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Use the Good China – Richard’s Commentary
True confession time: I am an inveterate procrastinator. I have been all my life. Maybe it’s my Leonine nature; with a birthday in August I definitely have some cat-like tendencies toward an independence from all those things waiting to be done.
And here’s another confession: when we unpacked the “good China” during our most recent move-in we tucked it away in a cupboard over the refrigerator – a rather difficult to get to area – because we don’t use the good China!
So, what’s this post of Rosemary’s about; and what do I take away that it might be good to consider?
The key paragraph that speaks to me is this one:
When you are connected to your inner wisdom and your spirit guides, you can check in to see what your next step is. Sometimes the message might be to capture the idea and then schedule it, even if it is not to be acted upon today. But often we challenge or question the energy of the guidance and step back to analyze until we have moved away from pursuing the action.
Yes, there are certainly times when I do “step back to analyze” and then the opportunity slips away and the guidance for the “next step” is ignored. This is the downside of procrastination. But here’s the thing: I do receive and hear a lot of guidance. And yes, often what I do with that guidance is put a task on my to-do list. In a sense this is putting it off; however, I do use my task list to get things done.
Lists really work for me. I learned yeas ago that if I can get a task listed and scheduled it will get done. It may not even get done on the day I first schedule it (the procrastination habit is tenacious!); but it does get done. This is my solution to my “Leonine procrastination” trait.
So, then I look at Rosemary’s comment on “Universal Flow” – When you follow the energy of the idea you receive then you are staying in the flow of the creative energy that comes to you from your connection to Universal Flow. She actually implies that when we are in this flow perhaps we are not procrastinating at all! She also implies that it’s OK to put off, even ignore the “shoulds” our egos present to us!
I often do have the sense that I am in a kind of flow, a rhythm in my life. And when the list of tasks obtained from guidance is used to channel the flow of my days I feel good, accomplished and content. And I have long since given up the idea that my task list for any given day will be exhausted. I have accepted that it’s OK to slide a task to another day; and sometimes tasks even drop off the list when they are overtaken by other tasks or they lose their importance within the flow. Perhaps those dropped tasks were in the “shoulds” category!
When I am in flow, in the rhythm of life I tend to feel productive; tasks get checked off, others get moved, some even dropped. An “old tape” may start up in my head accusing me of procrastination. But, if I really examine my life and accomplishments, maybe I’m not such a bad procrastinator after all!
What drives your life? Do you let your ego over-schedule you with shoulds then beat yourself up with labels like “procrastination”? Go inside for guidance. Listen for direction and list the tasks you can undertake to move in that direction. This moves you into flow and purpose!
Meanwhile, maybe I’ll get that good China out this weekend—for just the two of us!
EXPLORATION BY ROSEMARY: Use the Good China!
Don’t put off until tomorrow what the Universe wants done today!
Pay attention to the signals you receive that something is calling to you to be examined today. You might feel it as a flash of insight, a thought about a person you might contact, a picture of something, or a nagging feeling about something on your to-do list.
When you are connected to your inner wisdom and your spirit guides, you can check in to see what your next step is. Sometimes the message might be to capture the idea and then schedule it, even if it is not to be acted upon today. But often we challenge or question the energy of the guidance and step back to analyze until we have moved away from pursuing the action.
What ideas have you had for something to do that you have analyzed yourself away from doing?
There is a difference between paying attention to the signals from the Universe and procrastination. When you follow the energy of the idea you receive then you are staying in the flow of the creative energy that comes to you from your connection to Universal Flow. Learn to discern this energy from ‘shoulds’ that your ego presents to you from old tapes that are playing in your unconscious mind!
Procrastination is fighting against the feeling that the Universe wants you to pay attention to something and you are choosing to ignore that signal. Did you know that procrastination could take a lot more energy than following the flow?
I’ve learned that lesson! Sometimes it’s important to delay a project until the time is right, but it is very easy to put off tackling something because we feel afraid to face ourselves in that situation. Many of my clients are working from a space where there is an unexamined belief that holds them back from displaying their magnificence. It might be an ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘who am I to think I can do this?’ or ‘what if I fail?’ belief that is stopping the flow, holding up the action.
YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH!!! Let me state that unequivocally. The Universe is very wise and doesn’t give you a task that you are not ready to accomplish. The creativity that brings you flashes of insight is a force that is presenting solutions, even if you are not sure of the problems yet.
All you are being asked to do is to pay attention. In every moment you are being shown signs that reveal the Universe to you. When you are paying attention to the signs, your next step is to take action on those that require it of you.
