Archive
Monday Poem: “Shadow Echoes”
If you listened to the message I posted on Friday you know that it takes on the subject of time in a very deep way. When I studied with Martín Prechtel he spoke often about the Mayan view of time, especially within the context of their language which does not have the verb form of “to be.” So they have a very different way of speaking and thinking about the past and future as they relate to the present. He told stories which never had a beginning nor ending; they “always begin in the middle.” We are in the middle and both the past and future are like echoes reverberating off the walls of time.
With Martín’s teaching and the message from Rosemary we have a lot to discuss about time. It will be fun week to create this blog. Stay tuned!
And to begin the week, this Winter Solstice week, 2012, I offer you a Monday Poem:
Shadow Echoes
We can’t know what they might
Look like
So far out there;
Too far to travel in this life.
We can’t guess what they might
Tell us
Across the gulf;
Too far to hear their story.
We can only sense them,
Feel them
In deep moments,
As shadow echoes in the heart.
©2012 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
The Formless Future Helps Form the Present
And now for something completely different! (I warned you in yesterday’s post I’d be breaking out of structure today!)
Here is an audio clip from my Message from The Other Side delivered by Rosemary at her Conversation with The Other Side last Friday evening (12/7/2012). It is nearly 14 minutes long and contains valuable information for all of us to hear. But if you only have a few minutes, today’s subject is covered early in the recording.
Here’s the link: Richard’s Message
The key thought here is: the future of your creation depends on how you are being in the present moment. The formless needs to inform you in order to create the future.
There is a lot here in these few words! I’ll be writing about this understanding in the next few days! Enjoy!
PS: If you find this guidance useful, if you want to meet a Medium and receive a message from The Other Side, Angels, guides, Spirits (the future), Rosemary hosts a Conversation with The Other Side at least monthly. These Conversations are held online; you can join from anywhere. Click here for details. The January Conversation will be announced soon.
Brainwashed?
Yes, by one of the most powerful forces in my life (no, not Rosemary): my own ego!
As I have mentioned before part of my daily practice is to draw a couple of cards from my favorite decks to divine a sense of the energies of the day. One of my decks is the Crowley Tarot Deck and I use The Crowley Tarot by Akron and Hajo Banzhaf to continue to deepen my understanding of the cards. Today (Thursday) I drew the XVI of Trumps, The Tower. (I’ve included its image here). And my first reaction was: how cool to bring up this image of “destruction” as
I sit to write about brainwashing, its power and destructive potential and how to re-program from the brainwashing; in other words, destroy its impact and bring in the new images of self that are needed at this time!
This is 2012, and I am writing this on 12/12/12. Rosemary led a meditation today at 12:00 noon Eastern time, to activate and anchor the emerging energies of transformation as we draw near the Winter Solstice of 2012. What better time to let go of the old structures, the old energies, the old beliefs, the old brainwashing, those stories we’ve been telling ourselves for years, that may no longer hold any truth or power for us or over us.
And so I draw this card with its Tower, this burning, toppling structure that is an empty shell holding nothing for me as I move into the new energies at the end of 2012. Here are phrases from the guide book: “destruction of form…upheaval of values”, “enlightenment … that strikes like lightning and destroys … rigid ideas”, “overcoming one’s self”, “breaking open encrustations.” Wow, sounds like deprogramming to me!
The ego holds our beliefs, especially about ourselves. It is a wonderful friend, protecting us from both physical and emotional harm. It can also be our worst enemy holding us back when we are called to speak our truth, holding us to old beliefs when we receive new information that would help us grow, develop, evolve! The ego protects us but also holds us prisoner locked away in our tower. It is time for my tower to tumble!
And so I seek to burn down the current structures of my life, to sabotage my own ego, to break free of the bonds that fetter and hold me frozen in a place of safety but with little progress.
How? I will write more about my process and what is coming to me for tomorrow’s post. Meanwhile I continue all of my practices, which I have described in earlier posts. They serve me well and help me through the ego-generated blocks that no longer serve me. My practices are the “fire and kindling” I use to burn my imprisoning tower down.
