The phrase “Winter of Discontent” is from the opening line of William Shakespeare’s Richard III.
While the weather in Michigan has been mild, by winter’s standards, that very mild weather is the impetus of discontent for some who live along the shores of Lake Michigan. The absence of an ice shelf, coupled with high water levels, has brought worry to some, and loss due to erosion to others. Special WSBT.com report: Dreams Swept Away.
In an email exchange about all of this with a friend, I wrote, “People lose money in investments or business ventures, and homes to fire or flood. To lose a home and the land and have insurance not cover the loss seems so much more difficult.”
I often recall the comment Barbara Brodsky made when I was grieving the removal of the tree on our property. I told Barbara how unskillful I felt, not being able to feel the everlasting peace as well as the sadness. She said kindly, “Who dies? What dies? Does the tree still live in your heart?” (See: Does the Tree Still Live in Your Heart?)
I cannot imagine the sense of loss the Smothers family is going through. It is my hope they have something to sustain their hearts. People often say they can go on because they have their loved ones.
How do you go on when it is your loved one you are grieving? “What dies? Who dies? Does your loved one still live in your heart?”
People often say they can go on because they have their health.
How do you go on when health is lost?
Today the corpse prayer by Jarem Sawatsky keeps cycling in my thoughts. (See: Corpse Prayer)
Corpse Prayer
Be not afraid.
I give thanks to god who created all things good.
In christ, all things hold together.
I am not entitled to life without death.
I embrace sacred life.
I embrace sacred death.
I embrace the growing and crumbling in between.
Smile at yourself in the silence…
~ Jarem Sawatsky
Everything about these words soothes my heart. Nothing about it soothes my mind. Perhaps minds are built for worry and hearts are built for love.
I hope you will appreciate a recent poem about all of this:
Out of our Heads!
Addicted to worry we’ve been
a feeling through which we can’t win
It’s not like the bliss
from a passionate kiss
It’s unlike the joy that flows
right under the tip of your nose
The chains of the free
this habitual worry
A robber of peace
and theft of our ease
Its time we move past
give up worry at last
Come sit under a tree
remember we truly are free
We’ll hear a bird sing
and enjoy every thing
The sun and the rain
the wind and the calm
Fretting won’t help
fear’s false alarm
Purveyors of doom
leave us no room
For the gifts of the day
life’s sending our way
Let’s make up our minds
give worry a shove
Out of our heads
do this instead—
live only from love!
Debra Basham 02-11-2020 (WC 133)
May all beings come to the end of suffering. We may never come to the end of loss, but perhaps we can live only from love.
We did not know where, but the air quality test taken in our home indicated more mold was present. This week we know where the mold was hiding. The condensate line from our HVAC was dumping water into the belly of our mobile home, saturating the insulation, creating a perfect growing condition.
Here are photos of what used to be our laundry room floor and the wall behind the utility cupboard:
I have felt a lot of resistance to this news. I have felt that resistance as a knot in my stomach, tightness in my chest, and a lump in my throat.
Others are going through challenges related to diagnosis, prognosis, pain, and fear of death. Our planet itself is going through challenges.
On a guided walk this morning we heard a naturalist speak of the threads of connection between everything. He spoke of the water and the fire and the species overlapping: WE are interdependent.
Because they are fast disappearing. And with them goes safe habitat for wildlife, rural ranchlands, the protection of clean water, and beautiful places to hike, swim, and fish. With support from people like you, Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast has permanently protected more than 12,000 acres of critical lands. But time is running out.
You are the last generation that can save this land. Together, we will ensure that the human and natural worlds of Southwest Florida flourish together.
Whether it is mold remediation, a diagnosis and healing sought, or environmental balance we are speaking about, the answer is universal: LOVE.
Reports of Aborigines healing broken bones, muscle tears, and illnesses of every kind using their didgereedoo point us in a direction. Harmony and healing is possible.
Transcript from “LOVE” channeled by Barbara Brodsky, my meditation teacher:
Q: Are you suggesting that many of us here are able or will be able in this life to invite broken bones, divided cells to merge…
Love: You all are perfectly capable of that.
Q: In this life now?
Love: Of course! Now! Your limiting beliefs stop you from doing it.
We know the truth of this. At the center of our being truth resonates.
Q: So, in my daily life, how can I practice this?
