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MONDAY’S POEM: Eanna, Goddess of Beer
Early on when I began this blog I was studying Inanna, Queen of Heaven and War for the Sumerians. The recent issue of Archeology had an article on the latest finds in Uruk, perhaps the oldest and largest City-State of Sumer. The article referred to Eanna as the temple to the Goddess and also referred to her as “Eanna.” I like the sound of Eanna and like to think of her as one of the earliest of The Divine Feminine. In a separate article in the same issue of the journal there is a craft brewery attempting to replicate a recipe for beer from Sumer. I am confident Eanna was not only Goddess of Heaven and War but surely of the harvest, and beer!
Eanna, Goddess of Beer
The harvest is in,
The golden grains
Carefully fanned
And filed by field.
The scribes record
In clay to remind
Through millennia
The wealth that mattered.
The brew is set,
The jars are new and clean
To receive and store
The precious liquid gold.
The set-aside
Is of the best,
Saved in perfect
Vessels marked.
The day of lowest Sun,
The longest night all year
Is time to commune and celebrate
Eanna, Goddess of beer.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
PS: Apologies to Ninkasi, the Goddess of Beer from about 5000 years ago, whose poem is the source of the recipe for Sumerian beer.
Adjusting Our Tolerance Levels
In yesterday’s post I wrote about tolerance and my view of what tolerance, what we come to tolerate, means. As a follow-up I want to explore today how to set those tolerance levels for optimum effect and performance.
Why? Because when we tolerate things to an extreme it drains our energy. When we are lax in our standards, when we tolerate something beyond a reasonable level it saps our strength; it depletes our ability to cope and to move through life with ease. And we may overlook important lessons if our allowances are too lenient.
But there is another side to this tolerance coin as I mentioned yesterday. We can also set our levels too high, our expectations too demanding to the point of spending too much energy holding ourselves and others to that high standard. Again, we lose energy, in this case actively.
So, where’s the balance? How do we determine the best level of tolerance in a given situation? This goes to the heart of values. We first assess our values, list them and prioritize them. For our highest values we establish an approach to live by those values. And we set boundaries around these values (we may even do this subconsciously based on our life history, family of origin, socialization, beliefs, etc.). The boundaries become our measures of tolerance, both for ourselves and others.
Here’s an example: I was outraged a few days ago when I learned through a news report that three US Congressional Representatives, led by Michele Bachmann, traveled to Egypt and made a speech about the turmoil there and praising the Egyptian military for its actions to overthrow the elected government. They did not have their facts straight, they did not speak well, stumbling over their words, and their general demeanor seemed typical of the superior, high-handed western approach. I had to bite my tongue not to explode in reaction to this total misrepresentation of facts, American ideals and me as an American. Did I expend too much energy on this? Certainly! Why? Because I set my standards too high for politicians these days. Let’s be real: there is a very good reason that our US Congress has one of the lowest levels of approval in history!
OK, so what do I do about this? I have several choices: 1) stop believing that the representatives in the US Congress actually represent me; 2) stop expecting these representatives, and senators, to have much in the way of standards; 3) relax my standards on what it means to be a) an American b) an elected representative c) a politician d) a participant in a democratic experiment; and 4) lower or even remove the notion that living in a republic is a useful value!
Sorry that sentence got a little complicated but I think you get my drift here. I can lower my expectations of how I think a member of the US Congress should behave, especially internationally, and save a lot of wasted emotional energy worrying and railing about it!
I use this example to illustrate my approach to the process. I chose a value of lower priority in my scheme of life to keep it light. My practices, on the other hand, are high on my priority list. And I spend a lot of energy on these practices. They keep me both grounded and connected to what is real. They offer me a way to assess and reassess these values that are so important as a gauge to adjusting my tolerance levels. Values change with the flow and evolution of life and consciousness. Tolerance levels rise and fall with lessons learned.
Do your practices help you adjust your tolerance levels? Do you have a way to assess your values and apply them consciously to the events in your life? What is your approach?
I Am Tolerating WHAT???!!! – Richard’s Commentary
Tolerance, a “permissive attitude”, can be a lackadaisical approach to life or it can be a philosophy and intentional approach to life. Which is it? Maybe it can be both.
Tolerance in a carefully machined automobile part is the amount of deviation from a standard that can be allowed for the part to function properly. In this example machining the part further to comply with a tighter than needed tolerance would take more time and energy and would not necessarily improve the functionality of the part. A more relaxed tolerance in this case can save energy rather than expend more energy.