Towers, so too brainwashing, can be good and bad. We need structures in our lives to hold us safe and help us hold the energy of the time; but when they impede our progress we need to burn them to the ground!
Burn your prisons down!
Oh, and happy New Moon (3:42 am EST, 12/13/12)! What better time to bring in the new energies of progress and transformatio
Rosemary’s Exploration: “You Have Been Brainwashed!”
Here’s Rosemary’s commentary on her weekly video I posted yesterday; the message is powerful and yes, you HAVE been brainwashed:
I have a confession. I, too, have been brainwashed, and it’s not by some evil cult leader – it’s ME!!!
Each of us repeats our thoughts over and over and we accept them as valid. But they are based on beliefs that we have held or that someone else programs us to believe and the validity might not be proven.
In my trainings to become a Master Hypnotherapist, I learned a lot about hypnotic technique and how it can be used to help someone change their thinking to improve their life. I found hypnosis such a powerful counseling tool that I studied and became a trainer of hypnotherapy. I also learned that some people try to use these principles to change another person’s reality. That’s what we call ‘brainwashing’ and there are a whole host of reasons why that is not a good thing.
Last year, Richard & I walked out of a 4-day seminar on the first day when the seminar leader explained that he was going to brainwash us but only put in good things. Sorry, chum, but you don’t get to do that to me even if I did pay for your seminar! I’m very careful about what goes into my brain! At least he was being honest. [Side note: My angels were with me that day. I went to sit down after a break and felt pushed out of my seat and onto the floor. I turned around expecting that my husband had bumped me and he was not even looking my way. A sign that I was protected! We left at the next break.]
Now here’s the truth about hypnosis. You can’t make someone do something they don’t, at some level, really want to do. If I could, with all my training, don’t you think I’d be working in prisons and rehab centers hypnotizing people to get them to quit crime and drugs? No, hypnosis can’t even get someone to put their hand into an imaginary aquarium holding an imaginary snake unless they really love reptiles! The person on the stage who struts around like a chicken for the stage hypnotist is the same one who, at a party after a few drinks, might put the lampshade on their head and lead karaoke. Some part of them wants to be the center of attention.
But the kind of brainwashing that’s done insidiously brings harm to those who unwittingly believe what they are told, especially when the same language is used over and over and over again so that their brain accepts the repetition as the truth. This is the purpose of so-called ‘talking points’ – say the same words repeatedly and with conviction and the unsuspecting populace will believe it. It bothers me that this modus operandi is being used in the world today and it’s masquerading as ‘news reporting’ and ‘politics.’
But the most insidious brainwashing is that which we are doing to ourselves. We keep telling our story to ourselves over and over and over again as if it is the only reality. In one situation or relationship, we focus on the negative or what’s missing or what we don’t want, and then we keep our attention focused on that by speaking about it.
‘My job sucks.’
‘He is a jerk.’
‘I can’t make any money.’
‘I can’t afford that.’
‘I don’t know how to _______.’
‘She doesn’t understand me.’
‘Nobody pays any attention to me.’
And so on.
We are actually brainwashing ourselves every time we think these thoughts.
STOP IT!!!! Catch yourself repeating a thought and ask yourself, ‘Is this true?’
Think ahead of time what your story is and what you would like to tell yourself instead. Picture what you DO WANT. Then, every time you catch yourself repeating the language about what you don’t want, tell yourself to, ‘STOP IT!!!’ and replace your thought language with the language about what you do want instead.
A little practice and you’ll be de-programmed from the cult of 1!
And ask for help in this if you need it. There’s no shame in needing de-programming after you’ve been brainwashed, even if you’re the only member of the cult.
Now you know.
PS: Please join Rosemary and me today at noon Eastern time as we meditate and activate the energy through this special day and time: Wednesday, 12/12/12 at 12:00. There is no registration for this, just dial in and be there with us!
The number to call is: 1-218-862-1300, and the code to enter is: 143201
Inspiration from The Divine Feminine: “The Stories We Tell Ourselves”
Rosemary’s message this week suggests that we examine the stories we tell ourselves; and we can rewrite them if we find they are not our TRUTH:
PS: Please join Rosemary and me tomorrow as we meditate and activate the energy through this special day and time: Wednesday, 12/12/12 at 12:00 PM Eastern time. There is no registration for this, just dial in and be there with us!
