11-11-11: The Beginning of the End?

The day is finally upon us. This is the date that many believe will be the catalyst for a major shift in Earth consciousness, a day that marks the beginning of the end, the final segment of time between now and December 21, 2012 – a date many consider to signal the end of the world. Many have been counting down the days and hours with great anticipation, but does extraordinary phenomenon really occur simply because a date has all of the same numbers in sequence, like 10-10-10 or 11-11-11? Or is it just that some mystical property of the number eleven itself gives this particular day a rare significance?

’Twas A Foggy Mourn Long, Long Ago

Out of a deep slumber the ringing awakened me. My mother’s unusually calm voice spoke on the other end. “Your father is gone,” she said. As I hung up the phone, I looked at the clock. It was about 5:30am. I woke up my sister and, without uttering a word, we got dressed to leave for the hospital. It seemed to take forever to get ready, but once we were, we gathered our wits and opened the front door only to be stopped short in our tracks. Fog!

The Elusivity of Time

Time is elusive. Is it linear or not? Can one travel through it? We never seem to have enough of it. Once time is spent, is it gone forever? If not, how do we get it back? Whether or not you believe in the notion that events can be repeated through time loops or revisited through some sort of time travel device or ability, time remains indefinable. It just exists. However, if we were to treat time as an object, something tangible to hold in the palm of one’s hand, what would you do with it?

The Windrider Prophecy

The revisions to the second book in my series of fantasy novels are so great that I might decide to split that book into three separate books. So the third one is now the fifth book in the series, which is just about complete and will be released after the new Ghost Ships trilogy (books 2-4). I'm also in the process of re-designing the covers of all the books in the series so they will reflect a more Celtic flare. I'm really excited about this project. Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, here's a sneak peek at the book, The Windrider Prophecy, the third novel in The Traveler's Saga sci-fi fantasy series. Enjoy. 

Fanning the Flames

As all of the 9/11 memorial programs start to air again on television, I’m reminded of those who have been lost and the brave souls who tried to save them, many of whom gave their own lives in the process. Whether or not you lost a loved one in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, on United Airlines Flight 93, or at the Pentagon on the morning of September 11, 2001, we were all directly affected by this heinous act of violence. The aftermath has influenced the policies of state and has enabled the war with the Middle East to continue, which has deeply impacted our economy and invaded the personal freedoms that so many of us take for granted.

Leap and the Net Will Appear

My heart races as I lay awake at night, suddenly tormented with anxiety about the direction my life is taking. Uncertainty is now my ally. Weakness also begs for my friendship. Doubt has moved in and wants to rule my life and take control. They feed me discouraging thoughts and make me second guess my decisions about moving into unknown territory. In a panic, I ask myself, “What am I thinking by giving stuff away and storing away the rest, packing up and moving someplace new with absolutely no guarantees, relying on the generosity of friends for a place to stay temporarily? What if it doesn’t work out? What if I don’t find a job? What if I can’t come back? What if . . .”

Hasta la vista, Baby!

As the final preparations are being made for my trip to Colorado, I find myself thinking about all the things I’ll be leaving behind: my sister, my son, my cat, and the network of great friends I’ve made over the last few years. My sister’s taking care of my cat, Holly, until I can reclaim her. I’ll definitely miss spending time with Karen, but knowing that we plan to be in the same city again one day and that I’ll be reuniting with her and my kitty eventually eases that separation anxiety a bit. However, it’s been hard enough trying to schedule visits with my son who just lives on the other side of the Puget Sound. How will having a few states between us affect our visits? And how will I stay in touch with all of my friends?

Releasing Attachments

My quest for a job and a fresh start in Colorado has taken me to a number of places so far, and I sense that by the time it has been completed, this journey will have become much more than just a physical relocation. My life has changed so much over the last few years and it’s about to change a whole lot more. I’ll be leaving behind family and friends as I venture into the unknown. Despite the optimism I embrace for this new adventure on which I’m about to embark, change and the unknown are still two very dark and frightening places. No matter how many times one moves, it never really gets any easier.

Stone Circles In A New World

Surrounded by ocean to the north and to the west, near the edge of a cliff stands a stone circle – a sacred site, a sanctuary, a place where one can gaze up at the stars at night and ponder the mysteries of the universe. The cool night breeze carries a subtle mist through the standing stones that are planted firmly in each of the cardinal directions, adding a welcome moisture to the dry mountain air. The sky above offers a crystal clear view of the constellations and a glimpse into the divine energy that is the cosmos. Tall trees on the hillside wrap their protective arms around the southern perimeter of the circle, while an archway to the east beckons with an invitation to traverse the stone trail down to the rocky beach below. The seagulls have followed me here from the old west coast. This new world is silent and beautiful, and full of wonder and possibilities.

The Stillness of Earth Song

The inescapable hum of traffic from nearby freeways or city streets. Sales pitches, arguments, screams, car chases, battles, and other endless noise from television sets. Music from stereos or instruments. Fireworks during the weeks before and after Independence Day. Dogs barking and children playing outdoors. Crowds cheering at sports arenas. The drone of machines designed to make our lives more comfortable. Airplanes and helicopters flying over head. Sirens and horns blaring from emergency vehicles racing down the streets.

