Echo U, or (Oops Did I Really Believe That?)…More Musings from Colette’s Cocoon.!
Updated: July 15, 2013
What a crappy yet powerfully enlightening Mercury retrograde so far and thank God/ Goddess/Quantum Fred/Zeus/Jesus., etc. that it’s slowly coming to an end. I, for one, am tired of all the crunchy lesson learning and would really just like some soft serve. It really is amazing that having to lie in bed for five weeks after a motorcycle accident and hobble around for the last one could have been so active in the growth arena!
Of course I’ve also read every single one of your letters that have come into my Ask Colette series inbox and sorted through only to find, Voila!, 90% of ‘em talked about this subject. Love it when everyone is in sync.
For those of you who are new to my tribe, and wondering what all the fuss is all about check out www.mayawhite.com or www.robertohotto.com for more info. Suffice to say whether you buy any of the astrology theories or not, many of us have had a doozy of a month sorting through our beliefs about community and family and emotional safety.
Ah- yes – I said it – beliefs. That means they are mine to sort through, and yours to sort through for you. It’s about how the world echoes back to us what we truly believe from deep down in the hidden places, some completely forgotten or shoved under a rickety staircase leading up from a stinky belief-cluttered basement we’d rather pretend doesn’t belong to us.
What a visual…I can see mine now, actually a lot emptier and tidier, as I’ve done some serious house cleaning as of late. But picture me looking at my life, stuff happening and wondering WTF and going down into that dank forgotten place with a flashlight and a net trying to trap those sneaky buggers who have been yelling out into my world with such glee and giggling as I try to find the source of the VOICES that have taken me by surprise. BOO.
So there can be no blaming of outer circumstances to claim we were in any way victims of an unfair universe. Nope, from where I sit in my little cocoon of transformation, still wading in the glop, (which as of late has been growing as a result of shedding some unwanted beliefs about life, etc.) awaiting the spectacular wings I was promised by the Butterfly dream, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on all this.
Lately, I feel like I’ve been enrolled, without my permission mind you, and maybe you have too, in Echo U.
What’s that you say? Let’s start with the definition of echo (from Merriam-Webster):
Definitions of ECHO:
1.a) the repetition of a sound caused by reflection of sound waves
b) the sound due to such reflection
2. a) a repetition or imitation of another : reflection
b) repercussion, result
c) trace, vestige
d) response
3. one who closely imitates or repeats another’s words, ideas, or acts
4. a soft repetition of a musical phrase
5. a) the repetition of a received radio signal due especially to reflection of part of the wave from an ionized layer of the atmosphere
b) (1) : the reflection of transmitted radar signals by an object (2) : the visual indication of this reflection on a radarscope
c) the universe is reflecting back the sounds of our own beliefs. (I added that wiki)
Yep –I feel like I’ve been sitting in a place of higher education that has been bonking me on the head with such fervor it reminds me of my awful experience in a Zen temple when the head meditator sensei person kept slapping me on the back because I was fidgeting. And I was 28 not 5.
But when I did get that moment of “ zen- wow” that was incredible—being able to know in every cell of my body the oneness and calm certainty that I was a moving constant in the universe that was capable of miracles—I knew I could make my life ART.
I could hear my note in the bigger symphony.
Ok getting back to the point.
If you can imagine that whatever deep down belief you have, has a timetable in this evolution/transformation/growth experience, and these cosmic cycles bring in an energy that opens a window of opportunity to see how our beliefs echo into the world and come back to us in the form of another person’s BS or an event that forces us to stop, look, and LISTEN.
Themes are different for everyone but the effect is the same. Whatever we see out-pictured in our world is an opportunity to listen to our own deepest beliefs that may have just started out as thoughts but, through reinforcement over time, have taken shape as our very own basement creatures camping out and belching out into the world at the most seemingly inappropriate moments.
What is awesome about all this is even though its uncomfortable, once we get that the outer kaka was a bounce back of noise from our own self, well, that’s quite powerful don’t you think?
INDEED!
I totally drank the Kool Aid on that one and believe that if I want to change something I just need to look into my life and see with detachment and a neutral gaze that when something really sticks out chances are it came from me first. No blame, no shame, just need some change.
It’s about naming it and claiming it.
Like in old faery lore if you know their name you can claim their power for yourself and they can’t mess with you any more!
