musings

There's No Place Like Home

lady_infinity — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:28:05 GMT

Sufi Al-Hallaj was crucified in Baghdad in the 9th century. His crime? Declaring that he and his God were One. Sound familiar? Hmmm…let’s see here. There’s the Inquisition. Witch hunts. The Holocaust. Tibet. All those wars through the millennia that have been and still are fought over the difference between one tribe’s god(s) and another. As a spiritual seeker, do you ever wonder why you have a hard time stating your truth? Perhaps it’s that karmically- encoded imprint of how many lifetimes you have been tortured, exiled and killed for seeking experiences beyond the mundane to directly access your God. I am moved to share this quote from Al- Hallaj~ “I have meditated on the different religions, endeavoring to understand them, and I have found that they stem from a single principle with numerous ramifications. Do not therefore ask a man to adopt a particular religion (rather than another), for this would separate him from the fundamental principle. It is this principle itself which must come to seek him…” My teacher was saying last night that you are a product of your truth. To me, that means that I have the potential to embody the aspect of that multifaceted principle I am drawn to illuminate. It is my spiritual center at which I feel fully at home. If you truly want to make a difference in the world, take full advantage of this time in history and go home. Allow yourself to be found by the seeking fundamental principle. Seek allies and teachers in your discovered ramification. Be tolerant of those manifesting different facets. Delve into your Truth. Become it. Take your truth into the world through your thoughts, words and deeds. Integrate it into your life’s work. The African Pygmy tradition creation myth says: In the beginning was God, Today is God Tomorrow will be God. Who can make an image of God? He has no body. He is a word which comes out of your mouth. That word! It is no more, It is past, and still it lives! So is God. We are at a time in the evolution of the human species where we each are able to be discovered by the facet of the fundamental principle with which we authentically resonate and relatively safely express it. Cultivate some of the many tools available to communicate your divine essence- Toastmasters, volunteering, blogging, voting etc. Bring your vision of God through your eyes into the world. Dig deep down and find the courage to go beyond the past transgressions. This is our time (the New Aeon is upon us)~ and the window is open now (who knows for how long…). If not now, how many lifetimes are you willing to wait for another chance to express yourself? This is an amazing evolutionary opportunity to transcend your karmic history and reveal the product of your Truth. Then go ahead and click your heels together three times, just like in the Wizard of Oz, and say to yourself, “There’s no place like home.”

Happy Summer Solstice!

lady_infinity — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:06:40 GMT

Nearly every religion of the world shows traces of influence of nature and the heavens. The Old Testament of the Jews and writings by Egyptian culture are a mass of astrological and astronomical allegories. Nearly all the Greek and Roman mythologies may be traced to star groups. The ancient systems of measuring the year were based upon the equinoxes and solstices. The energy of nature right now at the time of the Summer Solstice is outward. It is solar and expressive, full of life force. You can see it in the budding and flowering plants. Astronomically, it is where our exposure to sunlight for a single day is at a zenith. In fact, at the North Pole the sun does not set on the solstice. Astrologically, it is the moment where the Sun shifts from the sign of Gemini to the sign of Cancer. This year the Summer Solstice occurs on today. The Druids, the priestly/professional/diplomatic corps in Celtic countries, celebrated Alban Heruin ("Light of the Shore"). Modern Druids still gather at standing stone circle Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain in England to mark the event and celebrate this time as the marriage between heaven and earth. As it comes up, the sun rises exactly over the Heel Stone, one of the stones that lie outside the main circle at Stonehenge. The Summer Solstice has often been called Midsummer. Shakespeare’s fantastic play A Midsummer Night’s Dream evokes the magickal air about this cycle of the year. It is said that on Midsummer Night, elves and fairies come out in great numbers. The Christian overlay of this natural holiday is the Feast of St. John the Baptist, usually observed on June 24th. This observance is one of the oldest feasts introduced into both the Greek and Latin liturgies to honor a saint. His feast day is offset a few days after the summer solstice, just as Christmas is fixed a few days after the Winter Solstice. Symbolically, just as John was the forerunner to Jesus, Midsummer forecasts the eventual arrival of the Winter Solstice. The first (or only) full moon in June is called the Honey Moon. It was considered the best time to harvest honey from the hives. Additionally, between the planting and harvesting of the crops, June was the traditional month for weddings and remains a favorite month for marriage today. In some traditions, newlywed couples were fed dishes and beverages that featured honey for the first month of their married life to encourage love and fertility. The surviving vestige of this tradition lives on in the name given to the celebratory retreat from the day-to-day world the couple takes immediately after the ceremony- the honeymoon. Celebrate the peak of the power of the sun by bringing to the light the magickal side of yourself and revealing your true nature. Blossom in the fullness of nature, express yourself creatively and revel in the potency of this part of Earth’s annual cycle. Who knows- maybe you’ll even encounter an elf or fairy… What are you doing to mark the Solstice?