Love: Choose a space, a place that you pass by often in the day, like a doorway or a specific tree, and hold the intention every time you pass that space to pause, take a deep breath, and say, “I am love, and I welcome love. I choose to invite love.” It may only take a few seconds. “I am love. I am open to love. Thank you.” Allow yourself to feel it and then walk on. But if you do this 20 times a day, eventually it’s going to take root. Okay?
I have spent my life so afraid of drowning I would not even let shower water flow over my face. Recently I came across the “official” diagnosis: Aquaphobia.
Many people have an extreme fear of water. They conjure up images of dying in water, drowning, gasping for breath, or encountering eerie, unseen things such as snakes or sharks in the water. Often, those suffering from Aquaphobia are non swimmers. Some phobics not only fear large water bodies, lakes, ponds or rivers, many even fear running water or water being poured onto their heads.
Definitely a non swimmer. Although years ago I took an adult non-swim class at the YWCA and graduated by being able to jump into the deep end and swim the length of the pool. I was so proud… I signed up for an intermediate-swim class, but the fear got reinstalled in that class. Fears can do that.
Other than the fear of falling and loud noises—these are a result of moving from fluid (in the womb) to air—our fears are always learned.
I learned fear of water from my mother who was afraid of EVERYTHING, and I had a near-drowning as a youngster. I also have cellular (body) memory of having died on a ducking stool—this Puritan punishment proved fatal from time to time, but prevailed in England and America from the early seventeenth century through the early nineteenth century. A woman who was accused of being a witch (or other crime) was plunged into a pond or river tied onto a wooden armchair, attached to a seesaw-like structure, as many times as the magistrate deemed justified.
Fear is never helpful.
My dear friend, Linda, loves the water. When she was caught in a rip current while swimming in Florida, those watching her from shore were afraid for her, but she just went with the ride, totally unafraid until they picked her up in boat.
Fear is worth overcoming.
This winter I have a goal of getting in the pool with Linda. She is willing. She even bought me a swimming suit!
Fear activates the sympathetic nervous system. Often, a diagnosis or symptom, or an upcoming event is sufficient for that activation. This activation impedes healing that is natural.
Many people are not even aware they have a vagus nerve, let alone fully appreciating its role in helping counteract the negative health impact of an overactive sympathetic nervous system (that hyper vigilant fight-or-flight response). Simply put, vagus nerve stimulation calms you down.
The tenth cranial nerve (CN X), it is the longest cranial nerve of the central nervous system. Passing through the neck and thorax to the abdomen, it works with the parasympathetic nervous system to control the heart, lungs, and digestive track. Containing motor and sensory fibers, the vagus nerve is the most important element of the parasympathetic nervous system. (Historically, it has been called the pneumogastric nerve.)
Vagus nerve stimulation releases anti-stress hormones and enzymes, and is associated with benefits such as better memory, improved immune function, restful sleep, and increased levels of growth hormone. Lower levels of inflammation, fewer allergic responses, and relief from tension headaches may also be directly linked to vagus nerve stimulation.
Noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation devices, which do not require surgical implantation, have been approved for use in Europe to treat epilepsy, depression, and pain but have not yet been approved for use in the U.S.
Unless you’re a yoga master, you cannot directly and consciously stimulate your vagus nerve. But in addition to long-term practice of yoga and meditation, here are some simple tools you can use to indirectly stimulate your vagus nerve:
1. Diaphragmatic breathing. Simply put, belly breathing. Place your hands lightly on your belly, signaling to your body, “Breathe all the way down here.” Breathe deeply, so that your abdomen rises on the inhalation, and falls on the exhalation. Ten minutes, twice per day, will allow your breath to systematically slow and deepen.
2. Studies show that cold water facial immersion stimulates the vagus nerve. The area behind the eyeballs is a particularly accessible zone for stimulation. An easy way to do this is to use an icy gel mask. Again, ten minutes, twice daily seems to be a good formula for improved benefits. (See http://scs-matters.com/chilling-way-calm/)
3. Another simple technique is to quiet yourself and imagine that you are sucking on a juicy lemon drop, bathing your tongue in saliva. If that does not work for you, fill your mouth with warm water and hold it, as you allow yourself to begin to relax.
Plenty of good reasons for you to move beyond fear.
I attended an introduction to an energy healing process called scalar energy with developer Tom Paladino. Tom offers anyone who sends in a photo a 15-day free trial.
