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MONDAY’S POEM: Surrender
It’s been a heck of a week since my last poem post on Monday – quite a “journey”! But I am coming around and accepting the journey openly and with excitement! Stay tuned! Meanwhile I can only recommend:
Surrender
It is a struggle to let go
of everything that holds life
Together.
The ego doesn’t release easily
without a fight for its life
Together.
The pain of release can hold
on for years, life times, all
Together.
The call to surrender is not one
to follow a path of ease, but
Another.
The path of wisdom and compassion
for all sentient beings is distinctly
Another.
It is a path the ego rejects
out of blind fear of death, yes
Another!
Surrender; choose death for joy!
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
Necessity – The Mother of Invention
In yesterday’s post I offered a story about how I assess what is necessary in my life. As I get older less seems like more to me. I do know the leaves this year seem more abundant, heavier, and they just keep falling! I need to get out there and rake again.
I also mentioned, almost in passing, that there is a spiritual component to my sore-from-raking shoulder that both Rosemary and I have picked up on: And the spiritual? Rosemary detects that my heart-mind center is opening. It does feel like something is opening on the one hand; but the constriction feels more like something is struggling to stay closed. Why is there such a struggle for this opening?
I think I got my answer to this during our second Unlocking the Mysteries of Intuition class the other evening. Rosemary quoted a poem by Rumi:
New organs of perception come into being as a result of necessity.
Therefore, O man,
increase your necessity,
so that you may increase your perception.
Am I growing a new organ? Is this what the heart-mind center Rosemary speaks and teaches about is? A new organ of perception?
I am reminded here that “necessity is the mother of invention.” Or in my case, necessity is the mother of a new organ of perception! Am I creating this necessity? And if I am what am I struggling to “see” with this new organ. The way it is feeling this organ isn’t even fully formed yet. It is still fighting to get out of the “eggshell of my shoulder.”
The heart-mind center as I understand it is a merging of the heart center and the higher centers of throat and third-eye. It is a center for the blending of feeling and thought. I have also seen it referred to as the “high heart.” And I have been working on this center, breathing into it during yoga and qigong practice, balancing it along with my other chakras through breathing exercises. Has my work brought on this opening?
And where is the necessity in this? I’m not sure I have consciously set about to increase my necessity. In fact I am looking for ways to decrease what I find to be necessary in my life. But I have the sense that I am not dealing with material necessities here at all!
Both Rosemary and I have written about the evolution of human consciousness. Much of her teaching through the October Satsang event was on this subject and we have published several clips from that evening on this blog. If humanity is to evolve into the 21st century I believe we will need these new organs of perception Rumi wrote about in the 13th century!
And while I might be excited about this evolutionary journey we are on, I didn’t realize there would be pain involved!
Meanwhile those new fallen leaves are piling up!
Assess the Necessity – Richard’s Commentary
Rosemary asks some tough questions in her blog-post yesterday. The key here is to review our values, especially with the question: “how much is enough?” in mind. Rosemary’s challenge: it is important to decide consciously what is a necessity in Your Life.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I ask this of myself is health. I have been struggling for a week with a debilitating pain in my shoulder. I brought this on myself, raking leaves like a madman a week or so ago. And I felt reasonably good doing it. I did and do realize I’m not 40-something any longer. I took my time and only did the front yard. And I expected some stiffness as an after-effect. I did wake up with a few sore muscles the next day. And then it got worse, and worse. Yesterday, over a week later I was almost unable to move without pain. And I realized health, feeling reasonably physically well, is close to the top of my list of necessities.
Of course, clean water, healthy food, clear air, warm shelter, reasonable clothing all contribute to the healthy body; anything that supports my necessity of health by definition is a necessity.
While I was forced to slow down and rest in relative stillness with my sore shoulder I reached for my books. Ah, if I can’t be moving about, bustling about, getting things done, then I can always take time to read. I discovered another necessity:reading material. (And if you were to visit Rosemary and me in our home you would quickly realize how necessary books are in our lives!)