One Hi at a Time

lady_infinity — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:36:18 GMT

I recently started working with a new client whose office is in a downtown San Diego high rise. Since I have mostly worked from home the past several years, traveling the 31 miles from my rural home on lots of acres of open space to the urban core of one of the largest cities in the country has been a bit of a culture shock, to put it mildly. One of the first things I noticed about this new environment was that no one seemed to smile or talk to each other. It felt like I was in a movie and the people were all animated props~ always walking silently, eyes focused forward with neutral facial expression which discouraged interaction. Now, this isn’t the kind of world I want to spend very much of my time in- it got boring after the first week novelty wore off. I’d rather be home communing with the hawks, lizards, trees, and other interesting beings, human and otherwise, who prefer to live together in a beautiful co-creative setting. So, instead of choosing to end the job, I decided to alter the alien office landscape to better suit my needs. To be the change I want to see. So, as a personal practice, each time I get into the elevator and there is another person there, I say hi with a smile. At first, after the initial shocked look on peoples’ faces, there was a response 20% of the time. Now it is up to 80% and I have moved onto offering greetings in the beverage area. That has resulted sometimes in maybe even a two sentence conversation about the weather or the news. A few weeks of saying hi to the downstairs security guards has had the outcome of that they now recognize me (though they somehow remind me of the guys in the Matrix, because of their ear pieces and suits but I have been able to get past that image) with a nod of acknowledgement. This movie is starting to feel more integrated into the world I want to live in. I am feeling much better about entering this separate reality now. It is forming nicely into a friendlier environment through just making the commitment to changing myself in order to change my world and then following through with these seemingly small actions to enact the shift. You really can have an impact on making the planet a better place through these intentional acts of kindness and friendliness. Give it a try and see how you can begin to craft your reality into what you want it to be.

Eternal Instant of Inner Revelation

lady_infinity — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:50:40 GMT

It can happen to you anywhere and often does when you least expect it. Sitting in the waiting area at the airport the other day I had one of those moments. It seemed as if all else was a movie separate and apart from my personal world and I was alone in an eternal instant of inner revelation. The outer view was only slightly different from before, even if the costume was still the same jeans and a black turtleneck. The realization had to do with the results of deep unfolding on my inside that had occurred since the last time I had sat in the same airport waiting area chair heading to the same destination a year ago. It was the way I felt as I maneuvered through the world that was perceptibly altered. The revelation appeared in my mind’s eye as an instant snapshot of how much I had changed from the last time I was in this same position and reflected as changes on the outside. Though this kind of event is profound, it most often happens in pretty ordinary places and feels as elegant as a déjà vu moment. Time seems to juxtapose past and present and, in an instant, you can feel yourself as you were then and as you are now at the same time. Maybe this is one of our Soul’s ways of benchmarking our evolution in real time so we can have an “aha” moment and realize we really are making progress. After all, this spiritual evolution stuff isn’t for the faint hearted. Sublime moments like this are what encourage us to keep going. The incident at the airport was just one more leg of the journey that has brought me to this destination. My awareness of the opportunity for quantum life examination has been heightened yet again as I am ever on the lookout for each clue to the mystery bearing my name. Check out the Meta Journal (http://www.blueskyranch.org/mj_spring08.pdf) for this article plus more intriguing and spiritually provocative reading.

White Space

lady_infinity — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:05:00 GMT

What makes a piece of art spectacular? Most people would say that first and foremost it is the feelings the image evoke. Secondly, it is the technique and execution which demonstrate the creator’s mastery. I would like to propose that we add into this evaluation of greatness the expert use of white space as that is the foundation of every masterpiece in any genre, particularly the art of life. White space is what defines all that happens over the course of life. It is the blank space in between images and events that make it possible to gain perspective on our lives. It is the inhale and exhale before a response. The two second pause that makes the difference between a default reaction and an intentional act. That space between events that defines the impact of activities. Those eternal blissful seconds after an orgasm when your mind is not in charge of your reality. To me, white space is an essential element of life that often is overlooked. It is a healthy part of any relationship. I love the song title, “‘How can I miss you if you won’t go away?” (Dan Hicks) as it rings very true particularly in situations of continual intense exposure to others or a project. That’s why it is important and often inspirational to create some intentional white space in your life. Take day off from work every once in awhile while not sacrificing a decent vacation, spend a few days away from a partner, or to get a babysitter and have time as a vivacious adult. Actually your being requires it and will make sure you get that white space whether you think you need it or not. Often unintentional white space comes in the form of being sick and being forced to take a down day. You can save yourself a lot of discomfort and disease if you figure out how often you need to infuse white space into your schedule and enjoy it rather than endure it. You are the creator of this masterpiece called your life. Are you intentionally using your white space for emphasis and inspiration?

Quantum Gliding

lady_infinity — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 03:34:11 GMT

I have been dramatically changing in the past couple of months~ at least it feels like it on the inside. I can’t really tell if it looks much different on the outside. It seems like often the most profound changes on the inside don’t look like much at all on the outside. Maybe you have an epiphany while picking an orange from a tree. You are standing there, clippers in one hand, orange in another. From behind your eyes, an amazing revelation alters your perspective. You know will never be the same again. That moment stops time and it seems like you have been standing there for an eternity. You pick the fruit, write down the information and then eat the orange in order to fully embody the epiphany. Total elapsed earth time: 45 seconds. Sometimes major shifts are induced by circumstances often catalyzed by astrological transits. Navigating through these moments and not letting them slip away through the busy-ness of day to day life is a skill to be cultivated and practiced indeed. Since so much has shifted so rapidly, it feels like I am on a pair of ice skates gliding swiftly yet elegantly on the mirror-like ice of personal evolution. It’s kind of exciting~ every moment contains the potential of amplified growth opportunities. I am constantly on the look out for these moments~ be it in taking the elevator into the parking garage of my downtown office to sitting in the temple doing ritual and meditation. The evolutionary pace has increased so exponentially that this time right now seems to call for gaining some skill in quantum gliding. Quantum gliding to me means being able to see any event in your world as integrated into your quest for enlightenment. There is no separation in your worlds. In physics, quantum is defined as an abrupt change in the energy state of an elemental unit, such as a molecule, atom, or subatomic particle. Such particles do not smoothly transition from one energy state to another; rather, they jump or leap from a state of rest to an excited state, for example, accompanied by the absorption or emission of a particle carrying the equivalent energy. Such changes are dramatic and instantaneous, but small in magnitude. In our spiritual warrior application, it’s all about the quantum leaps that we experience but from the outside look like we are merely eating an orange. Ahhhh….but what an orange… Have you noticed any shifts in your world?

