Monthly Archives: November 2011

Wishcasting Wednesday

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Monday here at A Thousand Shades of Gray is “Something Good,” Tuesday is “Three Truths and One Wish,” and now Wednesday is “Wishcasting.” This is something I first read about on my heART Exchange art swap partner’s blog, Dryada Journals. When I followed the link to the site of origin, I realized it was Jamie Ridler, a creative living coach whose work I had already admired–just another case of synchronicity, auspicious connection, the universe saying “yes.”

Jamie started a blog devoted to wishcasting and made her first post there on February 14, 2007–Valentine’s Day. On her current website, Jamie Ridler Studios, she’s continued the practice.  She describes it this way, “What would happen if every week you made a wish? What magic might start to stir? Wishcasting Wednesday is a safe haven for wishes, a fertile field in which to plant wish seeds and have them witnessed and tended lovingly. It’s a place where magic begins. Make a Wish: Dare to dream. Every Wednesday here at Jamie Ridler Studios, there will be a wish prompt to inspire you.”

Today’s wishcast: “What do you wish to remember?”

Picture from Jamie's Post

I wish to remember my innate kindness and wisdom. I wish to remember my basic nature, the “real” me, the truth, my Self that is like the sun.  Weather comes, clouds and storms, and can make it seem like it’s gone, but it is always there, even when I can’t see it. In the same way that the sun is a universal truth, so is my basic goodness.

I wish to remember that I am enough, and I am whole. I am not a problem to be fixed, or a project to undertake. I am not broken. I am wholeheARTed. I am worthy of love, as I am. I don’t have to prove myself, be perfect, or put on a performance. I can simply be who I am.

I wish to remember to be here now, to remain present and mindful. This is where life is, this is where I can be with my breath and the steady beat of my heart. This moment is, it is perfect and it is always available.

I wish to remember that I am already awake. This is a theory I’ve heard about in my study of Buddhism–that we need not strive to become enlightened, but rather we simply need to remember that we already are, in this very moment, awake.

I wish to remember that gentleness is my superpower, (thanks to the beautiful and generous Susan Piver and her Open Heart Project for this reminder). It is through my kindness that I am strong, through my open and tender heart that I am courageous, through love that I am a warrior.

We already have everything we need. There is no need for self-improvement. All these trips that we lay on ourselves—the heavy-duty fearing that we’re bad and hoping that we’re good, the identities that we so dearly cling to, the rage, the jealousy and the addictions of all kinds—never touch our basic wealth. They are like clouds that temporarily block the sun. But all the time our warmth and brilliance are right here. This is who we really are. We are one blink of an eye away from being fully awake. ~Pema Chödrön

  • What do you wish to remember?

heART Exchange Art Swap

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My swap partner received her art, so now I can really talk about it. I said a little the other day, but here’s the whole story. To recap, I started off thinking I would do a painting, but didn’t end up having enough time. This led to trying to figure out something to do with fabric left over from making a square for Kelly’s quilt.

What could I make?  To be honest, I’m not that crafty or artistic. I am a writer. I like to color and make collages, silly drawings, and hand-made cards, and I have a good eye, a sense of what works and is pleasing, but I’m not really that good at producing. However, I can sew. I don’t have a sewing machine right now, so it would have to be hand-stitched. I remembered seeing craft projects based on Tibetan Prayer Flags, so looked around on the internet to see what I could find. I found a really fun website, Future Craft Collective, that had a project they called “hope wish prayer flags.” Yes, this was it.

Traditionally, prayer flags are intended to generate peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom, and come in sets of five. The flags do not carry prayers to gods (as is commonly believed), but rather the prayers or mantras printed on the flags are blown by the wind and in this way they spread good will and compassion into all of space, providing benefit to all beings.

I didn’t have pinking sheers, so couldn’t make the fun edge, would have to stitch it.  The fabric is so beautiful, I wanted my swap partner to be able to see it on both sides, so I decided for each flag that I would stitch two pieces of fabric together. I sewed up three of the edges, flipped them right-side out, and ironed them. It was then that I noticed the way I had sewn the first two pieces of fabric together turned each flag into a pocket. This made me imagine all the things you could put inside: prayers, promises, wishes, worries, dreams, treasures, secrets.

And when I thought about what to write on the front of each flag-pocket, I decided to use the Metta Prayer as my inspiration, “metta” meaning lovingkindness. This is a Buddhist prayer that can be said for yourself, others, or even the planet. This has been a powerful practice for me in my own life. There are many versions, but in general, it goes something like this:

May I be peaceful.
May I be happy.
May I be safe.
May I awaken to the light of my true nature.
May I be free.

In the last two steps of the Metta Prayer, one would first imagine a specific person or a group, wishing these things for them, starting with “May you be peaceful.” And then in the final step of the practice, one wishes the same list of things for all beings.

May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.
May all beings be free.

The final step of my heART project was to sew ribbon on each flag-pocket. In this way, you can tie a single ribbon and hang a single flag-pocket on the wall or on the knob of a drawer or dresser.

Or, you can tie the five of them together and hang them like more traditional prayer flags.

I imagined that my art swap partner could write or whisper her worries, wishes, prayers, promises, secrets, and dreams into these flag-pockets, put them under her pillow when she sleeps, or slip it into the pages of a sacred book, or hang one or all of them where she can see them and remember, or put precious treasures inside, like a shell from the beach or a rock found on a walk or the key to her heart, and some sort of magic will happen.

Her worries will disappear and she will be safe.

Her wishes will come true and she will be happy.

Her prayers will be answered and she will be well.

Her promises will be kept and she will be peaceful.

Her secrets will be kept and she will be free.

Her dreams will come true and she will awaken to the light of her true nature.

As I mentioned the other day, it was really nice to be working on a sweet, handmade art project for someone else in the days leading up to my birthday, and oddly, it felt like I was doing it for me too: pouring all this care and lovingkindness into a creation that I blessed and let go, sent into the universe to love someone else. I think this is at the heart (the heART) of why I am an artist: to learn to love and be myself, and then send that love into the world, hoping it lands with whoever needs it most.