Lady Of The Silver Wheel

Tonight is a special night. Yes it is New Years Eve. It is also a Blue Moon (a second blue moon within a calendar month). The next one will not happen for another 19 years. Added on top to that it was also an eclipse today albeit only visible on the other side of the earth from where I am. Take a moment to honor the moon as it to is filled with the spirit of life:
High in the
Castle of Glass
A Silver Wheel turns
In the night

Slender hands
Guide a thread
Keeping it true
Keeping it tight

As it spins
Fate it begins
To opens
It's eyes

Lady of the Moon
Of the Stars
In the Spiral Castle
I hear you sing

Lady of the Silver Wheel
Lady of the Silver Wheel
Arianrhod, Lady of Changes
You spin the Web of Life

The web of life

Gather up
Every thread
Weave them together
Join them as one

The spindle
Begins to turn
A soul's new journey
Has begun

On the Earth
With every birth
So the web that joins
Together all life

Is as one
Daughter and son
Animal, human
Old and young

Lady of the Silver Wheel
Lady of the Silver Wheel
Arianrhod, Lady of Changes
You spin the Web of Life

Lady of the Silver Wheel
Lady of the Silver Wheel
Arianrhod, Lady of Changes
You spin the Web of Life

Autumn begins
To fall
And the Moon wanes
And seasons grow cold

We all hear the
Raven's call
Some while young
Others grow old

Oh she sings
The last chorus begins
With a voice as gentle
As Winter's Lace

A new thread
Through the wheel it is fed
Woe to those
Who see her face

Lady of the Silver Wheel
Lady of the Silver Wheel
Arianrhod, Lady of Changes
You spin the Web of Life

Lady of the Silver Wheel
Lady of the Silver Wheel
Arianrhod, Lady of Changes
You spin the Web of Life

The web of life

Goodbye 2009!

Wow, another year is over. It is hard to believe. As the snows slowly are melting and running down the driveway, I stop to think about this year. For me personally, it has been a year of changes. I became a vegetarian, moved to a new type of space in my spirituality which has enriched my work, and in my relationships. We have had a full year of a new president which has given millions of people hope.

I wonder what the new year holds?

Being a Man

We have lost something. Men have that is. Our society rewards an unstoppable drive in a male. We have been fashioned into a type of predator. We see a goal and we will do anything to reach it. Whether that goal is sex, a promotion, a new car. The predator impulse is a primal pulse but it has been twisted into something much darker. There is nothing wrong with hard work to achieve a goal, but in this society that demands instant gratification this is a sweet poison slowly killing the male spirit. So many of us men have lost or connection to the Earth. We no longer take time to connect with her. We do not pay attention to the phases of the moon or the growth of plants around us. We have lost our ability to feel deeply. I grieve for what I have lost as a man. I feel it. My spirit is wounded, and I suspect that I am not the only one. I only know one cure for this disease...stopping. Turn off the television and computer. Spend time with our families. Read to the children. Caress your wife with no ulterior motive. Worship her as a goddess...holy and sacred. Spend time in meditation in nature. Take the whole family to observe the phases of the moon, and to plant and harvest. We have lost our connection to Our Mother and it has poisoned us....will we take the antidote?

The Loss

I have been largely kept inside due to a huge snowstorm that hit. Today I was able to get out some, but had to be very careful as the roads are covered in ice and snow. Last night, during my time of meditation I tried to connect to the snow, winds and nature outside. I wanted to know it..to truly feel it inside. I could not do it. At this point I felt an intense loss. Have we as modern people lost the connection to the earth and nature? I feel we have. We live in a climate controlled world where we never have to deal with any realities of nature. We have lost our feeling of connection...to each other, and to the earth and cosmos. We have lost our sense of the tribe. Can we regain it? Is it even possible. I went outside tonight and did my meditation...under the moon...being present to the cold. Touching the earth. We connected....perhaps there is hope.

What is that growing inside you?

Jesus saw some little babies being breast-fed. He said to his disciples, "These little ones that are being suckled are similar to those who enter the kingdom." They said to him, "So we enter the kingdom by being like babies?" Jesus said to them, "When you transform the two into one, and when you turn what is inside to be like the outside and the outside like the inside, and what is above like what is below, and when you turn the male and the female into one and the same, so that the male not be male nor the female female; and when you create eyes in the place of the eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a likeness; then will you enter the kingdom." Gospel of Thomas 22

This is the creation story in reverse. The male and female return to one. The body is replaced by a body, and it is like the Enigma song says...a "Return to Innocence." It is a state of oneness within the self and a oneness with all of creation. This state requires the individual to almost be a shaman going within through layers after layers of beliefs, illusions, ghosts of past experiences replaying within...when all of these shadows are seen and embraced, then the true Self may be seen and experienced.