If you are unsure about the action to take, if the road doesn’t seem clear to you yet, then ask for help and guidance from someone who can see the road ahead for you. This is why it is so important to learn to get in touch with guidance, whether through a counselor or your own inner guidance. Invite the angels to reveal to you what you are to do. Talk to your guides.
And if you feel the urge to use the good china for hot dogs and beans, then do so! Take the action that you feel led to take!
PS: Are you waiting to hear Guidance from The Other Side? Are you looking for advice from beyond the usual? Join Rosemary for Satsang, this Saturday, October 19 at 7:00 PM Eastern. If you are in Maryland, join us in person. Or, join us by televideo conference or simply by phone. Learn more and Register Here.
INSPIRATION FROM ROSEMARY: Are You Holding Yourself Back?
Rosemary’s “Two-Minute” video for the week: Are You Holding Yourself Back?
PS: Are you waiting to hear from The Other Side? Are you looking for advice from beyond the usual? Join Rosemary for Satsang, this Saturday, October 19 at 7:00 PM Eastern. If you are in Maryland, join us in person. Or, join us by televideo conference or simply by phone. Learn more and Register Here.
MONDAY’S POEM: The Divine Feminine Speak
Last week I wrote of balance. I think it must be the Sun in Libra that has influenced my rumination since the New Moon in Libra last Tuesday. Here’s more on this subject:
The Divine Feminine Speak
Libra, the pivot point
Leads the way toward balance.
Liberation of purpose,
Leaning away from power,
The way forward is toward both.
The Divine Feminine restore purpose
Lifting to light, facing the Sun,
They do not see the shadow.
Evolution is a directed tale;
Progress is an upward spiral.
The Divine Masculine control power.
Offering the Moon, reflecting the Sun
They cast no harsh shadow.
Evolution requires strong force
To lift consciousness higher.
Balance is the key to all:
Not a static status quo,
And not a raucous mountain ride;
A gentle spiral toward the light,
A resting spirit through the night.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
This Issue of Balance
Yesterday I posted a message I channeled from The Divine Feminine as a response to Rosemary’s post from them the day before. And as I look back on it I realize I have been receiving a lot of information on balance lately. What’s going on?
Here’s the key quote from The Divine Feminine:
The Goddess is in you just as the God is in us. We are inseparable yet dual. We inter-penetrate one another, affirm one another, in fact, manifest one another. And there is the problem with the dual nature of existence, of consciousness, just as there is a necessity to it. Often there is an imbalance in our natures. In you men, when the masculine over-powers the feminine, there is too much action, too much aggression. When the feminine over-powers the masculine there is too much inaction, too much passivity. The mirror image of this imbalance is true for women.
While all of existence has this dual nature, it is the imbalances in that duality that are the root of difficulties. Restoring balance is critical to righting the wrong in everything, from paddling a canoe to improving one’s health; from improving one’s relationship to re-opening the Federal government of the US.
Interestingly we don’t wish for a static balance either; in this case there is no change, no dynamic to press for the evolution of consciousness. So, there is a need for some disturbance to balance to power progress. The dynamic seesaw of restoring, losing, restoring balance generates the spiral of evolution. Balance is desired; imbalance is required. But an over-imbalance can also lead to arrested development.
In my lifetime there have been a number of wars fought around the world over little and large territories and ideologies. I was nearly drafted into one such war, in Viet Nam, in which nothing at all was gained and so much lost. I believe The Divine Feminine was addressing this type of imbalance when they spoke of too much action, too much aggression. The predominance of war in the past 70 years is all about this imbalance. And I can only hope that the return of The Divine Feminine to power can begin to restore a balance and channel resources toward a more creative energy and away from this destructive energy of conflict.
We are in the Astrological Sign of Libra. This is about balance. For the New Moon in Libra I cast an I Ching Gua (or hexagram) that translates as “Little Exceeding.” (see Monday’s post). This divination for the month is about following the middle way – follow the way of balance.
How do we do this? Practice awareness. Go back to the practices that work for you, whether they are some form of meditation, a form of physical exercise (yoga, qigong, jogging) that leads you into a state of awareness, activities that bring you into the present moment, like creating ritual space. Just take a breath and do a quick “gut check” to ask yourself if you are feeling balanced in the present moment; and if not, take another breath to see what balance might feel like.
And don’t expect to remain there fully present and in balance 100% of the time! There are many sources of distraction, many events in a day that throw us off balance. These events and sources are our teachers; we learn from them and then we breathe and come back to balance.
Balance is the key. How do you restore balance in your life?
PS: If you are in the Annapolis, Maryland area, I am beginning a new series of Qigong classes next Monday, October 14. Check details here.