The number to call is: 1-218-862-1300, and the code to enter is: 143201
A Poem for Monday: “Shells”
Shells
The heart does not expand
From an empty shell.
The seed is there inside
Waiting for the moment.
It takes a special love
To break through that shell.
The germ hovers in bonds
Trembling in dark potential.
The light waits calmly
Just outside the shell.
The sprout presses its power
Seeking a weakness and release.
Suddenly love explodes
Through that hard shell.
The tender life wiggles free
Reaching toward the light.
The heart embraces all life
To escape that empty shell.
The community grows
Filling the world with love.
©2012 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
PS: Join Rosemary and me for a special meditation on Wednesday at noon: 12/12/12 at 12:00 PM Eastern/9:00 AM Pacific. Just dial 1-218-862-1300, and the code to enter is: 143201. We will be holding the space and welcoming in the energy of this special time.
A Remembrance of Trees
My reach today is extending out to all the trees I’ve known in my life. I have a lot of Wood Element in my Chinese Astrology chart. Trees have always been important to me; and now as I practice the 5-Element Qigong form which ends on the “standing on stake” pose I imagine myself hugging one of the trees in my life.
As a child growing up on the family dairy farm in Wisconsin, I was surrounded by trees and their gifts. There were several stately Hickories out in the pasture; we gathered their nuts every fall and let them dry and age a bit. During the long winter nights we would crack their hard shells and patiently pick out the little meats. These would go into the most delicious “refrigerator cookies” you can imagine. The Horse Chestnut in the front yard didn’t give us edible fruit; its nuts were fun to play with but very bitter. The shade of that lovely tree was the best; the broad leaves were dense, dark green and not like other leaves. The farm was named for the Maples that divide the big lawn into two columns. These had been planted by the original owner of the farm and were nearing 100 years old when I was a boy. I had hoped they were Sugar Maples and tried to tap them for their sweet sap but with no luck there. The wild parts of the farm were filled with Oak; and, yes, we had many squirrels housed and fed by these stately beings. And a favorite was a clump of White Birch down in a ravine. I tried once to harvest some bark to use as “paper.” I hope I didn’t damage them then. They are gone now along with the Chestnut and Hickories.
I encountered some amazing trees in Africa. I was there for a few extraordinary years in the late 60s and was fortunate to live in Ethiopia and tour East Africa. I loved the Acacias, initially so foreign looking to this sheltered farm boy. There is an ancient and tenacious quality about these trees; they weather all sorts of climate change looking like they belong to another age. They have lived through much and have many stories to tell. I lived in the middle of the Rift Depression but still at about 5000 feet elevation. The highlands above my valley rose to 10,000 feet and as I climbed the trails to higher villages I walked through forests of Bamboo and Eucalyptus. The scents and sense of presence among these beautiful beings was amazing: the essence of the eucalyptus in that density brought on euphoria; I loved that walk!
I lived next door to a Magnolia for a while. She was a real lovely and showed off with incredible blossoms every late spring. At that time I had a huge old Pecan tree in the back yard. I tried to harvest her fruit but she was so big I couldn’t protect her babies from insects; I guess they had to eat too! And in the side yard this little weed-like tree appeared; the next year it bore fruit: delicious little figs! In another yard in another time I lived with a wild plum in the side yard. This was the first tree to bloom each spring; and her flowers were so dense they would blow like snow in the cool breezes to cover our cars; it was fun to drive away with these flakes of purity trailing behind.
At my beloved school in New Mexico there is a gigantic Cottonwood down by the creek. I was never there for her blowing cotton but there were shreds still clinging in the woodpile, even in the summer. Did you know these trees’ cotton dissolves in the rain taking nitrogen into the soil as it goes? Did you also know that the cotton has been bred out of these trees so they can be planted in Colorado Springs without the “nuisance” of that cotton? I planted one of those cottonless Cottonwoods to be a shade tree for our grandson who is very fair-skinned. Faithfully she grew incredibly fast; almost as fast as the grandson! Aspen come to mind here because I love them and tried to plant clumps with the cottonwood. I had no luck with them; they prefer altitudes higher than our 6700 feet in Colorado Springs. We had to drive higher to admire their beauty. Did you know Aspen are rhizomes. There is a colony in Utah thought to be a million years old!