For those of you who are following me on Twitter (@ColetteBR) you’ll have noticed me blabbing away about making unique ART, life as ART, letting go of old ideas, releasing baggage, letting go of resentment, etc. When we release ourselves from our limiting beliefs the magic to create something extraordinary is given to us.
In my world that is a fact.
I want to be free to co-create miracles, and magic and ART and all that good stuff that would make even the teeniest movement in the wave of potentiality mean something.
So far so good but, every once in a while I’ll be forced to remember I might have to clean up the basement and find new homes and new jobs for the troublemakers I gave space.
Today I believe that my beliefs will echo into the world of form.
All those beliefs and thoughts, including the hairball logjam ones that were the result of collisions and confused cousins fighting for air time will show up sooner or later and right on schedule.
My focus this week is on getting the ones I want front and center. It’s working and it’s been so easy it’s almost embarrassing. (More in the next blog)
For now, how about you?
What has been your lesson at Echo U? Any head bonking? If you could turn them right around what would that look like?
Til next time… love to every one of you in my special tribe
Colette!
The InVision Project
Founder, CEO
intuition-insight-influence
If you have a question you would like to ask Colette, write to her at AskColette@ColetteBaronReid.com. All published questions and answers will be anonymous – we honor and protect your privacy. (Please, Colette respectfully asks that you do not request a reading as the anticipated response to your question.)
Dearest Colette –
Let me tell you that I’ve followed you from our first meeting and you really are the Amazing Inc …… Amazing Lady, as you share your process with others, that you are able to send all that you are processing into a cyber space world! Power to you! You are helping so many in ever so many ways! You are Loved and Respected so much!
Let me tell you that I’ve read and understand all your posts. Extremely Good! Top Drawer! and, personally, when I was asked recently as to what I did before retirement, I was only able to answer “ENERGY WORK”. AND, These last month with Fern, my daughter, dealing with so much, I discovered that those words were ever so true and that it is what I do and have done on so many levels with a knowing and also without knowing. It was when Fern was first dealing with stuff that we met again. Also, when I was doing energy work with my friend Betty ……… You came to my home …. we connected …… and I still ‘hold space for you’ …… xoxo
SO, now as Fern has had a 3rd surgery and she is doing Wonderful – beyond Belief! That I needed to connect with you and tell you once more how much you are appreciated by so many! ……. Love & Warm Hugs …… Always, Donna <3
O MY thank you so so so much for writing I adore you so !!! wonderful to reconnect.. xooxox give my love to Fern
Colette,
I so hear you about ‘ART.’ This Mercury rx brought me to some soul searching, too, and – my answer to ‘what kind of life do I want to live’ was – that of an artist. Music as art, images, the art of wordplay, all of it chunking into the art of a life well lived.
Here’s to the art of healing – and – being in one place.
xoxo- MW
I love your words crunchy lesson learning, I resonate with that. How many sleeps until this mercury retrograde is over?? As I type this I get to watch a family of Elk grazing in my pasture with my horse herd, so amazing and beautiful. I have not seen them this close before. I will take it as a sign for sure. Focusing on the gifts that are showing up while in this crunchy lesson learning energy is helping me.
Hi Colette,
This year is pro’lly my biggest learning curve so far. At the end of January, I had a skidoo accident which left me on bed rest for 6 weeks too. I struggled with losing all control and accepted help from my coworkers and family. I hate asking for help. I was completely powerless. I had to ask help from physiotherapists, doctors, etc, I was doing a lot better with my weekly sessions of physio and then, I got too comfy. Last weekend, I had to see a different doctor and my boyfriend asked me to try driving the stick shift. My knee was okay until I reached a half hour into the driving then, I heard a pull in my knee. Never dawned on me to stop at that moment. I felt a warm feeling all over my knee. Not a good sign, I thought. Yesterday, the muscle started to feel shaky and stiff inside my knee. Today got more interesting. The muscles swelled and became more stiff. I’m taking this as a sign to slow down and take care of myself since I’ve been going wide open for a week or so. Although I am still waiting to get a MRI scan, I get the feeling that there’s something I’m not actually learning here. Or am I? This is got to be the most vulnerable position I’ve ever been in my life. I understand how you feel, Colette. It’s been almost 6 months since my accident. I actually had a longer posting than this but, I chose to shorten it.
