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Being a good ancestor
This is a momentous week for us and our new community, Shambhala. Named after the 11th Insight—because you know we live our life by these!—Shambhala is entering into the activity phase (finally!). 3 of our founders planted 80 young sapling trees (pine, oak, elderberry, persimmon and more!) and in each tree, we planted a black truffle seed, along with our intentions for a fruitful, abundant, amazing future for all who come and live here. I saw a quote this past month that said, "I don't see it as planting an orchard, I see it as being a good ancestor." And I resonate with that truly, because these trees won't be in their full glory for 10-20 years, and they will be the legacy for the next generation—not mine. But this week is not just about trees. After 6 months of patience, perseverance, and hard work, we are finally building our yurts—two sturdy, efficient, pop-up homes that have been sitting in their boxes, waiting for our deck to be completed and the weather to be just right. As you read this, we are building! It takes a village, and we have imported ours for this big event. They've driven in, flown in, and taken time out of their lives to help us build. That's what community is all about. Doing things together, supporting each other, trading time for time, and learning, together. This is our foundation for Shambhala. We believe that humans are meant to be tribal, not disconnected in suburban or urban separation and chaos. But connected to each other, and the land. This is how we rebuild our world and make it a better place. Sending love from Shambhala this week ❤ Andy
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The Pisces Convergence
Two days ago, on March 16 at around 5:30 PM GMT, the planets Mercury, Neptune and Saturn meet in the constellation Pisces and the neighboring constellation Aquarius. This conjunction occurred between Neptune's solar conjunction on March 15 and Mercury's solar conjunction on March 17, so the planets are currently lost in the sun's glare. As you may know, we strongly believe that cosmic movements affect human dispositions. Each planetary change or transit brings significant changes in every person's life. While this is an opportunity to search within and cultivate a connection with your higher self, there may be an undeniable sense of confusion in the air... For more reference on these feelings of ambiguity, check your birth chart to find out which house Neptune lives in. This is the area of life where you're more likely to dream, fantasize and wear rose-colored glasses. With Saturn moving to open-hearted Pisces, we are being encouraged to honor our boundaries, both spiritually and in terms with our current reality. Mercury and the sun joined forces with Neptune on March 15-16, so if you're suddenly feeling lethargic, distracted, or simply sleepier than usual, now you know why. These planetary movements affect the way we act, feel, talk, think and are. Depending on the constellations, planets, and signs in your birth chart can you more or less determine how affected you can become—either positive, negative, or a mix of both. But, keep in mind, that each moment we are in, whether it is supported by movements in the universe or not, is a moment that is made to be experienced, lived and learned from. The effects are just merely side-effects of the journey and are not meant to be the main factors of the journey's experience. At the end of the day, it is what you make of the circumstance. You are given the controls to your panel of emotions, feelings, reactions, etc. Always choose again, and choose wisely. Consider this:
It all works out in the end. I'm sure you've heard of this before, and you either believe it, or you don't. It can depend on a few factors, like the person that's telling you this and the mood that you're in — glass half full or empty. You might've been burnt before by things that didn't work out the way you wanted it to, or have seen other people's lives go south. You might've thought, "I don't want to keep my hopes up," or "I'm just being realistic." Our lives consist of chapters, and just like stories, some chapters are more bad than good, or good than bad. A breakup, friendship turning sour, financial setback, or illness are circumstances that can force us to be pessimistic, to curl in on ourselves and see the glass half empty, or completely drained out. But, remember, that's just a chapter in your life book, not the whole story. Every fall, mishap and setback is followed by restoration. There's this wonderfully relevant saying by philosopher and statesman, Lord Francis Bacon, and it goes, "In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present." A phoenix becomes a force to be reckoned with after it has risen from the ashes. We are innately able-bodied and tenacious beings, forged with the elements that make up the universe and created to withstand the most testing of times. Life is about contrast. How will we know what's good, great, and amazing if we don't know what's bad and terrible. Sometimes, we're put in situations that test us to highlight the fortunate things that have or are about to happen in our lives. The romance, breakthroughs, financial fluidity, business successes, best decisions, and other glorious stuff? That may happen too, and when they finally happen, will you be prepared for it? Remember those bad chapters? They're what will prepare you for the great ones. To help you prepare for the best, here are some important things to keep in mind: Prepare your body - you want to be able to handle it, physically. Prepare your mind - you're going to need to prepare for it, mentally. Assemble your people - you will need the support. Remove clutter and overhaul your life - make room for what you want the most. And lastly, Get your hopes up - your life will rise to meet them. When you know.