You are a Multi-Dimensional Being! – Richard’s Commentary
Rosemary’s post begins with a message from The Divine Feminine in which they say:
We are The Divine Feminine and speak to you from the Realm of The Divine Feminine. This is one of the Dimensions that you have been hearing about.
There is nothing scary about dimensions or the beings that inhabit them. Our role in coming into your life is to assist you in your path of personal growth.
So, in casting about for my response today, to this message about being “multi-dimensional” I decided to take them at their word to see if I could hear a message from them. Actually I have received one or two messages from this “realm” in the past when I ask them for help, guidance or support. So, why not ask them to comment, through me, on their own message with additional illumination?
And I received a very interesting message of my own from this realm. I repeat much of it here because it demonstrates my own multi-dimensionality and perhaps it can model for you how you, too, can access this or other extra-dimensional realms if you ask!
From The Divine Feminine:
Dear one, of course we will speak to you! You are our beloved. You care for us as you care for Rosemary. You know there is a male component to us, just as there is to Rosemary. You mirror that component for us just as we mirror the feminine component of you. This is what your blog, Men and the Goddess, is all about. You men need us as that mirror. We are the Yin to your Yang, the Moon to your Sun. You need us to absorb, reflect, soften and affirm your very being. We need you for your strength, your action, your sending out the energy that animates it all.
The Goddess is in you just as the God is in us. We are inseparable yet dual. We inter-penetrate one another, affirm one another, in fact, manifest one another. And there is the problem with the dual nature of existence, of consciousness, just as there is a necessity to it. Often there is an imbalance in our natures. In you men, when the masculine over-powers the feminine, there is too much action, too much aggression. When the feminine over-powers the masculine there is too much inaction, too much passivity. The mirror image of this imbalance is true for women.
Balanced men offer the greatest hope for human survival and the evolution of consciousness. Balanced women offer the same hope. Partnership between such men and women offer extraordinary gifts to humanity. You, in partnership with Rosemary, model this balanced duality of purpose and power. Together you begin to restore balance in the energetic realm.
Now, this is not to dismiss The Divine Masculine. They too need their outlet and their balance. It is true that we are now in the forefront because the balance toward the masculine power has been so over-weighted as to almost lose sight of purpose! But as the work proceeds to restore this balance a restoration of appropriate masculine power will be needed for right action to emerge. This is your work. This is your calling. The work you envision with men is part of this restoration of balance. Working with the Tao and Qi is a way to help with balance. The ancient wisdom of China holds the keys to balance. They, the Taoists knew the importance of The Feminine, The Divine Feminine.
Keep to the path. Always return to balance.
And so it is.
Well, I did ask! Now I have to be congruent with the message I received! How does this message speak to you?
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: You are a Multi-Dimensional Being!
Let’s hear what The Divine Feminine say about this:
“Dear Ones,
We are The Divine Feminine and speak to you from the Realm of The Divine Feminine. This is one of the Dimensions that you have been hearing about.
There is nothing scary about dimensions or the beings that inhabit them. Our role in coming into your life is to assist you in your path of personal growth.
You can think of us as your Higher Self, that Voice of Wisdom that you hear on the inside. Some might call our messages ‘Intuition’ and that is fine, for no matter how you label the guidance that you receive, the important thing is to discern and to heed that guidance.
Consider that you are living with a Conscious Mind and an Unconscious Mind at this very moment. Your Conscious Mind is thinking about the words that you are reading and your Unconscious Mind is keeping the systems of your physical body operating without your conscious involvement. In this very same moment your Higher Conscious Mind is connecting you to spiritual dimensions that afford you the opportunity to learn and to grow and to expand your awareness and understanding.
Are you so focused on your physical experience that you are ignoring the information coming to you through your Higher Conscious Mind? Sometimes the messages are subtle, such as those contained in your nighttime dreams. Sometimes they are what you might label as ‘coincidence’ or ‘synchronicity.’ And sometimes the messages are attention-getting in their impact on your life, such as an illness or accident or relationship upheaval.
Most assuredly, however, there are messages available to you from the many Dimensions in which you dwell.
Some people have easier access to the information in these Dimensions than others and we speak through them to get the message out to the broader audience. All of you, though, have the ability to perceive messages for yourself when you listen to the guidance you are already receiving.
When we say that you must use discernment this is not to scare you or to make you concerned about so-called ‘negative energies’ or the source of your guidance. The means of discernment are simple. How do you feel when you receive the information? Does it make you feel uneasy because it contains judgment or criticism or invites you to do something about which you feel uncomfortable? Is that discomfort because you are being invited to stretch your comfort level into a new expansions of your personal growth or is there a moral component to your unease?