And as many of you who have read my posts may remember, I write three pages of long hand notes every morning as recommended by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way. Pen, ink, paper are consumed in my practice. Necessity? This one is on the thin edge. I use my page writing to tune into my inner self, my intuition, and I use what I write, at least in part, as a guide to the rest of my day. Do I need to write it down? Does the process of writing promote the information that comes through to me? Of course there are other ways to receive or get in touch with these intuitive insights. And maybe there is no real need to record the information that comes through. So, maybe I have found a line here.
The point is to “assess.” What are the necessities in your life? How much is enough? It’s a good exercise.
But then Rosemary switches gears a bit when she says:
Humanity is evolving and each of us must step into our power, our empowerment, our Purpose. YOU ARE ENOUGH, just as you are, today!
And you have enough. Assess the necessity of everything in your life. Does it serve your Purpose? You might be surprised at the answers you get when you ask this question!
Wow! I am enough. I have enough. And whatever is serving my purpose is what I need! Health? Check. Books? Check. Pages? Check! My pages do serve my purpose, so they are on the necessity side after all.
Assessing necessity with Purpose as the backdrop is the more meaningful way to answer the question, “how much is enough?
Meanwhile my shoulder got so bad I asked Rosemary for help. I am living with, partnered with a healer! And I finally got around to asking for a healing! As I write this I am feeling much better. We both picked up that my pain may have been triggered by raking, but something else was allowed in, something physical and also something spiritual. The physical is like a viral attack, like a cold in my shoulder; I’m treating it like a cold. And the spiritual? Rosemary detects that my heart-mind center is opening. More on that later!
Do the necessities in your life support your purpose? You’ll feel great when they do!
MONDAY’S POEM: Journey
Inner work. Intuition. Practice. Here’s part of the work, exposed for all who have ears:
Journey
Beyond the cave
Below the lake
Deep in the heart
Of the savannah
There is a gate.
Beyond the gate
Blow through space
Deep emptiness
In a Universe
Toward escape.
Beyond escape
Below the Star
Deep in the Soul
Of the Light Body
There is a Seed.
Beyond the Seed
Fed by the lake
Raised by the Star
Of the brightest light
There is a Man.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
How Do You Do Intuition?
In yesterday’s post I commented on an article by Rosemary: Success-Based Intuition. But maybe I put the cart before the horse (no reference to Monday’s poem intended!). Do you know how to access your intuition so you can use it for success? I mentioned somewhat humorously that I rely on Rosemary’s gut in important matters. We do share our feelings, especially gut feelings about our unfolding life and partnership. And I am the first to say Rosemary is more attuned to her intuition than most people I know. I also admit that I sometimes struggle with tuning into my own intuitive ability. I have to work at it!
How do I work at it? I had to think about this because our homework assignment for Rosemary’s Unlocking the Mysteries of Intuition class yesterday was to report on how we used intuition through this past week. Here is part of my homework report:
As one example I did get my pendulum out to test a decision. I learned dowsing and the use of a pendulum to help with decision making from Rosemary years ago. In my use this week my pendulum confirmed the decision I was leaning toward, so I made that decision. And I think it was a good one. Another example was a hit I received while writing my “Morning Pages” which I do almost every morning – three hand-written pages following Julia Cameron’s recommendation in her The Artist’s Way. As I look at this one example I realize I frequently get good intuitive hits when I write these pages.
A third example of how I “do intuition” is through the use of card decks of different types, from Tarot to oracle-type decks. I am currently using two decks, the Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards by Dr. Doreen Virtue, and the Aleister Crowley Thoth tarot deck (an interesting balance of light and shadow between these decks!). I draw two cards every morning after my “Pages” to tune into the energies for the day. And I always receive excellent guidance.
But these are technologies or aids in tuning in. There is a more fundamental part of this intuitive process. And this is what I wrote in my pages yesterday:
These [intuitive] flashes come to me when I am at ease, breathing, present and open. They aren’t forced. They aren’t thoughts or ideas, really. They don’t come from the ego. They come when I care. They come when I am feeling at peace, in grace. In this sense they are natural, instinctual but much more than animalistic. There is a higher consciousness to them.
