western side of the world. This work would involve receiving and keeping track of donations and mailing in our minutes bi-annually. It should not be too much work, but we cannot, as yet, pay anyone for their time. If you are interested, please contact me at sister_fireheart@yahoo.com
I want to send some shout outs to all of you who welcomed me to sleep and live in your homes: Moses, Emily, Mom and Dad (of course), Desiree and Beth. A big thank you to SpiralMuse for hosting my Reiki workshop and for truly making the world a better place. Thanks to Jennifer for designing our website…how many times can I thank you for such art? I thank the Boddum’s for giving so much to our cause and Matthew for hosting our lovely little get together. Thanks to Mary Richerson for supporting the Foundation so much, for running around to the bank and doing all those nasty little paperwork jobs that make Rubybleu an incorporated organization. Thank you to all of you who have given your time and money to the Rubybleu Foundation, given us the wonderful little gifts that make us smile and have supported us with all your help. Keep smiling and keep making art cuz our little planet needs all the beauty she can get!
Much love to you all,
Peace,
Katalin
Labels: Beltane, brooklyn, chakra system, eggshells, fire, fundraiser, Goddess, India, Kerala, light, May Day, painting, Rubybleu Foundation, Rubybleu House, South India, spiral muse, Varkala