Over the years, I have shared MANY experiences with healers and healing. What I like most about all of them is the fact: it cannot hurt. Western medicine certainly utilizes a lot of interventions with plenty of possible side effects.
One key is to notice what you expect. Henry Ford is quoted as having said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.”
When you have a sore knee, notice if you name it “arthritis.” Many of my readers have heard my story of Freedom from Pain.
While it is true, not everyone will experience exactly what I have, it is good to always expect something good to come to you and/or your loved ones from whatever you decide what is right for you at this very moment.
If you choose to take an antibiotic, do that in a healthy way, like the one I describe in this video.
If you decide to sign up for the free 15-day trial, expect to notice improvement.
It can’t hurt….
P.S. Tom is trying to sell you a longer application. His is a transparent agenda: he hopes those in the world with the financial means will opt in to pay for his altruistic work with populations who are unable to pay and in need of healing of pathogenic disease, such as those in Africa with the HIV virus. As Tom says, “I want to heal the world.” I encouraged him to think bigger.
Trust me,
she knew who she was dancing with
the entire time.
She just chose to see the good in everybody.
I personally do not think she should change
that about herself.
It is possible her energy could even bring out
the best in the devil.
~ author unknown
Each year I look forward to a spiritual ritual for the celebrating of my birthday. It is not for sissies, this incarnational experience.
It can even be said we are a God Spark. Our true nature is the theme of a recent post, so just trust me about this: We come from God.
Something is happening that calls for our most profound awareness and commitment: Those most dedicated to love and light are making themselves ill over the conditions in our world.
In My Pores
Gratitude seeps in my pores.
I am thankful for the wooden plaque John made for me for Christmas: Not to spoil the ending, but everything is going to be OK.
The truth hangs on the wall of our utility room. The most mundane of situations needs the most light to be seen clearly. All conditions are impermanent.
As my fingers dance over the keys on the keyboard Alexa is playing John Denver songs for my listening pleasure: “Sunshine almost always makes me high….” the harmonica calls my soul upward toward the sun.
Loving individuals unknowingly allow their egos to take over their hearts, losing joy and making themselves sick over the conditions in the world today.
Perhaps my birthday wish is all humans can rewrite the ending of the Myth of Icarus.
Son of the creator of the Labyrinth, Icarus was instructed to fly neither too low nor too high. Too close, the sun’s heat would melt his wings of feathers and wax. Too low, the sea’s dampness would clog his wings. Not heeding the warning to avoid the extremes, the former Icarus fell from the sky and drowned in the sea.
It is said about grief that if one you love dies and you refuse to live, then two have died.
We must not ignore or deny the conditions we see in the world. We must also not collapse into helplessness or hopelessness.
Love is our true nature.
“Love is the light that shines from heart to heart…” John Denver sings on. Is John Denver dead? His music isn’t.
Are you alive? Does your music live?
Seventy candles on my cake.
I think I will make my cake a lemon pie, the juice squeezed from a lemon picked (better to ask forgiveness than permission) from a tree where succulent fruit is left to fall to the ground and rot.
Let not the light of our eternal love lay wasted by lamenting conditions which are impermanent.
Gratitude is in our pores.
All conditions are impermanent…
Sheilana Massey invited those gathered for meditation for world peace to consider that every expression of the Divine has a right to be. The darkness and the light. The pleasant and the unpleasant. The old and the young.
As Betty Lue Leiber’s Loving Reminder for January 15, 2020 said, the only mistake we ever make is when we forget to Love.
I look at the crepey skin on my arms, and the brown spots on my hands. I ponder what the next decade will bring in our world. I choose to let my light shine.
Yesterday while out riding my bike, I found this adorable giraffe chair in someone’s trash. The beauty was complelling, even with patches of dry rot. I pulled the chair out of the trash, moving it carefully to a place of safety until I could get John to bring the van and pick it up.
The giraffe chair is now sitting in the TV room!
As I am working on my birthday post for next week, my friend/teacher/colleague, Betty Lue Lieber posted this Loving Reminder:
Affirmations:
I choose to see what is real.
I am open and willing to learn what is really there.
I seek only the highest truth and see with the eyes of Love.
Miracles occur when we see what is real.
January 15, 2020 Loving Reminders- What Is Real! by Betty Lue Lieber
See What Is Real!
What do you see?
We each see and hear what we want to see.