And it is true they can only come from love. And this self-love is a mysterious thing. It, again, is not the ego. It is much higher. It approaches Self-Love. It is a loving state rather than a narcissistic self-love state of the ego. This is a key point, a key distinction. There is an at-one-ment to this love. This cycles back to atonement – forgiveness – grace. There is an inner sense of groundedness that gives rise to gut feelings. Again, it is a natural place of higher consciousness. It comes when there is a deep connection within, to that which is below and that which is above!
Intuition is a hard thing to grab hold of. But I think we all know what gut feelings are. The trick is to tune in, trust, then follow. It takes practice. We all can do it, even us guys!
PS: Do you want to see a Master Intuitive at work? Are you looking for answers? Inspiration? Every 3rd Saturday of the month, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, Rosemary hosts Satsang for all who would join her in the exploration of expanding consciousness. Here is your chance to ask questions of The Divine Feminine! This event can be attended in person and online using video-conferencing services, even a phone. Attend from anywhere in the world!
Get more information and sign up here The next Satsang with Rosemary is tomorrow, November 16 at 7:00 pm Eastern.
Intuition-Based Success – Richard’s Commentary
How do you define success? Rosemary addresses three areas for assessing success: business, relationships and life. Of course these three areas are tightly woven together for many – they often are for successful people. Do you maintain or insure success by relying on your intuition? And what does this look like for you?
Business success is usually measured by examining P&L statements. It’s more difficult to measure the heart of a business. Vision, mission, outreach, social consciousness are not revealed in the numbers. A business may be operating at a break-even level but offering heart-felt services and expansive employment opportunities. Some would say the business is successful. If the business owners are more service than profit oriented that is a choice – perhaps even an intuitive choice!
Relationship success is not so easily measured; I suppose there may be joint bank accounts that could be examined. But here again is the P&L of a partnership the best measure? Rosemary suggests there is a lot to be learned by listening to what is unsaid rather than jumping on the words the other person is using. Have you learned to pay attention to those other signals, with non-judgment and without ego? Paying attention to intuitive hits within a relationship may be the better measure.
Then there is life success! How is that to be measured? Do external circumstances tell the story, even a bit of the story? Here the only good measures are intuitive hits. Relying on anything other than the subtle signs can be completely misleading.
And how do we read these subtle signs, whether we are assessing a business, a partnership or a life, especially our own? This is where we move into the intuitive world as our best source of information!
Rosemary says:
Everyone has intuition. There are messages for us all the time. It’s not really about developing intuition – it’s about learning to trust your own intuition enough to take action on the guidance you receive. And the first step in learning this is to love yourself, all of you, including your intuition, enough to know that you are enough!
Intuition begins with self-love! Why? Because intuition is of no value or use if it is not to be trusted. If you don’t love yourself you may not trust yourself. There is a level of acceptance here that must be unconditional in order to begin using intuition for success.
I know this from experience. I have lived with this incredibly intuitive partner, Rosemary, for over 30 years. And I learn these lessons of intuition from her every day. I watch her trust her intuition and the decisions are always successful. As a trivial example I have relied on her to choose the right cars. They have all been great! The only lemon we bought I chose! I emulate her trust and am getting better all the time. But when we face a really important decision we go with “Rosemary’s gut.”
Don’t have a Rosemary in your life? You too can know success by loving, trusting and basing your life on your intuitive wisdom inside!
PS: Are you looking for intuitive guidance? Answers? Inspiration? Every 3rd Saturday of the month, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, Rosemary hosts Satsang for all who would join her in the exploration of expanding consciousness. Here is your chance to ask questions of The Divine Feminine! This event can be attended in person and online using video-conferencing services, even a phone. Attend from anywhere in the world!
Get more information and sign up here The next Satsang with Rosemary is this Saturday, November 16 at 7:00 pm Eastern.
