Everything in life runs in cycles. Nature follows her own rhythm, with the Moons, the Seasons and Earth's annual journey around the Sun. Perhaps you follow the Moon Cycle as I do and set yourself an intention each New Moon? Maybe you mark the turning of the Wheel of the Year? It's a rare person who doesn't note New Year or their own birthday. All of these cycles provide markers where you can pause and notice where you are now and what you have experienced or achieved. Have you ever taken stock of the longer cycles of your life? It's something we rarely do in my experience.
Recently I've been pointed to people and experiences who featured in my life 20 - 25 years ago, particularly to some of the authors who wrote books that spoke to me back then. I've even been lucky enough to meet up with a couple of them in the last couple of weeks and get those original books signed! I think my younger self would have been ecstatic!
I took the opportunity to spend time with Isabel Losada. I first came across Isabel's writing when I was the New Age Editor on Bellaonline. I remember reviewing her bestselling book, the Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment and for Tibet with Love, in which she meets the Dalai Lama, amongst other eye-opening experiences. Around 20 years ago she invited me to come and see her when I was visiting London for an audience with Karen Berg at the Kabbalah Centre. Back then I had childcare commitments and I had to catch my train so a meet up just wasn't possible.
By some wild synchronicity Isabel appeared back in my life recently and I am glad to have finally sat down to chat with her over a brew and a fiendishly difficult jigsaw. She is adventurous, warm and funny, and from her writing it seems she's willing to try just about anything once. I entertained myself on the train listening to her read her follow up, The Battersea Park Road to Paradise, so that by the time I met her she already felt like a friend. If you want to get more up to date with Isabel's work her most recent book is The Joyful Environmentalist.
At the Hay House Writer's Workshop weekend I also had the opportunity to meet Sonia Choquette whose book Your Heart's Desire introduced me to the concept of manifesting and the idea that the Universe might support me with my plans if I got clear enough on them. I borrowed that book on repeat from my local library and use the principles it contained to make my big move to change my career and relocate to Mid Wales. It felt very special to meet Sonia and say thank you in person.
It feels like a long cycle is completing for me right now, from that young writer who wrote articles on Bellaonline.com, to me as I am today. I've just done a quick search on my name and some of my old articles are still up there believe it or not! Looking at those titles is like parting the mists of time and getting a glimpse of who I was back then. To me it feels a long spiralling path; I am still the same woman, but my understanding is deeper now, which only comes with age. I am given the image of climbing around Glastonbury Tor with larger vistas opening each time you take that full rotation towards the top.
So here's the question - is it just me? Have you also been guided to consider those long cycles recently? Is this a return to the same place on the large spiral of life but at a different level? I'm curious, what do you think?