As Above, So Below

lady_infinity — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:27:45 GMT

Most anyone who has dipped her or his toe into the vast ocean of spiritual evolution has heard the phrase, “as above, so below”. Or as the Qabalists would say, “Kether is in Malkuth as Malkuth is in Kether.” As it is in heaven, so it is on earth. What this means, in plain English, is that God is ultimately in everything we know. The dirt, the computer, the glass of water…no matter what exists on earth, it is infused with Divine Nature. What it also means is that each of us is infused with this Divine Nature and we are both the Created and the Creators. What we use to create are the elements available here on earth. Commonly, those elements are earth, air, water, fire and spirit. The element of spirit is the spark of the Divine which animates our creations. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are creating constantly through some combination of the elements. There are mythic/animal entities associated with earth, air, water and fire called elementals. These are the mystical creatures that dwell within the spirit realm of the elements and are related to nature spirits. I spent a week observing how each of my acts engaged the elements. For example, every morning I make a cup of tea (earth) by combining a pot of water and applying a flame to heat it. The air fans the fire to bring the water to a boil. Here are a few results of that practice: Earth: When I really feel caught up in my head, I go outside, take off my shoes and stand on the ground. I deeply inhale the solid energy of the earth and as I exhale visualize treelike roots extending through the bottom of my bare feet (grass works as well as soil). It only takes a couple of minutes to do it and the benefits of the connection provide an energetic outlet for my mind so that I can recharge. Things of the five senses are part of the element and gnomes are the elementals associated with earth. One time I built a gnome house out of tongue depressors and placed it in the garden. It lasted for about a year and kept my awareness tuned to the earth element; there was even one occasion when I found a tiny flower inside it. Earth to the extreme is a landslide or earthquake that can smother or swallow all in its path. A deficiency of earth would be evident in an inability to get things done in the world. Air: I take great pleasure in sitting on my porch, listening to the rustling of the leaves of the trees; the song of the sylphs, the elementals of air. Inspiration is to ‘breathe in’, the root meaning of the word. Air is essential to existence in a human body and is associated with the intellect. Though I haven’t personally experienced hurricane force winds, I do remember one time sitting at the base of a tree in a lime orchard, watching a strong wind move the tree with such force that the base of the trunk and the earth in which it was planted moved. Too little air is all action and no research. Water: How many glasses of water do you drink per day to recharge the main component of your body? Think of water as the emotional blood flowing through the veins of your life. It is associated with emotions and undines are the elemental spirit water. I feel quite comfortable in my body in the water due to the buoyancy. I can float on my back or swim beneath the surface without touching the ground. Gone to the extreme, hard rains can bring devastating flood waters. Too little water is seen in a strictly task oriented approach to life without considering feelings. Fire: I love to start a fire in the fireplace and watch the flames dance. I find it to be significantly better entertainment than television. I also find great release in what I call ‘burning of the past’ where I incinerate papers that no longer serve me as fire is known as a purifier and is the flame that burns in the heart of every person and in the core of every star. The elemental of fire is the salamander. When in extreme manifestation, it is the indiscriminate transformer, wildfire. A deficiency of fire can be seen in a lackluster going through the motions of life rather than engaging its riches. The fifth element, spirit, is the coalescing element of the other four. It is what compels us to create through combining the other elements. It is the invisible vehicle of heaven above (Kether) which transfers the energy of our intentions to the raw earthly material (Malkuth). For example, Dr. Masuro Emoto has done breakthrough research on the receptivity of water to intention. So instead of just drinking a glass of water because you are thirsty, you can engage the fifth element by programming that water with an intention of health. Without that spiritual spark, everything is as it appears on the surface and the magick and mystery of the invisible world passes by without notice. It is in our personal combinations of meditation, ritual and awareness that we have the opportunity to place ourselves where above and below meet and merge. For example, in setting a goal or realizing a dream we may visualize the form or shape it takes (earth), and anticipate the sensual enjoyment of it rousing the energy of emotion (water), and apply the energy of action, desire, effort and transformation (fire) sustained by a clear and unwavering intention (air) until it expresses outwardly the originating creative impulse of spirit. It is by blending all of the elements on earth and fusing them within ourselves that we engage in a spiritual love affair as humans in an earthly incarnation which reflects above as a union with the Divine. To merge above and below is to see from both the human and divine perspectives as one whole being. And it is at this point where that ancient phrase, “As above, so below” is more than a cliché. It is something that we know deeply as our own truth.