We think the thoughts we have been taught.
We hold the thoughts in our mind and perceive them.
What do you see?
I seek the truth, the Essence
I clear my mind with forgiveness of all pre-judging (prejudice.).
I choose to see what is real.
What do you see?
Are you willing to see?
Do you open your minds to what is there?
Are you caught in the beliefs of your tribe?
When we see with the vision of the world around us, we see what they see.
When we see with the eyes of the child, with wonder and curiosity, we see with openness.
When we see what we can use to get something, we seek how to use others.
When we see what we fear and criticize, we avoid and try to control.
What can you learn?
When you seek to learn, you must be open.
When you seek to learn, you must listen.
When you seek to learn, you must be willing.
This new movie, Hidden Figures, is from my era of open willingness without media.
I saw myself as a high school graduate and college student, with equal opportunity.
This was my world, my loving home, my parenting, my exposure to emancipation.
I was white and sheltered by innocence and seeing everyone as equal in value.
I realize now how I was not raised with prejudice or fear.
I see now how I saw a world clean of fear and doubt, hatred and criticism.
I saw humanity as a large family of love and respect, open-mindedness and kindness.
I recognize how I only saw the equality and beauty and unlimited abilities in all.
What a blessing to know!
What a beauty to see!
What a wonder to learn!
What a joy to be free!
Let’s clear our minds to see what is real!
Loving us all, everyone as One!
Betty Lue
The only mistake we ever make is when we forget to Love.
Something is happening that calls for our most profound awareness and commitment: Some of the individuals most dedicated to love and light are making themselves ill over the conditions in our world. They are turning out their lights because of the darkness they see!
I am not sure who put the beautiful hand-painted giraffe chair in the trash for me to find, but the signature on the back says it was painted by Erica J. Murray.
I looked up the totem meaning of giraffe: Gentle Giraffe, with its long neck reaching into the heavens symbolizes the ability to see the future and obtain things that would normally be out of reach. When your life is chaotic, Giraffe reminds you to keep your head up and avoid getting entangled in needless arguments.
Life is certainly chaotic.
Let’s keep our heads up!
Let’s keep our light shining in the world. That is the most wise and kind thing to do in the darkness.
The past two days I have been attending an online intensive with a group of dedicated individuals. Most individuals are dedicated to something. This group is dedicated to opening to awareness, also called “Pure Mind.” This particular series has been meeting weekly for the past year-and-a-half. Many of this group have been studying together for well over ten years.
Our teacher lovingly reminds us we are not trying to get somewhere or become something we are not. We are simply setting our intention to allow ourselves to experience the awareness that is already our true nature. This was the randomly selected though for the day that came yesterday:
Deep Spring Center
Thought for Today
“These are the people to whom you must talk:
your neighbors, your coworkers, your parents and children,
beings with good intentions who want to offer positive polarity
but also may still be so grounded in their fear
that when something comes along and shakes them, they react.
These are the ones who must begin to learn they have a choice,
and if they react from fear and it causes harm,
they are responsible.
And you you who are edging beyond that neutrality,
more grounded in your positive polarity,
must be their teachers.”
For the past 6 weeks I had been unsuccessful trying to purchase a Magic Eye 2020 Calendar. The Magic Eye website announced Walmart as the exclusive merchandiser, but the stores all listed the item as “out-of-stock.”
A few days ago, I searched ONE more time. The Walmart my brother-in-law shops at while he winters here in Southwest Florida listed the calendar “in-stock.” I sent him a photo, asked if he would check the next time he was there, and now I am thrilled to have one in my possession.
In the Gospel of Thomas, Patterson/Meyer translation, Jesus said, “The (Father’s) kingdom is like a person who had a treasure hidden in his field but did not know it. And [when] he died he left it to his [son]. The son [did] not know about it either. He took over the field and sold it. The buyer went plowing, [discovered] the treasure, and began to lend money at interest to whomever he wished.”
One of our practices is simply to look at a tree. We are to notice the branches, and then notice the space between. We are to allow our attention to shift between these, knowing that both ARE: simultaneous existence moving in and out of our awareness.
The Subtle Communication Systems (SCS) training that Joel P. Bowman and I developed and taught for twenty years included higher sense perception. SCS was a synergy of energy medicine (Healing Touch and Reiki) and NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming). Joel and I studied for many years with Richard Bandler, co-developer of NLP.