MONDAY’S POEM: Horse
Last week Rosemary began her Unlocking the Mysteries of Intuition class. As an opening and centering exercise she led a guided meditation. She is a skilled hypnotherapist and because I am so attuned to her voice and inflections she always takes me deep. I had a wonderful journey if all too short – we did have to get on with the class! Today’s poem was inspired by my visions during that meditation. Past life? A small view into the Collective Unconscious Mind? My own wild imaginings? I don’t care about labels, just the experience!
Horse
Warm breath, herbal, green,
Envelops like an aura, a cowl,
A halo of golden light
Holding promise of travel.
Son and horse know dawn light
Brings them closer to horizon.
The Sun beckons, looms large,
Fire growing, welcoming.
Home moves on with the herd.
The grass follows that golden light.
Horse follows grass, Son
Follows Father, horse, light, love.
Warm fire, dried dung pungent,
Smokes the red Sun of dusk
To burnt metal glow.
Hobbled horse nips tender edges of green.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
“Conversations with the Goddess” – a Review
I just finished reading this book, Conversations with the Goddess: Encounter at Petra, Place of Power by Dorothy Atalla, a few days ago and am anxious to share it with you. I “encountered” this book when I was unpacking boxes of our books and putting them on shelves in their new home. It is a book Rosemary came across and was even asked by the author’s assistant for a review and comment some time ago. I put it aside in my “read pile” and something drew it to the top of that pile; I’m so glad it became a priority.
Atalla’s journey actually began in Petra, Jordan a number of decades ago. Several years after her trip the Goddess began coming to her in meditation and these “conversations” were recorded. It took Atalla even more years to put the conversations into book form.
You may gather from the title of this blog that I am interested in the Goddess. Well, maybe “interest” is a mild word for my passion. This passion was refueled by Atalla’s book.
It is not at all what I expected. I have read lots of “channeled” material. I often publish much of what Rosemary channels from The Divine Feminine and in many forms. Atalla’s conversations come through with a clarity and reasoned approach that is fresh and scholarly.
This book is much more than the Conversations with the Goddess Atalla recorded and reports. She adds layers of research to go beyond the conversations and into deep understanding of the Goddess. She references significant works from anthropology and archeology, from psycho-historical research and the philosophy of the development of human consciousness. She makes extensive use of resources such as The Great Mother: An Analysis of the Archetype by Erich Neumann, Up from Eden: A Transpersonal View of Human Evolution by Ken Wilber and the works of Joseph Campbell.
While the Goddess has plenty to say about herself through her conversations, Atalla adds her own research and the research of these great minds to offer a compelling and comprehensive vision of the Goddess, in action through the history of human development and even now as we move through a new phase of evolution.
The book concluded too quickly for me; I want more. I want to hear more about this evolutionary step we are about to take. The Goddess even concluded her conversations with a “teaser” – to quote the Goddess through Atalla:
The seed has been planted in many hearts. There is already a yearning for “something else.” Though many are not sure what this yearning is all about they feel its ache within their hearts, and that is because of the strong spiritual impulses toward transformation that are sweeping across the planet.
You can imagine why this book gripped me. How often have you heard Rosemary and me talk about transformation in the past months, even years? Yes, I feel this yearning; yes, it feels like an ache, like an emptiness that is drawing me forward. It is always good to hear we are not alone. And it is wonderful to hear the Goddess acknowledge this yearning!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who senses this yearning for the coming transformation. Through it you will gain a beautiful, and awesome, vision of the Goddess!
Love Energy + 3rd Eye Energy = Transformation – Richard’s Commentary
Several confirming and affirming events conspired last Friday to give me a boost on my journey. We all need boosts (kicks in the pants) from time to time. These are reminders of who we are and why we are here! They are what might be considered the “little transformations” in our day-to-day lives. And sometimes the little kicks build up to a big one, as we experienced on Sunday with the New Moon and Eclipse in Scorpio.
The events of Friday leading up to the New Moon were the publication of Rosemary’s Ezine in which her message of yesterday’s post here was first published. Then we hosted a Conversation with The Other Side that evening. Here are the key paragraphs from the Ezine that provided the first boost:
And, as every entrepreneur knows, working on yourself is working on your business. Everything boils down to personal transformation and the continuation of a path of personal growth.
