Once Upon Ago in Olde Geistopia, pt. 3

Hey, gang! Welcome to my life – where anything is possible and nothing is as it seems. I’m Freedom and I’ll be your host, coming at you from within the depths of Geistopia. 

DOC: Velcum To My Life ees a prochect, un experiment in Life unt ART. A living storyboard, if you will. Its premise ees zat life ees experiential, unt zat you can, unt do, experience ze life you choose. It ees based on Ze Veel of Life unt Ze ARTs for Ze New Millennium as life building tools. Ja, it’s true! 

WALT: Welcome to my Life is a Geist…House Players Production, in association with the Center for Creative Inspirationalism. JustUs Productions, the parent company, would like to give a ‘Shout-Out’ to the following for their ongoing, and oft-times unknowing, inspiration and support:

Princess Cuddlebug

Princess Sunshine

Big 'D'

The Shaman

The Pillar

F’n Bob

The Entire Putt-Putt-Putter Clan

Professor Siggy Chong

Sparky Wentz-eclaus

The Mayor

The VanMan and General Ralph Glossop, Sir Richard Slouch, and Craze (may they R.I.P.)

The Messengers of The Galactic Federation

 Looch

BJ & The Bull

Ace

Bert-On

The Baker of the Cornbread

Andy Pandy

The Mudder

Wilson

Zason

Mysteria

My LIl Fucker

The Drunken Maid

St. Diane & You (4)

Brother John

The Bee Man

Spooky Queen

Boom-Boom Snuffbox

The Nameless One

Tim-Bo

PDT

The Wix-ians

The Socialite

The Village of Idiots

Piz-Niffer

Dancing Queen

Downtown Encyclopedia Brown

Chicken Witch

Dick Pointer

Soup, the Son

The Legendary Pink Elephants

Baby-Mama Rabbit

Wisconsin Belle

The Babes

Aaaand, of course, a very generous sponsor who (not-so-much) wishes to remain anonymous.

It is…Sunday, December 14, Two-Thousand and Twenty-Jive. Time...Divided

Theme – Something Bigger is at Work

Lesson – ???

Observation – Sometimes You Gotta be the Opposite of Who You Are

The Post

 It's been quite the time in Olde Geistopia recently.

I had my extractions last week. 13 of them. It all went well, including the recovrty. I had planned for a minimum of 3 days of being out of commission. [I actually planned for th whole week.] I was up and back at life frightening early on Tuesday and I have been on the go ever since. There was no swelling, no bleeding, no pain.

AMEN.

An interesting observation is that since the extractions I feel slightly more active. Also it seems as if my arm and hand are working just slightly better.

I'm house sitting at Mudder's this next week. This has caused a bit of chaos because I had to take some of life with me in order to remain functional and productive. Of course, the rest of my life is still in The Hovel. That adds complexity enough on it's own. But I also have to maintain temperatures in The Hovel. We're going through the first cold streak of the season and I can't let my electronics get that cold for that long. so we will see.

Because I was more active than I suspected this week, I took the time to get caught up on at least one Video. It's the big one for the moment - covering all the drama before there was drama.

Yesterday, I took Big 'D' to Delaware to visit her mom. That was a 12 hour time investment.

And then, of course, there was dealing with the latest drama.

But not of that is why you are here, Fellow Travelers. At least, it's not why I am here.

"We are a Christmas family."

I feel like I talk about it every year, honestly. Unless you have been here - especially back in the day - then you cannot fully appreciate the experience. It is a whole vibe here. Then around 1999-2000 [I wasn't so good at marking moments in time back then] my perception and experience of Yule would change forever.

That morning I worked some stagehand gig at a theatre in Easton. I was making my way back to Geistopia - an almost hour drive. On the way I was thinking about Christmas and realized I still needed something for Big 'D.' I had no idea what I was going to do for her. She was a woman who pretty much had everything. I was feeling particularly spiritual that day [every day back then] so I put it out to the Universe. [Ask & It Is Given.]

Now, when I say I was feeling spiritual its a whole experience. It's like being on a Quest. I turn off a certain part of my thinking and just drift through feeling. So that's what I did. I put it out to The Universe and just went from there.