I am so grateful for all these trees in my life; and there are many more! Every 5-Element Qigong form I practice I hug a different tree for the wood element; I have a lot of practicing to do!
Have you considered all the trees in your life; and the pleasure they have given you; and the life?
PS: It’s not too late if you want to meet a Medium and receive a message from The Other Side, Angels, guides, Spirits. Rosemary hosts a Conversation with The Other Side tonight, December 7 at 7:00 pm Eastern. This Conversation is held online; you can join from anywhere. Go here for details.
“How Far Is Your Reach?” a Commentary from Richard
Have you reviewed the video and commentary by Rosemary from her FREE weekly MuseLetter? I posted them over the past couple of days; if you want to receive them directly you can subscribe here. Today here are my thoughts on the support Rosemary offers for living a conscious life and her theme of the week, How Far is Your Reach?:
When I first saw Rosemary’s question I immediately thought of the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” – probably a natural connection, especially at this time of the year. It is an interesting exercise to look at one’s life and try to imagine the changes there would be in the world if you had never been born! I know that Frank Capra’s movie on this subject is a favorite for many; it’s not one of mine. Oh, it’s well made, well acted and the story is certainly compelling. But I find it on the dark side. Hey, but maybe that’s the whole point! The world would be a darker place had you never been born!
Our reach is as far as our connections. But we still may not know exactly how to measure this because we are not likely aware of all of our connections, let alone the influence of those connections or the influence through those connections to yet others. And if we are all connected then our reach is as far as the farthest person from us. Of course, if we are all One then we are connected to everything, all matter, substance, creation, through time and space; our reach is to the edge of the Universe, whatever that might mean. Certainly as far as we can “see” and that’s about 13.3 billion light-years (the farthest galaxy yet seen in the Universe)!
So we have to be pretty careful, right? We do know through quantum physics studies that particles immense distances apart do influence one another; it’s as if they are connected by aka cords! If particles are so connected how much more are we connected to everything through our energy fields (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual). Since we are made of particles and energy ourselves then we are infinitely connected to everyone and everything else.
An example of this was given to me by our Acupuncturist and Qigong instructor, Bridget Hughes, who has studied the influence, interaction and impact of DNA across distances. Our DNA is as ubiquitous as we are! It can influence other DNA. Experiments have demonstrated that another person’s DNA affects our own, and long after contact. Of course the environmental impact on our DNA is well studied and can be of great concern as our environment deteriorates.
Examining our reach at this cellular, even particle level brings me to our own inner reach. If we can reach outward to the far reaches of the Universe then we can also reach inward to these also distant places – the vast empty space within atomic and nuclear structures! Again, we not only have these deep connections within ourselves but they influence others as well. It makes perfect sense then, that we first must love ourselves, create that nurturing healthy environment for ourselves at the deepest inner levels; and then, our outward influence will be of a loving, nurturing quality that reaches out to everyone!
Rosemary’s experiment with me as the “guinea pig” is another example of this. By focusing my thoughts on a problem I was trying to solve I brought my energy field of influence very close to my body. Then by expanding my thoughts, and emotions, on loved ones and that love feeling, I was able to expand my field to reach beyond the building! The quality of the thought, especially when combined with feeling, expanded my sphere of influence and created a sense of ease and well being.
So, when you walk into a room do you think about your problems, concerns about finding someone to talk to, wondering what you might talk about, or do you enter with an open heart expecting to meet wonderful people and spread your joy to others, and in turn be enriched by their influence?
And how about the entrepreneurs reading this post and wondering about their reach? When you are writing your newsletter or sales copy, are you projecting love and joy out to your ideal clients, or are you focused on the task of getting the next client to fill your practice?
The choice is always yours. Mine is keeping my heart as open as possible at all times, setting clear boundaries and knowing my reach is as wide as the Universe!