Harps Among The Fairy Winds

Holding its breath, a daring leaf bounds from the precarious heights of a majestic alder tree into the gracious hands of Nature and dances with delight as it gently glides to the ground. Inspired by its show of gallant artistry, others follow suit and break free of their hold in the lofty branches with reckless abandon. Into the wind, a symphony of leaves offer a fluttering accompaniment to the fairy winds that play the idle harps in the grove on Magic Hill. In that brief moment, a shower of leaves rained down around me and the chill of the breeze reminded me that Mother Earth was still waiting for us to resume the music we had been playing for her all weekend.

Agent for Hire

After re-reading my last blog entry, “The Ideal Candidate,” I started to put together an imaginary ad for a literary agent. While it wasn’t nearly as preposterous as the fake job posting in my last entry, it did seem a little over the top. For example,

The Ideal Candidate

While perusing the classified ads over the last few years, I’ve noticed how job postings seem to read a little like someone’s idea of the perfect soul mate:

Are You Following Your Bliss?

Over the last few years, I’ve deliberately stopped watching the news on television or listening to it on the radio. I’ve made a concerted effort to avoid hearing about world events on the Internet as well, which has been exceedingly more difficult lately since I spend a fair amount of time on Facebook and Twitter during the week. It’s virtually impossible to ignore what others post and to not read their reactions to current headlines. This has made me question my decision to shut out such broadcasts. Most of the reports just made me angry or sad, so I have to ask whether I’ve allowed myself to become oblivious to the global condition by closing my eyes to all of the unpleasant information. The answer to that is a resounding, “No!”

My Mother, My Domain

To the rest of the world, I took a seemingly inconsequential step forward yesterday: I retired my old website domain and its associated email. Not the most newsworthy move, right? After all, I already have another website that I’ve been using for months and people change domain names all the time. So what’s all the fuss about?

Confessions of a Psychic Medium

When I advertise my products and services, I rarely mention the fact that I am a psychic medium. It’s not that I lack the self-confidence to promote myself as such or believe that I’m not a legitimate medium, but I avoid marketing my gift because it typically presents itself when I least expect it. Connecting with the dead doesn’t work like on-demand television viewing. I can’t command it or control it; therefore, I could never in good conscience offer it as a service for money. I admit that I’m somewhat skeptical of those to profess to have the ability to conjure communication with spirits at will. I can, however, share my experiences with others and have considered putting together another writing project based on some of those experiences.

Celebrating Life

The Summer Solstice is generally recognized as the longest day of the year and many celebrate it in some form or fashion. For pagan folk, this day holds a special meaning and is one of eight holidays in the wheel of the year. While I revel in the longer days that build up to this one particular day and eagerly anticipate the eighteen hours of daylight that the solstice brings, I also dread the ever shorter days that follow, eventually plunging us back into the darkness of winter – the seemingly endless cold, damp days when my life hangs in limbo waiting for the sun to dry the earth and warm the chill in my joints.

What Would Nancy Drew Do?

As a writer, my passion lies in the telling of a story, in being able to take a single moment within the story and describe it with such vivid detail that the readers can experience that one moment as if they were living through it right along with the characters. I want them to taste the sea salt as they feel the cool ocean breeze on their faces, to envision the vibrant shades of red and orange filling the sky during a sunset, and to imagine the water sizzling as the sun dips below the horizon to take its nightly rest at the bottom of the ocean. I strive to create a story that captivates my readers as if they were inside the fictional world I have created, and if I am able to create the desire to visit the places in my stories, if it were possible, then I consider myself successful.

Starving Artists, A Starving Nation

We’ve all heard stories of celebrities who endured hardships before they received their first real break and became famous. It’s hard to feel sympathy for them now that they’re successful, right? Just because we can see how their struggles have paid off, doesn't mean we should discount them. It is easy to admire their tenacity. Not everyone reaps the rewards for their efforts, however. Many give up when things get too difficult and they choose to follow an easier, less satisfying path simply to survive.

The Art of Meditation

As we wander through this world, our busy lives can take us down some fairly chaotic roads filled with stress. Thankfully, most of us find a few side streets where we find joy and peace, and we are privileged to spend more time on those side streets than on the hectic thoroughfares. Whenever we find ourselves on a path of uncertainty, however, we reflect on what brought us there and we wonder what we could have done differently or what we can do going forward to change our situations.

How do we change our path, find a more pleasant path, or know whether we’re on the right path?

Welcome to Wandering Spirit

J.D. Hanning is the pseudonym I use for my written work. Although the "J" really does stand for Joanne, most people know me as Hannah. I'll be posting some updates on my writing projects here, but if you're just looking for updates, you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter. If you want to know things about my writing process, what I'm working on, things I find maddening about the world (or about my writing process), and other random thoughts that come to me that I think might be interesting to share, then this is where you need to be.