It wasn't long until I found myself passing by the mall. Now, I don't typically just go to the mall to "shop." Especially at Christmastime. I'll go for a Mall Crawl. If I want to buy something then I know what and where and I get in and get out. But I don't go to walk around and shop. Still, there I was and so was the vibe. So off I went.

I had no clue what I was looking for but I knew I was going to find it there. I didn't move in any particular. I just walked where the pull felt stronger. Now, our mall is split level. And the second level has open spaces throughout swo you can see the first level as you walk. So, I walked - looking up, down, and all around. The perfect gift was here and I would know it when I saw it.

About half way through the mall it happened. I was looking down at the first level and I spotted the Santa photo station. Like a whisper on the wind, I heard it, "Picture with Santa..."

I stood for a moment gazing down at the Christmas display. Really? A picture with Santa? Sure...why not? The woman loves Christmas. She's all about Santa. It's unique. She'd never expect it.

So, proudly and confidently, I marched downstairs and got in line. There I was, a 27-28 year old man, in line for a photo with Santa - the only person without a child in tow. There were stares and whispers. I just waited my turn. One by one the crowd in front of me filtered down until I was at the front.

The "elf" woman walked up to me, all smiles and Christmas -cheery. "Hello, sir."

"Hi. I'd like a picture with Santa."

She kept her smile as her eyes dropped and flitted about, desperately seeking the children. "You have no kids with you."

"Nope. I want the picture. It's for my mom for Christmas."

"Ohhhhkay." And, with that she let me in "Santa's Workshop and walked me around the corner to where he was sitting. "This guy would like a photo with Santa for his mom." [If only I could write the snide mockery in her voice.]

I looked up and there he was - the jolly old man in the red suit. He was beaming. If I were being poetic, I would tell you that there was a twinkle in his eye. I don't know what it was about him. I have never encountered another presence like his. I've come across similar energies in my travels, but nothing as potent as his. I was so drawn in.

I walked over and sat on his lap. Just before the elf snapped the photo, he put up his hand and stopped her. He smiled at me and siad, "I've got an idea. How about we switch coats?"

Now, I was wearing a leather jacket. I was a smaller guy. He was a very Santa Claus-ish guy. I don't know what came over me. It hit like a wave. I had been feeling Spirit the whole time but suddenly it was a whole new level. [As I look back this may have been the first time I felt that level of Spirit.] I looked at him quizzically for a moment then gave a silent, slow, steady nod.

We slipped off our coats and took the picture. When it was done and we were re-exchanging, he smiled at me [and I swear there was a wink.] "YOu didn't think it would fit me, did you?"

Honestly, no. But it did and it is an awesome picture. It hangs in the dining room at Olde Geistopia every Yuletide. When they were younger, I would tell The Princesses that that was the day I visited the North Pole. I will forever refer to it as the day I met Santa.

Now, do I really think I met the actual Santa? No. [Though, I would learn almost 2 years later, that if I did I wouldn't be the only one. Apparently, the whole staff thought he was the real deal.) But, I do firmly believe I met someone...something.

I have never encountered another presence like that in my life. I've encountered similar ones in my travels - folks you think either know a whole lot more than you do or are just altogether otherworldly. But I have never encountered another presence like that one. It left an impact on me. I was definitely changed. In fact, that year I wrote a whimsical little essay titled What I Did Over Christmas Vacation. This experience was the very last paragraph. I cannot find a copy of that writing today, though I believe one still exists.

As I say, I believe I most certainly met something that day. Something beyond our total comprehension. I am a believer in Spirits. Ancient Spirits as old as time itself, born at the creation of existence. They rule over various aspects of time and space. That's what I met. The Yuletide Spirit.

Whether I met the Spirit incarnate or simply a man who had learned to evoke [perhaps even invoke] it, I cannot say. But that's what I met that day. This is the position I took and have lived from every day since. I never really talked about it much nor made a big deal of it. But I set forth with the mindset that the Yuletide Spirit was most certainly real and now I was in its web.