PS: Have you ever attended an event with Rosemary? Have you ever visited a medium? Here’s your chance! The last Conversation with The Other Side of 2012 is tomorrow, Friday, December 7, at 7:00 PM Eastern/4:00 PM Pacific. It’s a Video Conference call, no need for you to travel! Just use your internet connection or even a phone! There’s still time to register; your seat is waiting for you!
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: “How Far is Your Reach?”
Here’s Rosemary’s commentary on her weekly video I posted yesterday:
Entrepreneurs will be thinking of their businesses when they see this question. A Mom might think of the impact her parenting will have on the future of her children. A doctor might be considering the families of patients they have treated. What are your thoughts about your reach?
None of us lives in isolation from others. We are all connected. People often feel disconnected from others and alone, but this is the illusion that our minds create within us. You are never disconnected – you might only believe, mistakenly, that at this moment you are not connected to any others. But this fallacy masquerading as the truth will only cause you to isolate yourself further.
Do you have family members? You are connected. Do you have neighbors? You are connected. Did you ever go to school? You are connected to classmates no matter how long ago you were in the classroom. Do you have a doctor? Dentist? Insurance agent? Friend? Book Group? Favorite restaurant?
Every person with whom you come into contact has a connection to you. The Hawaiians call this an ‘aka cord,’ a silvery thread of energy that is created when you connect with someone. Sometimes these cords are powerful energy connections and sometimes they are weak. Some have positive effects and others are energy drains. They can last a very long time.
In my coaching/counseling work I am often helping clients to cut these cords and reclaim their own energy, their power. But the cords that support the highest good of both parties get energized and enhance the connection.
Even when you are not aware of a connection to a particular person, you are connected to all of humanity. When you took your first breath of life at your birth you became a human being and a part of the human consciousness that lives on Mother Earth. Your actions have consequences. Your thoughts have effects. Your energy emanates outward, whether you pay attention to that or not.
Think about someone you love and your heart opens up and the energy can reach out 50 feet from you. I recently demonstrated this at a talk I gave about our energy bodies. My subject was my husband, Richard [a good sport!] and I asked him to think about a problem he was working on. Then I measured his energy field with dowsing rods. It was very close to him. This is the brain energy field. Then I asked him to open his heart and send out Love. The building was too small for me to back up enough to reach the end of his energy field, the energy emanating from his heart center.
Now, think about how, if you open up your heart before you walk into a room, you are sending out Love energy for 50 feet ahead of you. You can connect with everyone in a room this way, with the wonderful, high-vibration energy of Love.
If you interact with people from a place of Love, especially when you start with Love for yourself, your connections will be strong and energetically beneficial. When you spend any time with thoughts that are not at this vibration, you are hurting yourself more than anyone else or any other situation. This is why the power of positive thoughts is to benefit YOU!
You have connected with people from all walks of life, from many different locations, all ages, beliefs, nationalities. And those cords that connect you reach beyond space and time. Keep only the ones that are for your highest good. Cut those that no longer serve you. But know that there are others around the globe who are radiating Love and you are connected to them.
This might sound tricky and I’m happy to help you make sure your own energy field is clear. Just remember that you are not alone on the Planet Earth. Monitor your thoughts and the energy radiating from you. Make yourself a beacon of Light and Love in the world. And know that you are also the recipient of Light and Love from many who wish that for you!
I know I wish you to connect with Light and Love!
PS: Have you ever attended an event with Rosemary? Have you ever visited a medium? Here’s your chance! The last Conversation with The Other Side of 2012 is this week, Friday, December 7, at 7:00 PM Eastern. It’s a Video Conference call, no need for you to travel! Just use your internet connection or even a phone!
Inspiration from The Divine Feminine: “Your Reach”
This week’s video reminds us just how far our energy reaches; the expanse of our influence:
PS: Have you ever attended an event with Rosemary? Have you ever visited a medium? Here’s your chance! The last Conversation with The Other Side of 2012 is this week, Friday, December 7, at 7:00 PM Eastern. It’s a Video Conference call, no need for you to travel! Just use your internet connection or even a phone!
Men and The Goddess 