On the table this week for marination and dissection has been the topic of inner knowing... You know, the knowing, when you know. Ya know?! All jokes aside... When we don't listen to that inner voice, when we don't slow down long enough to even hear that voice — that's when struggles happen. Life can be easy. And simple. And free. If we let it. If we stop pushing through. If we stop and listen. If we let go, and let God. That line use to bother me. "I make my own destiny!" I would think, when I heard Wayne Dyer say in his slow, deliberate voice, "Let go, and let God." But the older we get, the less we push, pull, tug, demand, question, beg, grasp, etc. all the things that push us out of alignment. When we are in alignment, we can thrive. We're in the flow, it's all working out. And so, when we don't trust that inner voice fully, when we doubt ourselves and our Source, when we move too fast through life, we trip and fall. Walk softly, they say. And carry a big stick? I say: walk softly, and carry nothing that doesn't serve you. Let go and let God. And above all, listen. Deeply. Slowly. Deliberately. For the messages that will guide you to your destiny. Leave the stick for a dog; Andy Happy Caturday!
Unfamiliar with Caturday? I first heard of Caturday in the music festival world, where on the second of a 3-day music festival, everyone wears something with cats on it in honor of Caturday! Not that I do this every week, but when I think of it I do, and I give my furry feline babies an extra squeeze. Moving on! Thank you to ALL of our amazing submissions for our branding contest this past month! We had some good ones, and are grateful to those of you who took the time out of your busy schedule to help us define 2023! Our winner is Hana, all the way from France, who defined Andy Kennedy CO as those who Challenge the scarcity mindset, undo the negative pattern in your unconscious and shift to a positive way of thinking! We love this! While Hana is our winner of our 3-pack private session, we also want to honor a couple of other awesome words/phrases that came out of this contest, because what we do isn't just about mindset! Reciprocal altruism with the Universe A Festival of Skills to better life for you on planet Earth and throughout the Universe Words are so wonderful, and so fun to play with! If you're still developing your goals or word of the year for 2023, we challenge you to word play a little. Write the words down that call to you, either by brain-dumping, Google-searching a word cloud overarching subject, or set a reminder to listen for them throughout the day! As you know, if you know us, we love crafting just the right affirmation and power statements for your goals, weaving them into manifestation boards, audios and videos, and letting them inspire seemingly unconnected cause and effect--Synchronicity! Men and the Divine Feminine
For thousands of years, we have resided in a world of masculine dominance. The disparity caused by the polarity and the lack of balance has contributed to a world of turmoil. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the divine feminine movement seeks to counterbalance the inequality. Instead of focusing on power and dominance, the divine feminine celebrates the strengths intuition, harmony, creativity and healing. It honors the goddess and encourages reconnecting with Source, nature, and beauty. The divine feminine movement is not about female dominance. That concept is not even a recognizable attribute of the female archetype. In fact, the divine feminine reveres all life. It's about choreographing a sacred dance of equality, tolerance, and justice. Stereotypical masculine behavior is hardly consistent with the divine feminine movement. Those stereotypes include assertiveness, courage and independence. Many men may have their identity buried in the depths of dominance, control and leadership. As the divine feminine rises, the masculine may feel like their realities are crumbling. The perceived loss of control may cause feelings of uneasiness and inadequacy. A few reminders and shifts in perspective may help the masculine welcome the feminine and assist in the transformation: First, by recognizing the need for the perfect balance of yin and yang, or masculine and feminine, they can assist with the merging together of a symbiotic union. It's empowering to move from fear of losing control and feeling powerless into embracing the strength required to facilitate change. It's helpful for the masculine to realize that the movement of the divine feminine is not about female supremacy. Her goals are women standing in their peaceful power, celebrating and embracing the attributes of quiet strength, and speaking their truth from the depths of their souls. The masculine have an opportunity to help orchestrate a beautiful symphony of conscious evolution by celebrating and supporting the sacred feminine. When the divine masculine remember their authentic selves and the duality that exits within all of us, a true synergy between the sexes is made possible. The masculine have an opportunity to expand their soul's growth during these extraordinary times. One of the main factors in this expansion is the masculine (and feminine) remembering their soul contract to participate in this shift. This journey may be challenging. Change is never easy, and the very foundation of what the masculine believe about their place in society is being shaken to the core. The feminine can help ease these fears and resistance, and must also remember to embrace compassion, understanding and appreciation for the changes the masculine around them are undergoing. The Spiritual Law of Gender is in place to assist both divine feminine and masculine. The key to mastering this Universal Law is to have an equal balance of yin and yang. We are slowly moving out of a masculine dominated world into a more divine feminine expression. The perfect symbiotic union between the two is, however, still our goal. As we begin to understand this sacred merger, the closer we are to understanding the Law of Divine Oneness. Written by Jill M. Jackson of OMTimes, paraphrased by Andy Kennedy Co. Takeaways from my travels and recent workshop. . .