I hope you feel better. Sending good vibes your way!
Hugs, Trisha.
Colette,
I have recently emerged from a Kafka-esque and horrifying 2 1/2 year echo. I created my beliefs so loudly, clearly and strongly that I made myself impressively ill trying to deal with the stress the situations I created caused me. At the end, I discovered some very insidious beliefs which I would have sworn under torture were not mine. At least, not consciously.
There are still some lurking about, but it feels agonizingly slow trying to tease them out of hiding in the way that I have been. It would be lovely if, in your next blog, you could speak to some of the techniques you have been utilizing to identify beliefs that no longer serve you. I see patterns in my experiences that I would really like to stop repeating, but cannot seem to pin down the belief behind them. Would you be willing to write about the techniques you have been using generically for those of us who are in sync but need some additional tools in our skillsets to navigate it more successfully?
If you take requests, that is. 🙂
May Mercury leave us all his wings when he goes!
My beliefs front and center. I like that one and need that same thing to occur. So easily distracted by the dust bunnies that have collected around my dust bunnies. So much hard work to packing things just right. And just as I reached the top of the stairs to put the suitcases away, the strap broke and down the stairs they tumbled. Of course, they popped open when they reached the bottom. Of course things were strewn everywhere. At least some remained folded, but they picked up the dust bunnies. Now what? Launder again? Shake them out and refold? It had to be done right. Laundry. I’m lucky that I could do all this while digging in the dirt in my gardens. Someplace to utilize the energy instead of being frustrated by having doctors orders to curtail it. Even with the retrograde, a Double Gemini with Sadge moon and Libra rising can’t sit still. But it’s been a quieter type of movement. Hard to have an original artistic thought, but the thoughts have been originally artistic.
As I dug outback yesterday I heard the earth speak. She was grateful for the movement in her soul. Ahhhh—-the retro is getting ready to change. Vision will clear and the dust bunnies will finally be taken care of.
Happ Birthday, Colette! Congrats on your circle around the sun. All is in the same position.
thanx soo much Diana!
Deep, deep truth – thank you.
I’ve believed I have far too many burdens for these past several years – disabled husband who has become suicidal; adult addict son; my own health problems and escalating alcohol use.
My basement is disgusting and overwhelming with my husband’s and son’s junk (actual physical basement). My house is cluttered around me with things I can’t seem to get through even after purging and getting rid of stuff for the past 2 years.
New canvases (still in the plastic wrap) are stacked in a closet or leaning against the wall; poems are unfinished; stories unwritten.
I’ve inherited my son’s dog – a northern breed who sheds massive amounts of fur year-round in our southern climate – I’m constantly sweeping out the fur that collects on every surface.
I’ve heard it (and half believed) for years but only in past 48 hours came to truly believe that I’m powerless over alcohol; over my husband’s choice to live or die; over my son’s choices. These are not my burdens (burdens, burdens, burdens). The only power I have is to dump them off my shoulders.
What it looks like: my space is clear of physical and emotional clutter; I listen with compassionate detachment (for myself and others); I’m free and clear to create my life rather than beat my head against the wall to rescue others (others, others, others). It kind of looks like being 10 years old – running and climbing trees and reading and drawing in my bedroom free (free, free, free) of burden and believing I had any power over anyone else (else, else, else).
Ahhh.
powerful powerful comment.. hang in there sister It’s a day at a time… a day at a time. and it only gets better and better each day when we stay sober. The bottom has to come before the miracle. xooxx
You are beautiful!!! Like Colette’s Easter in July Blog, life is so much more ‘funner’ when we remember to play hide and seek. Lots of love and giggles!!
Here I sit, with my (driving) foot elevated, not quite 48 hrs. post-op to repair torn tendon and remove broken bone (an extra one- interesting way to release that which I didn’t need), deep into the lesson of just being and receiving. The lesson of not doing. For me, I see it’s really teaching me to be able to let go (and heal on several levels).
It started as a challenge, as I’m “the mom”, “the manager and runner of the household”, “the micro business owner”, etc. But my husband and 10 yr. old son have totally stepped up and are doing the doing, allowing me to do nothing (or as close to nothing as I can). The business is at a full stop (and that’s more than fine).
Thank goodness our lives are fairly low key! It will be interesting to see how things evolve this fall.