Santa is but just one face of the Yuletide Spirit. Jesus, of course, being the other. They are the two personas the Spirit has adopted in order to spread its magicks and teach its lessons. They are two ends of the same path. If you look at them from a pagan/wiccan viewpoint, they are The Oak and Holly Kings.

The next Christmas, I was dating DancingQueen. I told her of my experience the previous year. I only mention because it turns into one of those Things That Make You Go Hmmm. DancingQueen went shopping with Big 'D' that year. They were up by the malls, stopped at a traffic light. DancingQueen was sharing my story. When she told me about telling Big 'D,' she went on to say that they were stopped facing north on the main road. There was a school bus on the crossroad, waiting to make a left turn. She said, she had just finished telling the story and the bus turned crossing their path directly. Driving the bus? Santa Claus. [Everything Happens for a Reason - Precise & Perfectly Placed. There is no Coincidence.]

That was also the first year I let Spirit guide me. It was playful and mysterious. One example is that Big'D' had a welcome mat with this printing on it. It said 'Santa's Favorite Cookie Recipe. Beneath it was an incomplete list of ingredients. There were some complete pieces. Some had the ingredient but not the measurement. Or, vice-versa. Then there were a whole lot of blank spaces.

I made it my mission to piece that recipe together. I talked to every baking matron I knew - including DancingQueen's mother. I showed them what I had and asked what could possibly be missing. I took all the answers and played around with them until I felt I had an acceptable recipe. In the end, I had something along the line of snowball cookies. [Unfortunately, i do not have a copy of that recipe today. I was different type of person back then.]

My Yuletide experince grew bit by bit every year after that. At one point, the challenge put before me was to want nothing but instead trust that by the end of YUle Spirit would be sure to gift me what I needed most. I still practice that to this day. For the two weeks of Yule I just accept the gifts I am given and then after Yule I figure out what I'm supposed to do with them.

In another year, it was presented to me that I should craft the gifts for my family. Unfortunatley, I had to wait to be told what to craft before I could start. Sometimes (a lot of times) it was very last minute. Since that time, more years than not I have spent Dec 21-23 locked in my workshop tinkering away. Much like the old man himself.

Over time, little by little each year, the crafting list would grow - something for this person or that one. Annual ornaments from Santa for The Princesses. Each gift inspired. Eventually, this would come to be known as The List. As time marched on, The List expanded itself. It became about more than just crafts. In, fact, it would inevitably expand beyond physical gifts. and each year, I am only given Just Enough notice to be sure that by the end of Yule I have delivered each gift.

This has been my belief and practice for over 20 years. Each year it creates for me the most amazing, fulfilling, and magickal Yuletide. And, each year it just gets more intense. So, I do not care if it was a real moment or if it is all just a delusion. It matters not. It lifts spirits. It makes a difference.

So, after all this, let me just say...

We are a Christmas Family.

If you’re not already there, go to the Welcome to my Life Facebook page – WTML. Or the YouTube channel – WelcomeToMyLife08. You can also find me on Facebook under Rev. Matt. And there is the newer TikTok @WTML23

I appreciate you all.

Wherever you are and whenever you are – Like, Comment, and Share – we’re on a Journey and it takes you to get there.

So, without hesitation, for now and for always, from here in Geistopia, this is your beloved Rev…

WALT: And Walt…

DOC:  Unt Doc…

JOHNNY: Aaaaand Johnny…

And those guys, saying, “Stay Tuned-In, Fellow Travelers,” and wishing you Peace, Love, Light…

WALT: And Freakishness, Baby.