I came into this week hot off a trip to Colorado and Las Vegas, and then we wrapped up Mike Dooley's 21-day adventure with "Change One Thing", and I have too many takeaways to share in one email but I wanted to start here: YOU ARE A DIVINE BEING. You are loved, you are golden, and you are perfect AS IS! Too often we are trying to fill our cup up with learning and lessons, buying and consuming, doing and scheduling, and, in the end, we are left empty because none of those avenues are the direct shot to happiness. In my travels I was reminded of three important keys to happiness: 1. Just being with the people you love and letting go of the to-do list can open your heart and calm your mind. Find gratitude in relationships, not things. 2. You are complete as you are. Perfectionism is a burden, best to let it go. There is no need to "get better" at something, you are always getting better just by going through life with awareness and conscious action. Be mindful of the Ego that slips into your mind to tell you you aren't good enough. Oh sweet one, you are SO good enough! 3. Focusing on just one thing helps to drive the manifestation train down the track. It's good to diversify, but in that, hone your visions in one success that can encompass all your desires and dreams. What's the umbrella desire that encompasses all your goals? In other words, if you have a goal to get certified as a trainer for hypnotherapy, and you have a goal to find your life partner, and you have a goal to lose 30 pounds... what's the umbrella desire for all those goals? Those are the minute details of your ideal life – good income, happy marriage, healthy body – but what's the big picture? Inner peace? Blissful existence? Boundless possibilities? Then focus on THAT! And do your visualizations, playful imaginations and affirmations around that one desire, and the rest of the picture will fall into place. Sometimes, the Universe has better plans for you than that hypnotherapy certification, but if you focus too closely on one small detail of your happiness, you may miss all the synchronicities that could guide you to something better! The true meaning of (your) life
Many of us have wondered what the true meaning of life is. For several thousands of years, civilizations of all kinds have ventured into the pursuit of life's essence, only to extract the truest meaning of life reflected within their own selves. The word "sonder", of German and French inspiration, is a neologism that everybody around you, even strangers, are living lives that are just as complex as yours. So, who's to say what and which is most important to you, what your definition of life (of being alive and living that life) is, and elect reasons of why you wake up in the morning. No one is able to do so but YOU. Yes, we may have a selection of educated and universalized definitions that the general public agree on, but at the end of the day, what matters most is your definition—the reason or reasons that is/are most closely related to you that affect the way you see your life and world/universe in the scheme of all things. We are in constant pursuit of this, and we may never truly find peace if we don't rest on the knowledge that, perhaps, the reason of life – the meaning of existence – lies on the ability of it to constantly evolve, to take shape and to, hopefully, become better through the experiences and lessons you acquire throughout your lifetime. Therefore, these definitions are never fixed for the reason being that there is an enumerable amount of discoveries yet to be discovered. Why define something that's not finite? Simple. Humans like to make sense of things to create order and order for peace of mind. We aren't built to function properly in states of chaos. We must always find the calm within the storm before letting the storm pass. Our lives go through seasons, and each season will cater to a fresh perspective. I used to think long and hard, wondering for years what that one meaning of existence is, not just for me but I wondered for the world as well (Lol!). I realized that I couldn't settle on one, or two, or few. It changed, rather, 'evolved' as I matured through life. The definition / meaning evolved with me and every time it did, I bask in the fact that I've grown. Growth is a sure sign that there is no ceiling to how high you can grow as a being in the journey of life that we all venture on in unison, just in different notes. I encourage you to ask yourself right now what the meaning of life is to you and compare it to your definition of it six months ago, or a year ago, and see how much has evolved. Let's all be in constant evolution – always growing. Always learning. Sending love. The Secret Sauce:
I am so grateful to bring this nugget to you today! This week I had the biggest blessing and reminder of HOW the Law of Attraction REALLY works. GAH! I was asked to co-teach (double GAH! and then take over!) the Permaculture Design Course here in Knoxville, and I've only been here 6 months?! When I saw the request from this teacher, I thought, how can I say no to this? I didn't want to, but at first it felt like too much too fast. YET, whenever we speak that out loud, it tells the Universe to SLOW DOWN. There is no SLOW ROUTE to our dreams. There is only YES, YES, YES at every turn until you get there (yet we know, it's not the destination, right?). If you say no, you will eddy-out of the flow, and I know you know what that feels like. It doesn't feel productive, fulfilling, or dreamy. It feels stagnant, frustrating, and, yes, SLOW! So I said YES! And immediately it came to me – and I'm betting you're wondering this too – so HOW did I manifest this dream so quickly? It came to me in a flash! Because I have been stating that this is what we're doing – not what I want to do, not what I hope to do, but what we ARE doing here, over and over and over since early 2022. I have heard myself say it time and time again when people ask me, "Why are you moving to TN?" My answer is always, "To create a permaculture education center and intentional community." I have known in my core that this is what we're doing. I haven't had any doubts, fears, or questions. Now, I've had doubts and fears and questions about the "cursed hows," of course, like we all do! The Devil's in the details! But I haven't had a single doubt, and it hasn't crossed my mind once, that we wouldn't do this. The Universe has my back. So that's how. That's the secret. It's not fake it until you make it – that line has always bothered me. I'm not faking it. I don't know how it's going to happen, I don't have to. I could have NEVER seen this coming, or planned for this. This is the "or better" scenario for sure, this is the "easy button!" Everything is falling into place! The teacher, the curriculum, the students, it's all falling in my lap! All I had to do was say yes. That's all you have to do, too. Shine on, dear one! Shine on! Your dreams will manifest. Just say yes! 2023's Train I'm so excited for what is coming! That said... does this new year energy feel a little bit different to you? Like the train hasn't quite left the station on 2023? If you read our Monday astrology reports (and we hope you do!) you'll remember that this January has a little big of a governor on its engine with Mercury in Retrograde and some resisting aspects to the Sun, our source of Vitality. So how can we capitalize on the delay? Sometimes, starting slow is a good thing – our world is so fast paced and demanding, that we're programmed to go fast, start strong, capitalize on the now. But right now, that energy is different. It feels different, and therefore we should react differently. What I've done for the past two weeks is a reassessment and brain dump – reassessing 2022 and brain dumping goals for the future (not just 2023). This process is one I've done for several years now and it works for me. I explain it fully in this training that I posted the recording of on our Vision Boarding Workshop page if you want to learn more! And if you haven't started yet, it's not too late! Spend the next week (or two!) and write 20 goals per day, then categorize them, prioritize them, and do a deep dive on them! (Again, all that explained further in above video and summarized quickly in this short reel we posted last week!) All of these tools and methods help us refocus on the one thing that is constant in our world – the Law of Attraction. "Whether we think we can, or we think we can't, we're right." – Henry Ford The Law is divine in its Simplicity.  Framed photo above the desk in my home office
What you focus on expands. So if you focus on all the ways 2022 wronged you, you will see more of that. If you focus on all the things you're grateful for (gratitude is the fuel for the engine!), and all the possibilities and glory that's coming your way, that's the magic your life will unfold in. 2023's train hasn't quite left the station yet, what will you do with this slow-motion period? Capitalize! Here's to an amazing year! |
Andy KennedyThese are samples of our emails and podcasts – and you can subscribe to both! Subscribe to our podcasts at this RSS or search "Innerself Lightworks" in your podcast platform to find us!
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March 2023
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