The Time of the Void

lady_infinity — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:14:47 GMT

The Void is that special time in the cycle of life, death, and rebirth when you pull up last season’s dying plants and compost them. During this time, the land lies fallow, and nothing much appears to happen. Yet beneath the surface, the earth is preparing itself for new life to come. On the natural calendar, it is between the Winter Solstice, when night is at its peak and the Spring Equinox when nature begins its rebirth and day and night are of equal length. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the Void is called the ‘bardo’. The term bardo commonly denotes the intermediate state between death and rebirth. In reality, bardos are occurring continuously throughout both life and death, and are junctures when the possibility of liberation, or enlightenment, is heightened. It is those times when one chapter of your life is closing and the next one has yet to begin. Most of us are not trained to recognize, much less maximize, these times of the Void. We are encouraged by society to avoid our empty spaces or fill them quickly with distractions. We are lead to believe it is easier to endure the pain of the known, rather than face the overwhelming potential of the unknown. The truth is that the void, like the womb, is a fertile space in which new realities are created. In the Qabala, the Void can be used as a way to experience the sephirah Binah which represents the female potency in the universe; the archetypal womb through which life comes to manifestation. It is also known as the great primordial sea. I remember swimming in the ocean one idyllic summer day in gold-flecked water beyond where the waves begin. I stopped swimming and started just being in the current and had a moment of understanding of that universal unconscious from which all form ultimately develops. A dolphin emerged close by. As brief as it was, that profound experience offered me an ineffable understanding of the Void. Over the years, I have learned to recognize the Void phases and relish them. They are periods when my life is changing, but I do not know yet how or when, and most options for action lay out of my hands. It may the time when one project ends and the next has not quite begun, or when I am between relationships. The time of the Void offers me the perfect opportunity to re-dream myself and to prepare my inner soil for the next cycle of growth. I know that anything is possible, if only I can stay in a tranquil frame of mind. So I meditate and do rituals. I rest and dream and take long, hot baths. I take long walks in the mountains and at the ocean. I tend my garden and spend time with my cats. I read books that make me feel positive, empowered and nourished. I volunteer in the community. Then one day, a shift happens: I get a call on a new project, a new piece of research comes in, or a new team member arrives. I meet someone new and interesting. Or, I have an “aha” moment that illuminates everything. Then I know the precious Void time has ended, and a new phase has begun. It is always interesting to see how my life re-vision appears on the outside as a result of re-dreaming myself on the inside. So when you find yourself at the powerful threshold of the Void in your life, cherish it as sacred personal time. Write down some ideas and intentions for this rich and fertile season. Be willing to sit, for a time, with the emptiness and discover what it may bring. Re-dream yourself and gestate your world so when the cycle shifts, you will be able to birth the new you that you intend.

Beginnings Are Delicate Times

lady_infinity — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:53:22 GMT

So many of us in this circle of seekers have been experiencing new beginnings in our lives in at least one world, be it spiritual, personal or professional, since the dawn of the new year. A good number of these beginnings come as gifts on the dragon’s tail of endings; some planned, some unexpected. Beginnings are delicate times. Each fresh start is a blank canvas on which you, and others participating in the artwork of the relationship or project, create. How you interact, agree to be treated, express yourself, and define terms are all open to negotiation and acceptance by the interested parties. It is totally up to you as to whether or not you choose to fashion a new scenario or stick with the old patterns and habits. These initial stages are a great way to translate the changes you’ve made on the inside into how you interact in the outer world. That means that this conscious practice of crafting intentional beginnings can make you a more whole person (holier) and help you build the next stable platform from which to grow. Regardless of what you choose, how you start anything is how it is. It is much more difficult to change how things go once they are grooved in to a habit than it is to take the time needed right from the get-go to get it just the way you want it. On a global scale, we are moving into a new era. Can you feel it? Maybe it has something to do with the astrological event marked by the planet Pluto shifting signs from Sagittarius (where it has been in since 1995) into Capricorn. Steven Forrest briefly describes the sign Pluto as penetrating, transpersonalizing and revealing. It goes down into the dungeons and digs up what is wounded and buried to be exposed and addressed. Sagittarius is the realm of beliefs, understanding and expansion. The sign of Capricorn is about business, structures, power, responsibility and integrity in society. On a personal level, it is also about doing great works. The last time this cycle occurred was from 1762-1779. That was kind of a revolutionary time. This new 16-year cycle kicked off on January 25th (that’s until 2024, folks!). If you remember, in the U.S., it was the wild week of the major slide in the stock market and emergency dropping of the federal funds rate, starting the snowball of whispered recession panic. Just for grins, go back and see what was happening in your life during the week around that time. Any significant events? We each have the opportunity to take advantage of the new beginnings happening now. Did you know Pluto’s major emphasis is healing? How do you want to use the energy that is available on a grand scale? How do you want to inaugurate your virgin ventures on the physical plane? Whatever you decide, make sure it is your choice, not your reaction habit.

Fear of What If

lady_infinity — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:16:13 GMT

‘Fear is the mind killer’ as is so exquisitely stated by Frank Herbert in the novel Dune. It can be a paralyzing force that makes us settle for what used to be rather than seeing what is or crafting a future of our choosing. It is a palpable energetic current that you can feel. Here’s how. Right now sincerely ask yourself, “So what are you afraid of?” What does that feel like in your body? Does it compel you to act or not act? What emotions are you feeling? Do you feel differently now than prior to when you began reading this article? When my friend asked me that question, I could feel my solar plexus reacting instantaneously…and I don’t consider myself a particularly fearful person. Fear often has an attachment to a thought, even though it is only momentary. It can change a mood in the blink of an eye. We can go from emotionally enthusiastic to sub zero chill in a micro second. This also got me thinking about how often times we develop a fear of the ‘what if’ scenarios. What if what I attempt to do this and it does not turn out as perfect as my vision? What if I give myself into a relationship or job fully and find myself taken advantage of and/or hurt again? My teacher has a little plaque in her home that says, ‘Love like you’ll never get hurt’. I would suggest amplifying that to ‘Engage life like you’ll never get hurt’. Give yourself fully, using a perfect portion of proper caution, and the universe will match you with equal energy. When we get caught up in the fear of what ifs, that’s when we stunt our evolutionary growth and stay put exactly at the place where we say, ‘No way am I ever going to do that again. It costs way too much.’ That leads me to the question of how much are you willing to pay for your personal evolution? Are you willing risk growing yourself to a new level of openness, consciousness and understanding even at the risk of being hurt or incorporating new ways of thinking and being into your truth? Do you have the courage to say yes to opportunities and be present with them in the now rather than reacting automatically as you have in the past? This fear-facing stuff is definitely risky business. That risk really can pay off as, at least from my experience, there is nothing more valuable or exhilarating than facing my fears and working through them as a tool for transformation.