The Totems & Archetypes

from Ted Andrews’ Animal Speak

Blue Jay - Proper Use of Power

It can reflect lessons in using your own power properly. It can also reflect lessons in not allowing yourself to be placed in a position in which power is misused against you. It has the ability to link the heavens and the earth, to access each for greater power. This is a totem that can move between both and tap the primal energies at either level. Higher knowledge that can be used. The main problem will be dabbling in both worlds, rather than becoming a true master of both. Usually have a tremendous amount of ability, but it can be scattered or it is often not developed any more than is necessary to get by. Not unusual to find individuals with the Jay totem being dabblers - especially in the psychic and metaphysical fields. They know a little bit about a lot of things and they use that knowledge sometimes to give the impression that they know more. Wear the crown of true master ship requires dedication, responsibility, and committed development in all things in the physical and spiritual. A reminder to follow through on all things - to not start something and then leave it dangling. A time of greater resourcefulness and adaptability is about to unfold. Going to have ample opportunities to develop and use your abilities. Look for ample time to develop and use your energies to access new levels. Actually a member of the crow family, most crows have no fear. It is because of this the Jay can help you connect to the deepest mysteries of the earth and the greatest of the heavens. This sense of seeking pleasure - often at the expense of others - can reflect an imbalance. Sometimes jay shows up when this is happening in your own life. A tremendous ability for survival with the least amount of effort. They reflect great talent, but that talent must be developed and utilized properly. It indicates that you are moving into a time where you can develop your innate royalty that is within you, or simply be a pretender to the throne. It all depends on you. 

Crane – Longevity and Creation Through Focus

Justice and longevity. Solar symbol. Express your own feminine energies. About to recover what had almost become extinct within you. New sense of protectiveness. Need for secrecy in regard to something new you have given birth to or about to give birth to. Not dividing your attention. Past life experiences. How to celebrate your creative resources. Keep them alive regardless of the conditions in which they are manifest. Having the proper focus in your life. 

Deer – Gentleness and Innocence – Gentle Luring to New Adventures

They have been able to adapt to every sort of habitat. Buddha is often pictured with a deer. Antlers are symbols of antennae, connections to higher forms of attunement. Look for new perceptions and degrees of perceptions to expand for as much as the next five years. Can indicate that there will be opportunities to stimulate gentle new growth increasingly over the next few years. Leads us back to the primal wisdom. A deer’s senses are very acute. Find increasing ability to detect subtle movements and appearances. Begin to hear what may not be said directly. Time to be gentle with yourself and others. A new innocence and freshness is about to be awakened or born. There is going to be a gentle, enticing lure of new adventures. Are you trying to force things? Are others? Are you being too critical and uncaring of yourself? An opportunity to express gentle love that will open new doors to adventure for you.

Fly – [*from trustedpsychicmediums.com*]

 When the fly spirit animal makes its way into your life, this usually serves as a warning that there’s danger lurking somewhere.

It means to catch your attention when you are spending too much of your time with someone or on something that has a destructive influence.

The fly meaning brings to focus to anything that’s causing harm to your life, whether of your own choosing or not. An example of this is giving in to societal pressures and indifference.

Just like the cricket spirit animal, the meaning of the fly also speaks about hate, spite, malice, or blame. It buzzes to be heard and flies overhead annoyingly until you are forced to swat or kill it with anything you can get your hands on.

However, before you dismiss the fly as nothing but bad and undesirable, the fly symbolism also speaks about cures for sicknesses (just like the deer symbolism).

The meaning of the fly also serves as a reminder that you reap what you sow.

What you put out there to the world will come back to you a hundredfold, so make sure that your actions, thoughts, and words come from a place of love and goodness.

The fly spirit animal symbolizes abundance and prosperity during times of adversity.

It sends the message that by being persistent, consistent, and determined even in the face of tragedy will result to victory.

The fly signifies encouragement, because it does a very excellent job of goading you with its presence until you surrender to what it wants and let you be.

It will always fasten on you, arouse you, reproach you, or persuade you, and will not be satisfied until you get on your feet and achieve what you set out to achieve.

Hawk - Visionary Power and Guardianship.

Messengers, protectors and visionaries. Visionary power and leading you to your life purpose. There is a message coming. What you eat, you become. Kundalini. Childhood visions are becoming empowered and fulfilled. The ability to soar and glide upon the currents. Great Heights while still keeping your feet on the ground. Attacks by people who won’t understand you - attack your ability to soar. Teaching of higher expression of psychosis and vision. Beauty and harmony in moderation. Lead you to using your creative energy in manifesting your soul purpose. Hope and new ideas. A need to be open to the new or shows ways that you may help teach others to be open to the new. Be observant. Life is sending signals. Careful in expression. Comments and actions will be strong and powerful with the ability to tear and/or kill.