Forced to savor these last few days of remedy. This heat wave sweeping Va/DC area can chase one indoors. Hard to focus, headache, nauseous, too hot to eat but I’m starving can endorse laziness. Or excuse it. Today, Uranus goes retro, in Aries of all places. No wonder things are “stuck”. It’s not just the humidity. And the Water Grand Trine with tricky Jupiter, sauve Saturn and lucky Jupiter revs up the steamy atmosphere. And Mars will soon join them just to light a fire under the pot. The worst part of this retro has been the disconnect with the Great Spirit. The voices and visions that grace the day. Can’t walk the spiral so just dig in the dirt. Trying to force the repeat of my abilities. Are they gone forever? Have they been misplaced? Did they crawl under the dust bunnies. Where is that familiar guiding light? So unprepared to face the new normal. Isn’t that what every day really is? A new normal. This reverb, this is re-verb, this reverb. Like when it all changed with the tuff cookie. Before that – when I was so afraid for my son – before that when I was so lost without my baby – before that when others abused me – before that when I felt unloved as a child—the reverb, the echo is in the darkness. Out of the darkness comes the light. As it always has. The speed at which light travels is always the same. It is only your distance from its presence. How fast can you travel to be in it’s presence. Can you here it in the approach? Can you here the speed of light as you can anything in movement?
The Water Grand Trine is Tricky Neptune, Suave Saturn and Lucky Jupiter. Retrogrades -I re read that post several times to make sure my spelling was correct! Ha! There you have it! Communication mishaps! Mecury’s fault. And this morning I broke the belt on my new vacuum cleaner! Ha Ha! Mechanical mishaps! Blame Mercury once more! Ha Ha HA!
Oh lord if this isn’t the truth for me. I have a affinity for animals and have seen many many different animals in reality and in dreams. Both often come to me at times to give me messages. I love shamanism and animals are very important in shamanism, even though I am not a shaman by training nor do I call myself one either but I have been trained as a energy healer. So anyway back to my story the last few days have seen to have a real impact on me. Sunday it started when I get in my car to leave and a dragon fly flies up my windshield and won’t go away but is right in my face. I am like ok that is a message. Dragon flies often mean Transformation. I acknowledge it and say thank you. Well I decided to end up buying the book you suggest “E-Squared” well it suggested I ask for a blessing within 48 hrs whatever it maybe. Well I did that which was sunday early morning, so monday evening I decide to go water my roses. After a while I see a big lizard crawl out. I nearly had a heart attack! I am like yuck but ok so I see a lizard and I have lived in my house and out of a whole year I have never seen a lizard there. But I was like that was weird. I have seen small ones but not that good size of one! So I decided to look up the meaning of lizard medicine and it’s about listening to your own intuition and to pay attention to your dreams and desires. I am like well that is what I want for myself to change my thoughts to fulfill my dreams. So I guess that was the universes blessing of confirming to pay attention to my thoughts and today I saw a butterfly a good size one too and it too represents transformation and change. I have to get rid of old beliefs of not having enough faith, or to try to have more faith in the universe. I don’t think it can get any louder than that situations.
You are so right about the animals, creepy crawlers and the winged ones. Dragon flies have been around, but I have been seeing lots of praying mantis–you know what that means! How many days left in the cocoon? We are all going to break out of this shell/cotton ball with so much singing! Imagine the impact? Just hoping we take the time to dry our wings!
This is my birthday month and I will be 38 yrs old. Do I feel 38, no I feel like a poser – more like a 8 yr old in an adult body who by appearances has it all together for eveyone else, but inside I’m the scarred child. You see I just realized that I can finally relax, after 30 + years of surviving. I realized I need to shed the survival instincts and give up control, because my house of cards isn’t going to fall down. Born a worrier at heart, it’s my nature to worry or is it how I was nurtured. I finally feel like I was able to so suddenly get to the bottom of my basement and allow so much suppressed emotions and illusions of my childhood come out to play and stand up and say it happened, feel it and move on. I’m not saying I’ve healed and I know I’ve just begun to heal. I truly believe the universe gives us only so much we can handle and for me it’s come in doses and is patient with me to catch up. Needless to say it’s been a very difficult few months, but I believe I am becoming like the butterfly into a weightless being who only chooses to work on what is hers and hers alone. Here’s to my birthday present to myself of shedding the belief that I have to “wait for the other shoe to drop”! Ah…that feels good. To trust and faith – my friends!