Into Me See

lady_infinity — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:29:02 GMT

Intimacy has been a recurring topic this week. I like the ‘into-me-see’ adaptation of the word. It pretty well sums up what intimacy is~ an invitation to create a safe interpersonal space in which to reveal your real self in all of your divine humanness. In the last couple of days, several conversations have led to the discussion of sex and intimacy. Each time, I was talking with male friends and they were noting that the women they were courting were physically compatible but not necessarily willing or able to go into the realm of deeper intimacy. This seems counter intuitive and diametrically opposed to what most pundits would say about how men and women discern sex and intimacy. I suspect about 100% of us have been hurt in a relationship before. We have opened up to a partner and exposed our vulnerable parts. Wide open, we have felt the pain of rejection and vowed not to allow that to happen ever again, closing down our hearts thinking that will somehow ease the hurt. That is how a fear of intimacy develops and then manifests as a decision to not allow another to see into you. You might think that an open heart would leave a person vulnerable and defenseless, but I have found the opposite is quite true. Our best 'defense' against pain is to let it move through the heart, shake us like a storm, and pass on. It is only after the heart is broken open that the cleansing winds of forgiveness can blow through. Forgiveness starts first and foremost with ourselves. When we let out hearts break open and feel the waves of pain and tenderness, it connects us to all sentient beings that have ever suffered. If we clamp our hearts down tightly to avoid pain, we trap that pain inside. Then our hearts becomes knotted with all that bitterness, anger and sadness captured inside. That can lead to situations where a loving physical relationship doesn’t cross the into me see threshold. The risk may seem too great. In that case, sex can often become the way to fill the gap of loneliness and longing for meaningful contact while avoiding the chance of getting hurt. Like you, I’ve been hurt in relationships. It has felt very risky to allow others to see me. I am exceedingly selective in those I co-create that safe space with. A sexual relationship may or may not be a part of that intimacy. Most often it is not. It was really scary at the beginning to do so, but now I wouldn’t even consider trading that intimacy for a knotted heart. I have made mistakes, shared triumphs, cried both in joy and pain, and revealed my dreams with a few people. My heart feels like it gets bigger and fuller all the time. And, though I still get my feelings hurt every once in awhile by being so open, the benefits of allowing into me see far surpass the consequences.

The Mists of Champlain

lady_infinity — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:45:29 GMT

It was a misty moisty morning in early fall. I had just pulled my car onto the ferry to cross Lake Champlain to Burlington, VT. A few moments after getting under way, I was standing at the prow of the ferry. All of the other passengers were huddled in their vehicles with their heaters on. But I couldn’t resist the pull of the mist. I had to be outside, wrapped in my warmest jacket, hat and gloves. The ship moved into the mist and everything around me disappeared. I was in a cloud, alone with the sea spray and lake perfume enveloping me—breathing in the exquisite experience. In that moment, I was transported from normal reality into a timeless place that was not quite of this world. It was a place of communion with the divine. Departing from the ferry to begin the next adventure, I realized I was a different person than when I drove onto the boat. The subtle alchemical shift of an up-close-and-personal mystical experience expanded the edge of my projection to new vistas of perception. I may not go back to Lake Champlain anytime soon, but the impact of the voyage of that crossing will stay with me for the rest of this lifetime. That day and others like it have taught me that mysticism is an intimate experience of the divine. When that intimate moment occurs, it doesn’t look like much of anything from the outside. It happens in the inner world, beyond the edge of your projection on this physical plane. There are plenty of time-tested techniques like meditation and yoga that are practices worth investing time and effort in to prepare us for this intimacy and to court the experience. It takes the heightened awareness that these techniques cultivate to be able to catch the moment, see it as a portal of opportunity and then to have the courage to open up and take it. After all, it would have been much warmer and more comfortable to sit in the car with the heater on, but I would have completely missed that magnificent mystical moment. as seen in the Meta Journal http://www.blueskyranch.org/mj.pdf

Live Your Dream

lady_infinity — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:04:50 GMT

I have a dream. I dream my world into existence by envisioning who I can become and what I can create. The picture is so clear I can almost touch it. It is a favorite place in my inner landscape that I visit often. With each trip, the vision becomes more clearly defined and I am more active in it. If only I__________ (insert your favorite excuse), I would make my dream real. I would pour my heart and soul and life force energy into living my dream. Why do I stop myself from manifesting my dream here and now? Why are there always conditions saying no when my very being is crying out a resounding yes? Why do I always put off my dream for some indefinite future date? Why do I stop myself from realizing my dream? Am I afraid if this one exists, there will be no more? What if somebody doesn’t like it? What if it isn’t as perfect in reality as it is in my imagination? Do I really deserve it? Will I ever? What if it actually happened and was as wonderful as I envisioned? What if your only purpose in this lifetime was to discover, manifest and live out your dreams? Would you live your life differently than you are now? Experiment with that purpose as a true statement. Allow yourself to savor and digest it. How would you proceed from here? Will you embrace this purpose and propel yourself whole-heartedly toward that goal? Would you make it your will to explore, create and live your vision? Will you? When? What is your dream?