A renowned Buddhist nun and meditation teacher from Thailand Joel and I met at a Bandler training in Orlando read our training manual and said, “Debra, this is a shortcut to enlightenment!”
Students learned to observe the true nature of their subjective experience: every experience went in as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic stimuli simultaneously! Even if all you noticed was a loud sound, or a flash of bright light, your actual experience (and your internal representation of that experience) includes all of your senses. We played games to help us notice the sensory system we were least aware of.
One day in class, Joel reached out and touched a locket worn by one of the students. He said, “I see an image of a blonde-haired girl, about 8 years old.”
“That is who gave me this locket,” exclaimed the student.
When Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right,” he was giving us a great gift. If you think you are not enlightened, you are right. If you think you are enlightened, you can be in the world with greater wisdom and kindness and awareness.
Joel and I watched sooooo many individuals wake up to what was within them all along.
I love the Magic Eye calendar! The easiest way to see the hidden images is to begin looking closely at what you can see. Hold the page close to your nose. Relax your vision: trying too hard makes it too hard. With your eyes relaxed, slowly pull the page away from your face. As you see the 3-D image, hold the page and let yourself enjoy how easy it is.
Where was it when you could not see it? Right there. It already is. The branches and the space ARE.
If you are working too hard trying, relax, let yourself see what is already there. You are a soul. Every individual is a precious child of god.
You have to appreciate how quickly life changes. One day it rains, the next day the sun is shining. Loved ones are with us in body, and then they are not. Health is here, gone tomorrow, back again the day after.
Each day is significant. The changing of a year is big. Moving into a new decade is HUGE.
Happiness Underneath God-awful Experiences
I saw a quotation on Facebook attributed to Brad Paisley: Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.
The most important resource offered by a New Year is that blank slate.
Some people like to make things difficult. I think life itself offers ample difficulty. My preference is to notice what is easy, kind, and wise.
What is easy about New Years is to realize things do change. If things are pleasant now, cultivate a precious sense of appreciation, and an honest recognition of how tenuous our human experience is. When things are not pleasant, realize no matter how unpleasant, things could be worse. Mostly remember things often get better. A sore throat, a lost job, even a broken heart….
An amazing aspect of anything kind is how it takes into account more than just one view, person, or perspective. In an argument, it is kind to both people when you just stop saying mean things or say you are sorry this has been difficult.
Wise actions draw from more than intelligence. Often I will hear words come out of my mouth that make a difference for someone, sometimes me! This is not something I thought, or knew, or identified as helpful. Wisdom flows into us and through us into the world.
I was thinking how it must be to have been born at the change of a century. For that to have been the case I would have to be now 19 or 119 years old. Neither of those are very appealing, so best to appreciate what is.
Let’s do what we can to receive all the gifts this new day, year, and decade offers.
2018 was a year focused on Self-renewal through creativity and strength.
2019 was focused on breaking destructive and limiting patterns in your life.
2020 is the year of the EMPEROR.
This is a year to discover and experience your personal form of leadership in life. During the year 2020, you will probably start new projects or move in new directions where you can own your own power and leadership. It is a good time to work on father issues, whether it is your father, you as a father (or father figure), or clearing ways you lead or take care of others or want to be taken care of by others or the world. This is the year to recognize and appreciate the high standards you have set and to live your own truth.
During this year, you will be faced with opportunities to become aware of ways in which you allow yourself to be led or overly-influenced by others in your life to the extent that you shut down your own visioning, doubt your inner direction or fail to do whatever is necessary to manifest the visions which are inside of you. This could cause you to give away even more of your authority in your own life, unless you recognize that the gift of 2020 is the energy and support to change these patterns. Begin to discover your own personal leadership style through the integration of your mind, body and spirit. This year may bring some initial frustration as you experience the limitations of old, time-tested strategies and approaches. Remember, you cannot change an old pattern without first becoming aware of what it is and its impact in your life. Celebrate these awarenesses and use this energy to re-create your life and your world.
The key: Be willing to have expansive vision and put your ideals and visions into form. Use your visions to empower yourself and others.
“I see and I create.”
“I have the confidence and power to manifest my highest visions in practical form for the good of all.” “I have the power and discipline to achieve my highest ambitions.”