Does ANYONE know what has become of Jamie Sams? The last of her bio update was in 2001. I need to know how she is.
I’ve read all the post’s on this thing called Mercury Retrograde and I sort of understand it and not really, born under the sign of Cancer, extremely emotional, sort of needy, very stubborn and a huge heart, so many strange things have happened lately. I feel like the mountain I go around with family/friends has resurfaced for me to look at again. My relationship with my mom is awful and the child within has been pressing her for years to sit with me and talk about us, our relationship, it does mean something to me or I wouldn’t have been bugging her about endlessly. When I finally decided she will never talk about this, she confronts me and says she would like to talk. Me, the eternal optimist says, ok thats fine. I am so excited, finally, she gets me, this is great, we can finally air out our problems and move on. Drum Roll******No so fast! When we finally have our sit down she takes a big deep breath and reveals to me that she has thought long and hard about things and has come to the conclusion that she has done nothing wrong. Ugh! Really? Where is her apology for hurting me all these years? I don’t get one, why, she will not take any responsibility/accountability for anything she has done. So with a pit still in my stomach I am forced to move on and make peace with myself. What I wanted I didn’t get and I sadly learned that things don’t always work out as I hoped.
that’s right it’s true we don’t always get what we want. Especially regarding our parents. These kind of things require radical acceptance on our parts and a maturity that comes in time. Family stuff is so complicated so so complicated. IN the end though we cannot change anyone, only our perspective on them. Sorry you had such a painful experience. It’s always difficult to accept that others don’t see their part in our pain but in the end we are the ones that have the choice to keep that going or release it. I had a very difficult relationship with my mother that never got resolved while she was alive, but now, many years later I am filled with only respect love and compassion for her. Took a while. I just don’t want the poison of the dynamic to permeate my other relationships nor do I want resentment in my heart. It doesn’t belong anymore. One day I hope you too will know this freedom once your grief has run its course. xooxoxo
KateE, Colette is so rRIGHT! Hard as it may be, it is sometimes the child that must take care of the parent. What to do? Consider her upbringing – Her childhood – Her parental relations. You will find how blessed you are with that great big compassionate Cancer heart! Realize, they sometimes do not know what they do. It was done to them and they somehow came out of it convinced that it is the way to be, rather than to question their motives. Ego is not necessarily evil, but it can be ignorant. You are the wiser for recognizing your pain and finding the source.
Ms. KateE,
If there is one thing that I learned living in a man’s world (US Army) for more than 30 years, it’s that life isn’t about right and wrong. A prime example is war fought in the name of their God, yet it isn’t about God at all–it’s about pride. Life is about mutual love first and the willingness to permit one’s will for themselves. We don’t have to accept it or agree with it, we only have the will within ourselves to offer mutual love, consideration, respect, and honor. In these we gain all of those from others. it may not be in our timeline either, yet know in your own heart that you ARE love, consideration, respect, and honor. Lots of love and giggles!
People consider me someone who has it ‘all together’. Ha!!!! That has always been such a facade!! From raising my son as a single parent at age 2, on active duty in the Army to losing my son while on Navy duty at the age of 23 years, to being fearless through it all has always seemed like someone else was doing what I was doing. I forgot my ‘being’. Now I am in the process of kicking out the crap from deep within the dark, dank, musty, mildewing corners that not even I knew existed and the habitats that told me I wasn’t worth it. The brain would say I am worth it and the heart would tell me that my past was proof I wasn’t or vice versa depending on who was wanting control. I learned a huge AhHa moment during a recent interview I listened to that stated that the best way to clean out the clutter was to be honest with myself. Look at me and be honest with me-no more facade (for I was pretending with even myself. Trickery!!). I’m traveling on a road now that is paved with lots of little rocks, with pointed little edges that dig deep into my bare feet. I’m walking on them any way until I learn how to change them into rose pedals. One thing I have learned in all of my moving around in the Army is that I can bend to change relatively easy. The down side to that is that I have never really put down roots. Moving suited me fine because I was (am) an emotional runner. Roots will be planted and growing pains will come and the seasons and challenges will become beautiful inside of me. I must remember to always find happiness in the smallest of things, Thank you Colette for reminding me to keep looking deep and finding the gems among the muck. Your a Godsend!
Lots of love and giggles!