True guidance contains wisdom that leads you in the direction of your personal growth and spiritual expansion. You will never feel judged or criticized by a guide who is helping you to grow because every experience is a growth opportunity. If you feel uncomfortable it might be because your beliefs have led you to interpret as truth an old tape playing from your history that has nothing to do with your current lessons.
It is helpful to consult with someone who can assist you in creating clear connections to your guidance and to help you learn to discern the guidance that you can act upon and that which is coming from your beliefs and ego.
Keep thinking of yourself as a multi-dimensional human and you will learn that you have access to information, guidance, wisdom, help from many sources.
And so it is.”
Rosemary comments: Trust that you have the connections you need to be guided in your life. If you don’t feel you can hear the guidance, ask for help!
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: You are a Multi-Dimensional Being!
My “Two-Minute” video for the week: You are a Multi-Dimensional Being!
NEW MOON I CHING GUA: Little Exceeding
As I’ve been doing for some time now I cast an I Ching Gua just after the New Moon (and we had one, in Libra, this past Friday at 8:34 pm Eastern Time). These hexagrams, or gua, always seem to come up pointing in the right direction for the time. I especially find this to be true when I look back over the past month and reread the meaning of the gua cast for that month on the previous New Moon. You may want to do this for yourself, and look back on the I Ching I cast when the New Moon was in Leo last month. Then review the past month to see if any of the direction the gua indicated actually had a bearing on the way the month unfolded.
But now let’s look ahead to this remaining time for us in Libra and what the next four weeks ahead might 
have in store. Here is the hexagram I cast:
This is Xiao Guo, which means Little Exceeding according to Master Alfred Huang in his The Complete I Ching. This is composed of two trigrams, zhen, or Thunder over Gen, or Mountain. My first reaction to this picture is that the sound of thunder can be dampened or muffled in the mountains. And in keeping with the picture the meaning of this gua points to a time of reduced activity, a time of holding back and reserving energy for a more auspicious time.
I also like the image offered in the Decision of this gua written by King Wen; here is part of the decision:
The flying bird leaves a message;
Not appropriate to ascend,
Appropriate to descend,
Great good fortune!
It is said the gua resembles a flying bird with the middle yang lines as the body and the upper and lower pair of yin lines as the wings.
So the message here is “take it easy.” Don’t over-do anything at this time. This does not mean to not take any action. But when you do be cautious of over-doing it. Or, extending the image of the flying bird, don’t fly too high; there is good fortune in flying low, maybe “under the radar.”
And we are in the astrological sign of Libra, in this month of October between harvest time and winter. It is a time of balance. In the Celtic cycle we are approaching the end of the year when activities begin to wind down for the long rest during winter months. It is an auspicious time to begin to “muffle” outer activity and begin to take time for inner reflection.
This gua is also about “the middle way.” It advises to neither over-do nor under-do. I look at this as the Buddha Way, the path between the extremes of over-indulgence and excessive asceticism.
There were no changing lines when I cast this gua. It is a whole month of “little exceeding.” So, I plan to take it easy, to reflect on the middle way and assess how things stand in my life. This time between seasons as the year winds to a close may be an opportune time to shift gears and begin the inner work of the long, dark winter months ahead.
A POEM FOR FRIDAY: Red Lion
I am publishing a poem today because we are moving rapidly into the New Moon in Libra; it occurs at 8:34 pm Eastern Daylight Time this evening. And with the New Moon I will cast an I Ching Gua (hexagram) to shed some light on the coming month. I’ll publish that here on Monday in lieu of the usual “Monday’s Poem”.
I published this poem not long ago in these pages. But given the context of the posts from this week I think it bears repeating. This week has been about alchemy and how we are all agents of transformation for ourselves and for everyone we come in contact with. Transformation does not come easily. It requires our attention, our effort and certainly our awareness. And sometimes it requires a catalyst, a philosopher’s stone, a Red Lion!
So, in this context of the alchemical transformation of human consciousness I repeat:
Red Lion
Some days the beast requires a leash,
Some ways the body must seek release.
There’s no chance of change in full control,
Transformation comes through Red Lion’s role.
Remember this warning, keep to the path.
Control the creature or suffer his wrath.
Don’t bind him too tightly, there’s energy need.
Give him his head, he wants to be freed.
There’s a delicate balance of domestic and wild:
Too much domestic, the mix is too mild:
Too much wild, the mix goes astray;
Isis knew the secret of this precious way!
PS: If you are in the Annapolis, Maryland area, I am beginning a new series of Qigong classes next Monday, October 7. Check details here.
Men and The Goddess 