Winter Solstice

Right now as I look out of my window, the see the snow falling, I heart the winds blowing. Reports have been on the news about this being one of the worst blizzards in my part of the country for at least 10 years. I look out and try to connect a bit with the blizzard. Are there any life lessons to be learned from it? I cannot think of any lessons that have any great depth, except concern for the welfare of the homeless or those without heat. Be prepared seems to be another lesson, as many people are stranded on the streets...do they have blankets, bottled water etc in their cars?

Weather like this is a reminder that as much as we may like to think we are in control of the world, we are not. Nature tells us that whatever we may cling to, it is not permanent. Things change. Just a few days ago I was outside without a coat, now people are at risk of freezing to death. All things are transient the winter winds whisper, do not cling, do not rest on your laurels, but be mindful and aware.

The Winter Solstice was a few days ago. The shortest day of the year marked a change that each day will be longer than the last. Letting go of the darkness, some of us look forward to the increasing time of day. Then there are some of us who seem to walk in the twilight. I count myself as one of them, not because I am somehow "more special than thou" but rather just on account of my personality and my lack of fully fitting in with normal society. I did not share it on the blog, but I did tell of an instance of having a dream that seemed to reflect what was happening in a friends life...the same friend I had in a dream who I had not talked to in years. The other side of this is that I had three more dreams about other friends with very similar results...and one more about a lady I had never met who died when I was three. She told me her name in the dream and her year of birth and death. I woke up, wrote the information down and then proceeded to look her up on the Internet. Oddly enough I found her when I was about to give up. What does one do with such information? I have no idea, but being plagued with out there experiences throughout my life, seems to put me outside the boundaries of "normal." It is times like this that I wish I had a spiritual mentor to walk me through them. I sure need it! LOL Okay enough rambling for now. Have a Happy Solstice, Merry Christmas and such.

The Spirituality of Avatar

I watched the movie Avatar tonight and I expected a feel good movie, but was profoundly moved and impressed by the spiritual messages in it. The connection to the planet, animals, and each other are wonderfully expressed. At one point, the main character prays to the world soul, only to be reminded that she does not take sides but only seeks balance. This is well worth watching!

Your Spiritual Type

I remember reading about the types of yoga in the Bhagavad-Gita. I still go back to it again and again as a powerful vision of what the spiritual life could look like. Hinduism highlights several types of yogas or spiritual paths. In my mind, they are like spiritual types. No person is only one type, though one or two may be predominant. Here they are:


Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti Yoga emphasizes on the love and devotion to the Divine. The individual performing this type of Yoga concentrates on the existence of Divine often in a particular form. He/she learns to show love, compassion to the creatures co-existing with him/her, through keenly worshipping the Lord. Bhakti Yoga can be practiced in a number of ways, such as praising the God by singing, chanting, reading religious books, listening to prayers and by watching religious movies.

Jnana Yoga
The Yoga of true knowledge, Jnana Yoga aims to detach the person performing it, from all the temporary things of the life. The person doing it attains tranquility, control over his/her mind, sense, faith, ability for concentration and the endurance to withstand the play of opposites by Mother Nature. By practising Jnana Yoga, the individual stays single-minded in all situations and attains self-control.

Karma Yoga
As the name suggests, Karma Yoga is the dedication of all the actions (karma) and their fruits to the Almighty. This type of Yoga purifies one's heart, and helps attain the knowledge of one's own self. The aim of a Karma Yogic (one, who performs Karma Yoga) is to provide selfless service to the poor and the needy, without expecting money, fame, power, respect and honor in return of the service.

Source: http://yoga.iloveindia.com/yoga-types/index.html

Did they have a robber mask on?