Hawk Totem

lady_infinity — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 07:07:39 GMT

It was the afterglow of a misty rainy day as I was walking around Blue Sky Ranch yesterday afternoon. The air was the perfectly fresh and clean. The trees were moist with raindrops and the smell was delicious. As I meandered through the lime orchard, I looked up to see a huge red tail hawk soar toward me. Its eyes engaged mine as the air moved while it flew past. The hawk perched within three feet and surveyed its empire, including me, for a few minutes before going north to a tall pine tree not far away. I felt a connection and grokked that a subliminal language was established between us. I continued toward the tangerines to an open area where some equipment is stored. I heard the flap of wings behind me and turned to see the hawk breeze to land on the top of a cement mixer. Again a few minutes of rapport and then the magnificent bird took flight right next to me~ close enough to see the colors and details of the belly feathers. From there I headed home. As I approached, my body was compelled to turn around to acknowledge the arrival of my raptor companion in response to a silent call. The beauty perched on a tree top right behind my trailer as though a sentinel. We communed for awhile before we each departed for the next chapter of our day. When gathering with the rest of the community an hour or so later, I asked who had seen the hawk. Several people said they had and as a group had speculated at the potential that I had shapeshifted into the bird. Hmmmm… So it seems abundantly clear the hawk is my totem animal for the new year. Any input?

Alchemy Incarnate

lady_infinity — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 23:52:48 GMT

There is a practice of alchemical workings in all of the great traditions globally including the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Christian Europeans, and the Islamic, Hindu, and Taoist faiths. That makes alchemy one of the perennial truths~ a process or philosophy that exists beyond the borders of time, belief, and geography. Though alchemy is a deeply rich process, transcending words into the ineffable, I like to relate it to cooking. Each creation is unique even if the recipe is followed precisely each time. The outer world alchemists centuries ago, whose goal it was to transmute base metal into gold, followed a scientific recipe and refined it as they went along. The inner world alchemists, who know that the real gold is inside and are transmuting themselves, work with the time tested recipes of spiritual traditions. I would like to propose that we are all Alchemists. And that we are all part of the alchemy of the Universe. As above, so below. As within, so without. What we bring into ourselves from outside of us blends within us. That new blend is happening every moment. It is the dynamic manifestation of each individual, based on the recipe provided by our Souls, as we evolve during the course of this lifetime. That means that every day we are following the alchemical recipe of receiving input, assimilating, integrating, and transmuting ourselves. This is known as the Royal Art. For all forms of alchemy the ingredients are the same~ sugar, eggs, flour etc. for food and meditation, ritual, intention, etc. for inner alchemy. However, unlike working from a standard cookbook to bake a pie, the recipe for inner alchemy is different for each person. Therein lies the Great Work- to discover, record, and refine your unique recipe on the evolutionary journey of your Soul this lifetime. To know and honor yourself as an Alchemist. To become the gold. Happy blending! To be the gold is better than to have the gold. www.MetaThoughts.com

The Meaning of Life

lady_infinity — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 04:34:11 GMT

It was a fun moment at the Visionaries Toastmasters meeting on Tuesday. I reached my hand in to the hat to pick out a question to speak on and the one I chose was, “What is the meaning of life?” Yargh. I read the question aloud while standing in front of the group. An eternal 15 seconds of silence ensued while I inhaled, exhaled and asked for information from the Force while doing my best to look nonchalant and smile. Then the answer revealed itself. It was simple. It was elegant. It was three letters. In that moment of revelation, it seemed obvious. The meaning of life is YES. What we say YES to in our lives is what our lives become. Those YESes determine this lifetime’s story line from which we discover and assign meaning. Each language has a word of affirmation and agreement; be it a nod or a short word. The challenge is to discern to what to say YES. YES is one of those important magick words that is best followed by PLEASE or AND however is negated by BUT. YES BUT puts a kink in the hose of free flowing manifestation. YES AND or PLEASE sends a clear message to the Universe that this is your Intention and Will and not just some default, path of least resistance, deciding-by-not-deciding moment. It’s kind of scary because that means you are taking personal responsibility for your YES. For the meaning of your life. YES in deed. So what are you going to say YES to as a way of intentionally crafting the next destination on your path?

There is No Silver Bullet

lady_infinity — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 05:43:36 GMT

You know what it’s like. It’s happened to everyone who has stepped onto their spiritual path with intention. You have an aha experience, an epiphany of a new way of knowing yourself, moving to a higher awareness. It’s one of those peak moments in your personal evolution and you absolutely get it. Your consciousness is elevated to the next level. You won’t ever be the same. Now what? How do you hold onto that change you have initiated in that eternal instant and embed it into your life as the way it is rather than the old paradigm you cracked like a shrimp shell to shed from your essence? It isn’t easy. There is no silver bullet that will just get rid of all of the patterns and programming that held you into who you were. To overlay who you are becoming, to deeply root a change, takes doing the Work. What exactly does ‘doing the Work’ mean? It means excavating yourself to the core inside to discover your true nature. It means looking at your life and how you walk through it in an entirely different way. Taking responsibility for your actions and understanding that this is your illusion that you create therefore you have the right to change it. Making the choice to respond rather than react. The trick is to be sure the part of you that had the flash of understanding is the part that is in charge of those changes, not a piece of the shrimp shell that is clinging for dear life, whispering sweet nothings in your ear. Holding onto changes of this nature and steering the course of your unfoldment takes vigilance and consistency. There are many techniques around that can give you exercises and clues, but what I find makes doing my Great Work effective and accelerated is having allies to work with, particularly a teacher who has walked this path ahead of me. Other travelers on their journeys, like you, provide me with insight and support. We are all in this alone together so it is always a pleasure to meet others dedicated to their personal evolution with whom to share stories and experiences. Doing the Work is not always pretty and not always fun. It is, however, always interesting and enlightening. For me, doing the Great Work is the most rewarding thing there is to do. I have discovered the treasures that lie within to be priceless beyond measure.