2020 is also a year focused on Individuality. True individuality comes from moving out of defensive patterns of withdrawing and dependent relationship with the world and into more assertive patterns. Know your true relationship with the Divine and recognize the strength, guidance and abundance which are yours in that relationship. You can use the energy of this year to transform any defensiveness into being at cause in life. You must see yourself as hard working, a defender of truth, a teacher and an idealist in the quest for a more perfect world. In promoting and supporting improvement for others, you move out of self-consciousness and into more independence, originality and spontaneous creativity.
“I am free to be me.”
“I confidently release the past and free myself to fully, creatively and spontaneously express my unique gifts and talents to a loving and receptive world.”
The primary support tools available in 2020 are:
• The Magician—When you find yourself following others and not clearly visioning, you must communicate your truth
openly and authentically and re-awaken your ability to inspire and motivate others.
“My thought creates.”
“The power of my thought and word magically manifest the creation of Spirit.” “I am a willing channel for the manifestation of Spirit in the world.”
• The Builder of New Worlds—This is the passion for universal well being and freedom from old established ways of doing things. It represents new ideas, concepts and values. Your best work is for some ideal or for the benefit of mankind.
“I know, and all is manifest.”
“I create my ideal world for all through the strength and clarity of my vision and the power which flows through me for its manifestation.”
• The Neutral Mind—This is the mind of service. The neutral mind takes information from the positive mind (all good, what we want, etc) and from the negative mind (the potential problems, fears, avoidances, etc) and chooses based on what is truly in the best interests of everyone involved.
“I serve only the truest call.”
“I set aside all fears and desires coming from myself and others and respond only to support the highest and best for all concerned.”
It is Christmas. The meaning of Christmas differs to your origin, religion, or persuasion.
This Christmas I am especially aware of how important my persuasion or choice is.
Thiw is why when I got dressed this morning, I chose to put on my “choose to be joyous” t-shirt.
Choosing to be joyous is not the same as feeling happy. One can choose to be joyous, even if you are feeling sad.
When we arrived at our Southern home we noticed our homeowners left us a personal companion: Alexa. We can say, “Alexa, play Christmas music.” When you let someone or something else choose for you, sometimes your experience isn’t one you would choose. We heard a voice crooning all I want for Christmas is a real good tan.
“Please, Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas)” was maybe our worst listening-to-Alexa experience. Here are the full lyrics:
Please daddy, don’t get drunk this Christmas, I don’t wanna see my mamma cry.
Please daddy, don’t get drunk this Christmas, I don’t wanna see my mamma cry.
Just last year when I was only seven, now I’m almost eight as you can see.
You came home a quarter past eleven, fell down underneath our Christmas tree.
Please daddy, don’t get drunk this Christmas, I don’t wanna see my mamma cry.
Please daddy, don’t get drunk this Christmas, I don’t wanna see my mamma cry.
Mamma smiled and looked outside the window. She told me, “Son, you better get upstairs.”
Then you laughed and hollered “Merry Christmas.” I turned around and saw my mamma’s tears.
Please daddy, don’t get drunk this Christmas, I don’t wanna see my mamma cry.
Please daddy, don’t get drunk this Christmas, I don’t wanna see my mamma cry.
No, I don’t wanna see my mamma cry.
Having a drunk father at Christmas is not fun. It is also not fun to spend Christmas in the hospital, or gravely ill.
Christmas can be felt differently by those who have lost a loved one.
Not having a roof over you head, food on your table, or gifts under the tree can also generate unhappy feelings.
But choosing to BE joyous, regardless of the current conditions, remains a choice.
This is how our persuasion fits in.
Two men were looking at a bottle of milk.
Said one with a groan, “The bottle is half empty.”
Said the other with a grin, “The bottle is half full.”
The first belonged to the courters of disasters,
forever bemoaning their losses;
the second to the invincibles who
win by counting their blessings.
source: Los Angeles Times, Feb 26, 1933, p. 14
I am profoundly aware of so many having so much to feel sad about and it is Christmas. I am in awe of the persuasion—the choice to be joyous, being made by so many.
As a special gift to each of you, I have selected a few Sacred Stories to share again:
I hope you will click on each of these links and take some time with these stories that tell us about the light that shines in the darkness.
I hope you will find a genuine way to keep Christmas this year, regardless of your origin or your religion. From our place in paradise, here I am wishing happy holidays to you and yours.
Yesterday at meditation we had some lively conversation. On the drive home, a Katey and I mentioned something we had both previously learned from Brugh Joy: Release the need to understand.