Personally I can tolerate a certain amount of dust on a windowsill or a few dust bunnies under the bed; if I vacuum the rug every two weeks rather than every week I am saving myself time and a bit on the electric bill. The tolerance level here is the amount of deviation from perfection that balances the energy saved with the energy expended on accepting the deviation.
If you are a parent, how much do you tolerate from your kids? Do you have a “permissive attitude” toward their behavior? And how far do you allow that permission to extend? Again, energy can be a measure here: the energy you spend on parenting can be balanced by the energy the children spend on testing the boundaries of your tolerance. They are busy learning about those boundaries and you must be busy setting them so they learn how to be balanced, creative, socially adapted individuals.
And then there are the personal boundaries that we develop and evolve as we grow and mature, learn and expand consciously. These boundaries form the tolerances in our lives. Some are external; they involve our family, friends, community, even country. Some people choose to leave their country of origin because they can no longer tolerate the living circumstances, whether those are political, religious, social, or economic factors. And then there are the internal boundaries, the tolerance levels we set up as standards for our own behavior and how we live life within those standards, or values. It is these values around which we balance the energy we expend on maintaining our adherence to those standards versus the energy drain from letting down our guard and giving in to a lower standard.
As an example one of my standards, a practice, is to write three longhand pages of text everyday, early in the day, preferably first thing in the morning. This is a practice I adopted from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I have been doing this for years, and I find it very worthwhile. It is a way for me to meditate, to journal, to dump the cobwebs from my psyche, to rail at the Universe, to give thanks to the universe, to channel the divine. I love this practice. Do I do it every day, first thing in the morning? No. Clearly there are things that get in the way, that disrupt this practice. This morning I am writing this blog post first before my pages. Lately I’ve been eating some breakfast before my pages. These are tolerances that I can live with; energy spent obsessing about always writing the pages first is not balanced by the positive effect of the writing. On the other hand there are some days I miss writing altogether. When I occasionally miss one day it seems to be OK, I can tolerate that. But when two or more days go by and I fail to get to mypages, I begin to notice the effects: I get more irritable, less tolerant! Then the balance tips in the direction of energy drained from me that is out of balance with energy spent in writing the pages.
How do you measure your tolerance levels? Do you do this consciously? Are you aware when your boundaries are crossed and your energy drained? It’s good to think about your boundaries so you can maximize your energy levels and live fully, in the present.
Now I’m going to write those pages!
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: I Am Tolerating WHAT???!!!
We all have some things in our lives that aren’t perfect. They can be as mundane as a kitchen we wish were updated or shoes that aren’t quite comfortable but look oh, so good with that one outfit. Or they can be huge, like a spouse who abuses us or a job that we dread going to each morning.
What are you tolerating in your life today?
What has bugged you in the last week? Was it a friend who called and you couldn’t wait to get off the phone? Was it the traffic in your long commute to work? How about that dripping sink in the bathroom that keeps you up at night? Or that orange carpet that you keep planning to replace?
Look around you and ask yourself if you are surrounded by things that you enjoy seeing, people that you enjoying being with, activities and work that feel fulfilling. Is everything in your house in working order or are you tolerating some things that don’t quite work right?
Everything around you that is just a ‘tolerance’ is draining your energy, your very life force, your ‘chi’ or ‘prana.’
Think of the energy it takes to look at that ‘tolerance’ every day and wish things were different. Do you judge yourself harshly for not having taken care of it yet? Are you silently passive/aggressive, getting angry at your partner or kids for not taking care of it? Are you constantly reminding yourself that you ‘can’t afford’ to do anything about it, which keeps your focus on lack instead of abundance?
You CAN do something about the things you are tolerating in your life!
Make a list of those ‘tolerances’ this week. Big, little, mundane, significant. And then look at the emotional impact of having those tolerances in your life. Are you giving away your power, your energy, to something that you can change?
No one must tolerate being abused by another person. No one. There is always help if you feel you must get away, whether it is a partner, a family member, an employer. If this is on your list, make it a priority to do something about it.
Not every tolerance is physical. Are you procrastinating about your spiritual life because you are tired or too busy or overworked? Are you tolerating a schedule or energy drain that doesn’t allow you to have JOY in your life? You deserve joy. Is there something in your life that is blocking joy? Take care of that block.
Sometimes the shift is as simple as thinking in terms of ‘and’ instead of ‘either/or.’ Sometimes a huge effort is required to make a change. Whether it’s getting a new job or leaving a relationship or painting a room, you can do it.
Find a friend in whom you can confide, or a trusted counselor, and talk about your list of tolerances. Someone else might be able to offer a simple solution that you haven’t considered and you can cross that one off the list. Others might take some time to clear.