In Two Places at Once

lady_infinity — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:12:45 GMT

I picked up a friend at the airport the other night. As I walked across the sky-bridge spanning the parking lot and the terminal, I observed that about 75% of the people walking were talking on their cell phones. That of course is not unusual. I have been one of them. For some reason, noticing this offered a new insight for me. I first thought about how these folks are actually functioning in two realities at the same time. Often the physical body is moving through the landscape of the stage of where it is in the moment, while a large percentage of attention is focused elsewhere. What it made me consider is that perhaps this evolution of our society is training us to exist in more than one space at the same time~ just like the way we participate in theTribe world simultaneously to where our bodies are sitting now or if we were engaged in a virtual game world, be it interactive or solitary. This realization leads me to the question, “What are these baby steps training us for? Will we at some time be able to consciously shift our attention into several enacted lives on different planes with full conscious knowledge in several generations? What do you think?

Fear is the Mind Killer

lady_infinity — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 06:54:32 GMT

When I first read that line in Dune it changed my teenage life. Not that I was a fearful person overall, but it showed me how to overcome the obstacles to making the things happen in my life that I wanted. It gave me a mantra to help pierce the veil of unknown possibility which I have used ever since to assist in manifesting my visions, no matter how seemingly impossible. Fear is the mind killer. That same line echoed in my mind on 9/11 this year in a different context. I thought about how that incident changed the course of society in that it reinstituted fear as a cultural paradigm. I was talking to my mother about this today and she said that it happened to her generation during WW II. The fear focus was the Bomb. We came to the conclusion that each generation has a swing of the pendulum between trusting and fearful. I do wonder why society goes through these swings. Is it to create traction for the next renaissance? It is tough to not buy into the fear because it is supported by powers that be. They go to great lengths to convince us the bad guys are out there and they may get us… be it terrorists or communists or witches or…name the group and the historic period. During these phases the outside world is permeating the media pores of the collective consciousness with alarm. It can be difficult to hold your space as an independent thinker with all of that societal pressure. If you are afraid, you can’t think. Fear is the mind killer. I go back to my mantra and use it as I continue to create my world and propel myself to the next level of personal evolution. Oh, and by the way, I still have the button I bought years ago that says ‘I think therefore I’m dangerous.’ Fear is the mind killer.

Premature Combustion

lady_infinity — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 05:24:33 GMT

As the Man burned early Tuesday morning, I was out watching the phenomenally beautiful lunar eclipse. What a lot of unusual activity that lunar eclipse brought! The most news-worthy was the anarchistic igniting of the iconic Burning Man in Black Rock City, Nevada. I am following that story with interest as family members were involved in putting out the fire and may even be assisting in the reconnaissance of the Man so it can burn brightly at its regularly scheduled time. I find it more than coincidental that this sordid tale of premature combustion unfolded during a total lunar eclipse. Lunar eclipses happen when the moon is full, which means that the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in the sky. During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks the Sun's light from reaching the Moon. The next one is on Feb 11, 2008. Astrologically speaking, the Moon represents your inward, subjective reality and is strongly connected to your reigning emotional and psychological needs. It is your heart and is inherently non-rational. It is not the job of the Moon to make sense. It is the part of you that dreams, loves, has visions and smells flowers. The Sun is your identity, self image and our intentional acts in the world. It is how you shine in the world and how you enliven and bring vitality to the physical plane. The bottom line ~ the Moon is the Mystic, the inner world, and the Sun is the Magician, the outer world. So what happened then on Tuesday morning is that the Sun appeared to be blocked from reaching the Moon, and we had a very public premature combustion. Moving into the symbology here… What is premature combustion on a personal level? It seems to me like it is the releasing of an idea or product or project before it is ready. The Sun has not completed the fertilizing of the vision and the enfleshment of it somehow goes awry. I have been guilty of premature combustion by sending out an email with dreaded-typos-seen-after-the-fact in it because I had to get it out now. Or I push on manifesting an event that is slogging along which stimulates activity but isn’t always perfect in its initial unveiling. On the other hand, it does actually make it the physical plane rather than hanging out in the Land of Great Potential. I have come to realize there is a pivotal point in passively going with the flow and actively co-creating with the flow. This is an art unto itself, a lot like surfing. That point is the delicate balance of the solar and lunar energies and working it is tricky. But then there are these moments when somehow the Universe creates an experience that is unexpected but amazingly profound. How much community was created by the emergency response to the Man fire? Since I wasn’t there, I don’t know but I have seen the reverberations in the media and my personal network. It will be great to hear from those who were there to get the scoop. Admittedly, it is often better to await exquisite ignition than settle for premature combustion. It is much more satisfying. And I am always poised to respond to those moments when life becomes poetry in motion in a very real sense and we move together as One for the greater good when called to action by an event outside of our regularly scheduled program. What do you think?