That idea is shared in his book, Joy’s Way: A Map for the Transformational Journey. An Introduction to the Potentials for Healing with Body Energies. In the third chapter of the book, Brugh describes a cosmic experience of a woman who came to talk with him about her challenges in life. A few months earlier, she had been walking along a beach, saw an iridescent light, and heard a booming voice deliver three injunctions. She thought she was going mad. The voice said, slowly and repetitively, “‘There are three injunctions for you. Pay attention to them. Make no comparisons; make no comparisons. Make no judgments; make no judgments. Delete your need to understand; delete your need to understand.'” (p. 59)
Our daughter, Stacey, and her husband, Doug, have the Lady Gail at a marina in the high rent district in Key West. She is asking for divine guidance about their next steps on this adventure. I reminded her they are right where they need to be—today and at least through January 3 when granddaughter, Courtney, flies back to Tennessee after spending Christmas and New Years with them.
Years ago I was giving a talk on alternative medicine to a packed room at our local hospital. I had a 3-page handout with brief descriptions of each of the modalities offered by the members of our Holistic Alliance. The list was alphabetized, so it began with acupressure and acupuncture. Third on the list was astrology.
I was given a glowing introduction by Brenda Layne, a celebrity and friend from the radio station, a woman in the audience raised her hand. Thinking she may be saying that she couldn’t hear her that the lighting was bad or something, I acknowledged the woman.
Voice dripping with sarcasm she said, “How could you imply that astrology could be a valid medical treatment?”
You could have heard a pin drop in the room.
After taking a deep breath, I replied, “From the tone of your question, obviously it wouldn’t be a viable option for you.”
Then I continued….
“However, if someone going through something major like cancer believed in astrology (even a small belief) and that person had an astrological reading that provided information like this, ‘I can see here that you have just come through your Saturn return and it’s likely been a very difficult past six months, but hold on, because Venus is rising and before the first of the year everything will turn around for you,’ that is a valid medical intervention because it restores hope.”
It is vital to notice what restores hope for you in times of stress or distress.
Eight of Cups was the featured card in the article about the mental health benefits of tarot and astrology, so I sent the information along to Stacey:
Eight of Cups
People who get what they truly want in life know how to walk away when something is good, but not good enough. Mind the parts of you that feel flattered, lucky and scared you can’t do better. It’s okay to have those feelings, but do not let them dictate your decisions.
Barbara Brodsky tells of an experience she had years ago. She was hospitalized with a very serious cellulitis in her leg. Nothing was working and the infection had moved up above her knee and was spreading to her thigh. The doctors started her on another antibiotic saying, “We will give this 36 hours. If it does not stop the spread, the leg will have to be amputated to keep the infection from getting into organs.”
The next morning there was no improvement.
Barbara was in excruciating pain and despair—so afraid, so angry. “Why me?”
Late that night Barbara got a roommate. Through a narrow opening in the curtain that separated the two beds, she saw that the woman had obviously had a leg amputated. The woman’s other leg was just a stump from a previous amputation.
Compassion rose up in Barbara. Others came to mind who had lost a leg due to war or an accident or an illness.
Suddenly Barbara’s heart was open. This was no longer about her fear and pain and suffering. It was about ALL pain and suffering. After doing Metta (lovingkindess meditation) for a few hours, somewhere before dawn, Barbara fell asleep. When she was awoken a couple of hours later, her fever had broken. The antibiotic was working!
Barbara was not pretending to have compassion. Genuine compassion was there for the woman, for others, for Barbara.
From my journal 12-14-19: Releasing Negative Charge
Today takes on a charge. Each day does this.
The idea of lovingkindness being an active “taking in” of the day and allowing the charge to be released is relevant to all now.
You were dreaming about the environment when you woke up this morning. You saw your friend’s email about the beach in Michigan being eroded. Some would just point fingers and blame. This only amplifies the negative charge.
As you bring loving awareness to the situation — not denial, not ignorance, not sticking your head in the sand — you are allowing the transmutation, which is natural, to work for the benefit of all.
Thoughts today of Jessica in Texas going through an experimental chemotherapy.
Thoughts of Jane Foster and all she has gone through.
I don’t know what their astrology chart might show, but the message of the Eight of Cups is relevant to both of them today, and to all of us.
And not just at Christmas, but every day of the year.
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