If the owners of a house already know that a thief is coming to break in, they are going to be on guard before that thief gets there and they are not going to let that thief get in and rob them. So in your case, then, be on guard against the corruption found in the world. Strengthen yourselves, so the things that will rob you can't find a way to get to you, for that trouble you expect to come, will come. The understanding ones will get this. When the crops became ripe, he harvested it with a sickle. Anyone here with two good ears,listen up!" Gospel of Thomas 21b

What are the things in our life that we let steal our joy? What are the worries of the world that make us forgive things like compassion, and charity? We know things are gonna come. There are gonna be troubles for ourselves and others. So what can we do? Be ready. Be ready to share what you have. Be ready to find peace in the storm. For me part of that is a daily meditation practice, so that when I am angry, hurt, or frustrated I can take a second and go to that center within...That place of peace and can respond from a clearer place than I was at when I was frustrated. Life has its troubles. Lets be creative and find better ways to respond to them, not only for ourselves, but for others as well.

Christmas?

This really has a powerful message. As an green eco-friendly guy, the consumerism really seems nuts. Even though I do not identify as a Christian in any traditional sense, the message is very powerful.

The Interview With God

If you are not comfortable with the God imagery, imagine it is a conversation with your own soul or self. In my mind they are the same.

Thieving Kids!

Mary asked Jesus, "Tell me what your disciples like." Jesus replied, "My students are like little children living in a field that does not belong to them. When the owners of the field come around, they are going to say, 'Give us back our field.' The children remove their clothes right there in order to give it back to them, and they give their field to them." Gospel of Thomas 21a

What you do not truly possess you do not keep. I had an aunt who married young. She took care of her husband, waiting on him hand and foot. He did not want her to learn to drive and so she did not. He did not let her pay bills or handle the money aside from shopping. They were both very "old school" as far as relationships go. She felt very secure in this relationship. But there was one problem, when he died, she knew nothing as to how to take care of herself. Her life spiraled out of control. She began taking pain meds...more and more until that was what killed her. Life is beautiful for the most part. It is something to be enjoyed. Our relationships are wonderful gifts. However, the truth of the matter is all that we have is impermanent. Nothing stays the same forever. The children in this story live in a field that is not there...whether they are squatters or renters, it does not say nor does it really matter. Both apply. Yet when forced to give back what they had, they did so and more. A student/disciple of Jesus like a student of the Buddha ideally lives a life full of passion, joy, compassion and detachment. They know that all these experiences are to be enjoyed in the present moment, but that they too will pass. It is a sad thought that comes to me from time to time, that my spouse someday will die. Or perhaps I will die first. The harder we cling, the more we suffer. Instead we really could learn to love within this present moment. This is the only time that exists...the right now. So love your children, love your spouse as if it is your last moment. Cherish the time you have, ready to let go if you must, but enjoying the now. Not easy...in fact it is taking me a lifetime to figure out.

Dreams

I do not know what many of you think about dreams and/or synchronicity but I have had three dreams and two of them were especially pertinent and I am waiting on feedback on the third. In the first dream, I dreamed of a friend I have not seen in years. She told me she was troubled and alone in the dream. I wrote her an email after waking to find out that the religious group she had led for years split and dissolved. The split was kinda ugly. The second dream was about a friend's child who in the dream said he just needed to be held, that he hurt. Again, the next day the mom contacts me to tell me he busted his thumb up in the car door the night before. Last night, I had one of another friend I have not had any contact with in a good 5 or 6 years...again something was not right and she was very distant and troubled. I wrote her and await feedback. Just odd stuff, as I dream a lot but these dreams all felt different and were very vivid.

Plant a seed that is already there!

The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us what Heaven's kingdom is like." He said to them, "It's like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, but when it falls on prepared soil, it produces a large plant and becomes a shelter for birds of the sky." Gospel of Thomas 20

Spiritual awareness is a seed within every person. It often goes unnoticed. But as we develop this awareness it grows and even provides comfort and help for others. How are you going to nourish this seed today?

Before you come here, come here!

Jesus said, "Good job to the one who came into being before they came into being. If you become my student and practice deep listening to my sayings, even these pebbles will serve you. For there are five trees in Paradise for you; they never change, in neither summer nor winter, and their leaves never fall. Whoever knows them will not taste death." Gospel of Thomas 19

This is one of those obscure sayings. One cannot help but wonder what it means to come into being before coming into being. Perhaps it is something like waking up to life before you die. How sad it is that there are those who never truly lived while they live. They do their routines, they follow all societies rules and expectations and never truly live. What does it mean to be truly alive? I think it means living in the present moment. That every moment is precious, and should not be wasted worrying about a possible future or dwelling on the past. We only have this moment with our loved ones. This sunset and sky will never be the same again. Truly live it..if you do it is as if all of life is at service to you rather than you serving life. If you live in the present moment, while all of life is changing, there is the part of you that never changes. My goal is to try to live that life.