Are you a good flirt?

lady_infinity — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:03:56 GMT

I saw this banner ad at the top of a website. I stopped for a second and thought, ’Why of course I am a good flirt’. The next thought was…what did I flirt with? That got me to thinking…the most common association with flirting is with disaster. Sounds kind of dangerous. After all, who wants to do more than flirt with it? What if you actually had to engage the disaster? Would you be ready, willing, and able to respond? Don’t get me wrong, I love to flirt. Though I am not much of an eyelash batter, it makes me feel vital to engage a certain level of juicy energy exchange with another person or project. Flirting is a fun force to play with. It invokes an interchange that is the pre-cursor to the energetic current of passion. A time honored courting tradition, we all do a lot of flirting, be it intellectually, emotionally or physically, and it’s not only with people. We flirt with job prospects, spiritual paths and diets. Flirting energy is a good way to check something or someone out yet not have to invest beyond the point of no return. The energy of flirting is non-committal so it is pretty safe for all of its juiciness. Kind of like the first three months at a new job or volunteer gig. Society seems to be neutral on flirtatiousness~ it is okay to flirt but going beyond that is dangerous because we then move into passion which is a much more powerful energy that actually affects the world. For example, many people flirt with various causes like global warming, but it takes someone like Al Gore to go deeper and have a meaningful relationship with it. It seems to me our world is one that encourages us to be satisfied with flirting and never getting to the proverbial second base on any topic or person to go deeper and actually engage someone or some project. I find that after awhile of flirting with a spiritual path, a partner, or cause, the question always gets called. Are you going to go deeper or are you going to fold? So, what are you flirting with that may be ready for the next phase of passion?

Aha Moments of Sublime Grokking

lady_infinity — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 05:47:01 GMT

Last night a visual artist was telling me about how he works with his blank canvas. He knows there a vision is ready to manifest on it. Sometimes he can even name it. It is just a matter of invoking it, courting it, waiting for it. Nurturing it like a seed. Finding ways to nourish the dance of creation without birthing it prematurely and not being attached to what it looks like when it does appear. Another friend describes what he does as ‘making stuff from crap’. When I asked him what he meant by that he said that he can usually surmise the way a device is used based on a handful of parts because they kind of resonate and have an affinity for each other. They love to be part of the harmony. He is talking about mechanical things. I find this approach to life to be an art form and a wonderful spiritual experience...being open to, as Heinlein called it in Stranger in a Strange Land, awaiting fullness. This kind of experience takes patience, perseverance and dedication to being in a co-creative process with the Universal Force. The result of achieving fullness is grokking, another Heinlein term meaning gestated knowledge, quintessential understanding beyond intellectual reason. Grokking transcends the physical plane context of the application~ what matters is the process. One way I regularly experience aha moments of sublime grokking is with food. Sometimes I can be at sitting with an abundance of homegrown produce or wandering around a grocery store awaiting inspiration for a dish. Then a picture, smell and flavor enter my mind. The entire alchemical process of creation unfolds symphonically within me as I move in a space of mergedness to gather the ingredients and/or write down the concept. These are moments in food alchemy that I live for. And then it gets even better as I prepare the dish and feel the dance moving me. The result of that blending often culminates in culinary ecstasy. In what parts of your life do you practice achieving fullness?

Sex, Creativity and Life in a Body

lady_infinity — Thu, 17 May 2007 14:17:38 GMT

Perhaps the only thing every person on this planet has in common is that they inhabit a body. These bodies are the medium through which we engage the Earth. No matter what the individual shape, color, size, or life condition, bodies are born and will die. I think of my body as the temple in which I practice the ritual of life. It is the vessel through which I manifest the form and force of the Universe and the vehicle through which my soul enacts this chapter in its evolution. My body is my constant companion; I carry it with me wherever I go. I am not my body, though we have a mutualistic relationship~ when I serve it well, it serves me well. It’s the only place I have to live right now, so I like to listen to it, nourish it and consciously interact with it. One of the ways I love using my body is as a means of creation. In fact, I like to call hands a God-force delivery device, because in so many creations, mundane to magnificent, hands play an intimate role. When we are inspired to make something, from lunch to emails to masterpieces, we realize that vision through our hands. In case you hadn’t noticed, creation happens sexually as well. I can’t imagine that since part of the human body package that we all have in common includes genitalia, there is anything negative about that. From the ‘miracle’ of baby making to inspiration via spiritual techniques for conscious merging with the God force through orgasm, the sex organs make things manifest. I experience it as opening to the energy of the Universe as a soul without my ego for an orgasmic eternity to be fertilized as a vessel of creation. Pregnant with possibility, I use my hands or my voice to birth the creative spark infused into my being. Creative inspiration also comes in other ways. Benjamin Franklin had a dream of what became the first printing press. Spiritual practices such as consistent ritual and/or meditation open that pipeline to the Divine as well. Often being inspired is the easy part~ it can be tricky to take that inspiration and make it exist on the Earth. The wonderful thing about getting into the practice of exercising your right to be creative is that the more you create, the greater your body’s creative energy capacity. It works the same way as practicing a musical instrument or athletic training. And, it doesn’t really matter what form your creativity takes. Anything you do can be done in a creative fashion if you approach it from that mindset. Manifesting money to purchase a new car, developing a more effective filing system or finding a way to turn an ‘I can’t’ into an ‘I can’ can all be done as creative acts. Once you set your intention to enact your life as a creative person and follow through, your world shifts to support that as your truth. I have found it to be an exhilarating and fun lifestyle. Are you willing to be a creator?