Think of the energy you are freeing up, though. Imagine if you spend next weekend clearing away the tolerances in your home [you can start with the easy ones like fixing the faucet or painting the room] and see how much better you feel. Then work on the ones that might require more work or outside help.
Remember, you are claiming your energy and your power. It’s worth the effort!
PS: Are you ready to let go of those things you tolerate? Are you ready to unlock the mysteries you carry? Do you want to hear mystic messages specifically for you? Apply for a FREE Discovery Session with Rosemary! Apply Here
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: What Are You Tolerating?
Rosemary’s “Two-Minute” video for the week: What Are You Tolerating?
PS: Are you ready to unlock the mysteries you carry? Do you want to hear mystic messages specifically for you? Apply for a FREE Discovery Session with Rosemary! Apply Here
Monday’s Poem: The Moon
We had a New Moon in Virgo last week, the subject of a couple of my posts. And as I mentioned I am fond of tracking and very attuned to the moon. Grandmother has been the subject and object of many poets through the ages. I am not immune to her pull on my inner waters! So, to celebrate her waxing time, I offer this:
The Moon
The moon waxes
Reminding us of the
Fullness of time.
The moon climbs
Reminding us of the
Need for effort.
The moon shines
Reminding us of our
Inner work.
The moon wanes
Reminding us that our
Fullness ends.
The moon sets
Reminding us of the
Need for rest.
The moon hides
Reminding us of the
Inner dark.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
New Moon in Virgo I Ching Divination
Yesterday, September 5, 2013 at 7:38 AM Eastern time, the moon aligned with the sun in the astrological sign of Virgo. Of course this alignment is what happens when we have a new moon every 29 days or so. And whether or not you “believe” in astrology, there is no denying that the moon in its tracks and phases across our night skies has a profound influence on the planet and us. I pay close attention to the movement of the moon; I enjoy correlating its movements with its influences.
If you have been following this blog for a while you know that on each New Moon I cast an I Ching Gua, a 6-line hexagram of either solid (yang) or broken (yin) lines. There are 64 possible arrangements of these 6 lines into Gua. And there are many books and guides to assist in the interpretation of the intelligence contained in these 6-line arrangements. I use The Complete I Ching, The Definitive Translation by Taoist Master Alfred Huang.
For this New Moon in Virgo I cast this Gua:
Its name is Ding, which Master Huang interprets as “Establishing the New.” This hexagram follows a Gua that means “Abolishing the Old.” Essentially the meaning here is a new and stable situation must be established after over-turning the old status quo. For example in the event of a political revolution, as happened in China when the I Ching was codified, a new government had to be established to stabilize and manage the country.
So, what does this mean today, for us, and how does it inform the energies and influences we can expect in the coming weeks?
Both Rosemary and I have mentioned in our blogs that we are in the process of reviewing and restructuring our businesses. This is very much in line with our recent move and our need to reestablish all our possessions into their new home. In many ways we are “establishing the new” as Ding suggests. And this is certainly what a New Moon calls for. With the turning of the moon it is good to let go of things (objects, parts of businesses, relationships, habits, practices) that no longer serve us. The waning moon time is a great time for “house cleaning.” Then with the arrival of the New Moon it is good to bring in the new and fresh, whether these are ideas, processes, practices and even new things for the household.
I consider the casting of Ding for this month as very auspicious. It confirms exactly what we are in the middle of doing. It offers us the supporting energy to move through this process of assessment and then “establishing the new.” And the mutual Gua is exactly in line with what we are doing. The mutual Gua is formed by using the middle lines to form a new Gua, so the 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines become the lower trigram and the 3rd, 4th and 5th lines become the upper trigram. This yields the new Gua, Guai, or “Eliminating.” According to Master Huang the mutual Gua contains a hidden meaning for deeper interpretation of the original Gua. And “Eliminating” is certainly in line with this directive to “establishing the new.” We are eliminating everything that no longer serves us, both for our household and our businesses. Those items and processes that no longer serve are not needed, in fact would only weaken, “establishing the new.”
For the initial Gua all the lines were strong, which means none of them were changing lines. This can be inauspicious because it points to a period of stagnation; there is no forward progress. But I am looking at this as a time for stabilization. I am glad there are no changing lines in this cast; after all the changes of the past month I am looking forward to this period of stability!
With this New Moon in Virgo and this particular I Ching divination, are there parts of your life that need to be examined, things to eliminate that no longer serve you, processes or practices that need to be reestablished? This is a good time for this review. The Moon’s energies and the energies of this time will support you through “establishing the new”!
