How Many Bananas Per Monkey?

How Many Bananas Per Monkey? My own monkeys need those bananas.

Quotangle by Arwen Monkeys
Quotangle by Arwen (click for larger size)

[Tweet “My own monkeys need those bananas. What about yours?”]
#affirmation There’s a saying floating around on the internet. I’ve heard that it definitely comes from one place. I’ve heard that it definitely does not come from that place. For me, where it comes from is less interesting than the message itself.

“Not my circus, not my monkeys”

Said to be from a Polish saying, “Nie mรณj cyrk, nie moje ma?py”, it is said to be invoking the message of “I’ll mind my business.”

It speaks to me. And, like the “not Chinese” and “not ancient” curse “may you live in interesting times”, it works–shady roots and all.

I use it for when other people’s crazy starts bleeding over into my life. I wish I knew how to say it in Polish. Then I could say it in meetings but no one would know what I was saying.

I hear a lot of crazy. That’s okay. My friends hear a lot of my own crazy. It’s one of the things friends do. I just have to remember to sympathize and listen. I don’t need to offer bananas to fix their monkeys.

My own monkeys need those bananas.

So what about you? What do you use to help yourself stay out of other people’s crazy? Or do you allow yourself to be dragged into it? Sometimes it’s easier to critique other people’s monkey training rather than work on your own.

Gotta go…the chimpanzees just let the orangutans out.

Today’s affirmation:

I am a strong, capable human. I own my own crazy. I have all the tools I need to create a beautiful life. I walk an amazing path filled with what I need.

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Quotangle by Stephanie Arwen Lynch, 9/5/2014, sharing is fine as long as you don’t alter the picture in any way.

Learn more about Zentangle here.

#dailyaffirmations
#affirmation
#zentangle
#quotangle
#seekjoy

Wild: An Ostara 2014 Tarot Blog Hop

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Our topic this time is creativity and what springs forth. Well, that’s my loose interpretation of our Blog Wrangler’s theme. Joanne Sprott charged all of the Tarot Blog hoppers to discuss creativity.

There is so much I could do on that subject. I’ve been drawing my tangles again. I am such a fan of the Zentangle method. It quiets my mind. I love being able to weave words into my tangles. I’m calling them Quotangles. ๐Ÿ˜€ Here is a recent one.

Zentangle by Arwen Lynch Poe, 2014That was done based on a poem I wrote while on retreat with the Goddess with the Gaian Soul, Joanna Powell Colbert. The time I spent with other women in quiet meditation, Tarot play and raucous belly laughter went a long way to regenerate my soul-me.

One of the things we did was play James Wells’ Tarot Circle game. We had four questions posed to us by Joanna. James has an amazing method. He’s also got a new book out! Tarot Circle Encounters: Fostering Community, Wisdom, and Wholeness Through Image, Conversation, and Natural Cycles is available as of 3/15/14. You should check it out.

But back to my creative endeavors. We also did Sacred Art. Using a plethora of materials that included, but not limited to, shells, beach glass, yarn, paper, repurposed jewelry, sticks, glitter, crystals and moss, I created two secret box projects. This is the mind baby of Lyn Belisle of EarthShards with some modifications by Joanna.

Y’all, I dove in. I didn’t want to stop. I had to because I didn’t know how I would get them all home. I have such plans though! I’ve already ordered more faces.

WildofWingThis piece is called She Who Is Wild Of Heart

Here’s a spread to help you find some more wildness in your own life.

Wild, Wild, Wild Moments Spread

1. How can I spread my wings more to be wild of wing?

2. What is one way I can open my heart more to be wild of heart?

3. How might I see more to be wild of eye?

4. What is the key meaning of being wild in this moment?

I hope that you will share your readings with me. I’ve left this one more open so that you can play with it. Don’t judge what you think I should mean. Instead let yourself be wild as you dive into your cards.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. I hope you have fun hopping along. I’m actually the last if you started at the beginning but somewhere in-between if you started else where. ๐Ÿ˜€

[Tweet “I’m traveling the Tarot Blog Hop today. Join me!”]

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on!

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Crochet, Tangles + Frogs

I’m afraid I won’t be able to figure it out. That I won’t “get it” you know?

ArtJournalTangle1So this is a picture I’ve shared before. I’m sharing it again because it makes me happy. I haven’t tangled in a while…well I have but I haven’t scanned it. I keep seeing patterns I want to try so I will get back to it.

Right now crocheting a blanket is top on my list. I’ve almost completed all the squares. Next I have to tackle the border. Never done that, you see. I have another group of squares that I could join to make a nice size lap blanket.

I haven’t.

Know why?

Fear.

I’m afraid not that I’ll screw it up. It’s crochet. I can rip-it with the best of the froggers.

[Tweet “I’m afraid I won’t be able to figure it out. That I won’t “get it” you know?”]

Like some of the people I work with who are afraid to seek joy because they think they will fail at it…that they are incapable of learning how to seek joy.

So, because I challenge them and you to seek joy every day, I’m going to challenge myself to learn how to do this border. I know I can. I WILL that I can.

So there.

Your journal prompt for the day is, “What do I need to just do despite my fears of inadequacy?”

Zentangle, Arwen Lynch, 2013

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Mommy Koans

quotangle_louiseunderhill1So today’s card is a Quotangle. ๐Ÿ˜€ That’s what I’m calling them. So often I read something where a phrase just catches me and won’t let go. I love sharing those quotes with you. Folks from my office are used to seeing my cube literally plastered with white note cards with hand-written quotes on them. ๐Ÿ˜€

During our recent Litha 2013 Tarot Blog Hop, I read a fun post about fun from a fabulous Tarot consultant who is also a mommy. She said that being playful and having fun with three kids was “not always easy nor is it hard.”

As someone else mentioned, what a Zen thing to say. It’s like a Mommy Koan! You can read her full blog here.

And leave her a comment so she knows you stopped by!

Enjoy this Quotangle today. I’ll let you see what you see it it. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the quote and then tangle too if you like.

Want to learn more about the art of Zentangle? It’s a meditative doodling style. There’s a lot out there that’s not quite Zentangle but is styled Zentangle. Technically, my Quotangles are not because they have words that stop you from just letting go in the process of creating. ๐Ÿ˜€

What stops you in your process of creating? What frees you?

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on!

Quotangle, Arwen Lynch (art) Louise Underhill (words), 2013