Happy Birthday to YOU!!! – Richard’s Commentary
And I can also say Happy Birthday to the Moon today! She is new in Virgo. This just occurred at 7:38 am Eastern time.
Do you celebrate the New Moon each “moonth”? Are you aware of the phases of the moon and her travels through the night sky? The Ancients paid a great deal of attention to this goddess of the heavens. She lighted the way of night travelers, guided the seasons and times to plant, provided a calendar, effected tides and seafaring, and offered a rhythm to life and the basis of myth and wonder.
From modern research we know that life would be very different, if it existed at all, if it weren’t for our moon. Her influence on the planet and our lives is profound. So, I pay a lot of attention to her phases and my interaction with her. If you’ve been reading my posts for a while you’ll know, for example, that I cast an I Ching Gua (a hexagram of yin and yang lines) at each new moon to divine an energy for the up-coming month. (I’ll post that tomorrow.) I also celebrate the new moon as a new beginning, as a birthday of sorts, very much in keeping with Rosemary’s message this week. So, on this new moon day consider her advice:
Happy Birthday to YOU!!! Today is your birthday. You get to choose who you are today, right now, in this moment. You don’t even have to be the same as you were when you woke up this morning. OR you can decide that you like the YOU who woke up and you re-decide to celebrate YOU! Either way, it’s your birthday today.
It is a good time to start something new. I’m going to plant some fall vegetables in my garden today. And Rosemary and I are going to review our business plan and model to determine what’s working and what can be improved. It’s a new day as well as a new moon!
And this new moon is in the sign of Virgo. This too has special meaning. A dear friend and astrologer, Gloria Hesseloff, titled in her newsletter for the New Moon: Work is Love made Visible, using a line from a poem by Kahil Gibran. The Virgo Moon calls us to a higher work. Gloria writes:
Virgo energy challenges you to release any obstacles to finding your sacred work. Integrating this goal with the radical changes that Pluto and Uranus are demanding of us right now, ask yourself, “What changes do I need to make to my daily life routines and patterns (Virgo attributes) so I can be an instrument of the Divine?
Virgo energy asks you to become highly competent in a skill that is of value to others. Then generously offer it as your high service. Your specific gifts are truly needed at this significant moment in history.
Today is your birthday! Celebrate with me as I celebrate this New Moon and “the first day of the rest of my life”! We are always at choice. I choose to make my love visible through my work.
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Happy Birthday to YOU!!!
People sometimes believe that they can’t change. My wonderful Mother used to say, ‘I’m too old to change.’ But in her 60s she studied Transcendental Meditation and started to meditate. She also adopted an attitude of ‘NMP – Not My Problem’ that freed her to relax about feeling responsible for everything and everyone around her. When we said that she had changed, she replied, ‘I didn’t change. I just changed my attitude!’
Every day, no matter how old or how young you are, you can adopt a new way of thinking, especially about yourself and who you are. Every morning is a rebirth, a new start, a ‘birthday.’
When you find yourself stuck in a rut, or not sure what your next step is, remind yourself that you are always at a point of choice in your life. What benefits are there to staying in that rut? Do you really not know the next step? Or are you afraid of what it might ask of you and, therefore, you choose not to seek help in identifying it?
Happy Birthday to YOU!!! Today is your birthday. You get to choose who you are today, right now, in this moment. You don’t even have to be the same as you were when you woke up this morning. OR you can decide that you like the YOU who woke up and you re-decide to celebrate YOU! Either way, it’s your birthday today.
Celebrate who you are at your very core, the Light that was inside you when you were born that shines into the world because you are here today. Remember that your circumstances are not you. Remember that the people around you are not you – they are mirrors to help you grow.
Every day is an opportunity to grow, to learn, to be compassionate, to share, to shine your Light. Every day is a choice – to be happy, sad, contented, upset. Every day is a chance for renewal – of yourself, your relationships, your circumstances.
Every day is your birthday.
So when you wake up tomorrow, decide to en-JOY the day. Reach inside for the Light and the Joy that resides in that Light and shine. Happiness can rest on circumstances, but Joy is ever-existing within the Light. Touch it.
Celebrate YOU!!! We are all so glad that you showed up on the Planet now. Thank you!
Remember to give of yourself as well as to receive. When you choose to en-JOY your day, your smile will shed the Light on those who need it. You’ll have plenty of JOY to share with others so share it.
Happy Birthday to YOU!!!
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: Today is Your Birthday!
Rosemary’s “Two-Minute” video for the week: Today is Your Birthday!
Men and The Goddess 