Relationships depend on growth or they stagnate. Careers, businesses, parenting skills, partnerships, education – all require that there be learning and growth to succeed.
“Personal growth” is required for anything and everything to succeed. I cannot succeed in my purpose if I fail to keep growing, changing, transforming.
Then Friday evening during the Conversation a male bald eagle flew into the room to greet me and remind me to fly – to treat myself more lightly so I can fly – fly with him! I knew this eagle; I fly with him when I journey to the lower world. I took part of his message to mean I needed to return to visit him. I had not journeyed for a couple of months!
I do not ignore the call to my spirit guides! I journeyed and there I flew with Eagle surveying the lower world in all its splendor. And I also joined Mama Bear on this journey, another of my “familiars.” She took me deeper and into myself where energy rose up my spine through her powerful connection with the Earth. This tremendous power and Earth energy collected in my Heart. There it created a gravitational field that began to pull light and energy from the Heavens, Celestial Beings down to the Crown of my head, down through my 3rd Eye and Throat where this energy too collected in my Heart.
And there I sat, traveling with the drum, absorbing and absorbed in the powerful grip of Earth and Heaven energy, all while riding astride Mama Bear. And I realized the message was one of Love. Love is the force; Love is the glue; Love is the creative energy; Love is the power to propel this personal growth we are called to embrace. Love is the purpose. Love is the source. Love is the goal.
And here’s Rosemary’s question:
Are you committed to your own personal growth and transformation? Do you know how to do that? Are you willing to ask for help or start learning some new ways to grow?
I do not ignore the call of my spirit guides. And I do not ignore their message. Love yourself enough to accept your call and grow!
PS: Are you looking for messages about your personal growth? Every 3rd Saturday, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, Rosemary hosts Satsang for all who would join her in the exploration of evolving consciousness. It’s an excellent opportunity to ask questions. This event can be attended in person and online using video-conferencing services.
Get more information and sign up here The next Satsang with Rosemary is November 16 at 7:00 pm Eastern.
I Ching Gua for the New Moon in Scorpio
We have had quite a time of it! Halloween, the last day of the Celtic Year, Samhain; All Saints Day, All Souls Day, The Day of the Dead, Diwali, New Moon in Scorpio and to top it all off, a Solar Eclipse! This has been a powerful time; if you are feeling a little “winded” from all this celestial activity, you are not alone!
To help myself come back to earth from soaring with the Moon, I really enjoy sitting with my yarrow stalks to consider the incoming energies with the New Moon, to see what the month ahead might look like. If you have been reading this blog for a bit you know I do this divination as close to the New Moon as possible. (And if you are a new reader, search back on “new moon” for previous I Ching readings.) I did my work Sunday morning, just after the eclipse and New Moon at about 8:00 AM Eastern Standard time.
My yarrow stalks did not let me down; the energies they revealed are exactly in line with all the other divinations and readings I have seen about this time; from numerology to astrology and to the channeling from Rosemary’s sources, all energies seem strongly directed to Transformation!
The hexagram I cast is Da Zhuang which means Great Strength. It’s pictured here. Beginning with Great Strength is very auspicious but this does not mean that immediate action is required. In fact it is better to “stand your ground” at this time. The initial weak yang line (a 9 which is a changing line) indicates an infirm base. There is no need to move out quickly; be patient. Yet there is great strength here, a solid and imposing Gua of power. There is high energetic potential here. The power needs to be used wisely.
In Da Zhuang the upper trigram, Thunder, is yang energy on top of the lower trigram, Heaven, which is also strong yang. Remain solidly passive holding the inner strength.
Notice that there are two changing lines in the hexagram, the first (bottom) and the fifth. The bottom line is a 9, a weak yang line which can change to a yin line. The fifth line, a 6, is a weak yin line which can change to a yang line. Master Alfred Huang recommends reading the yin changing line. This means that Da Zhuang changes to the accomplished Gua, Guai which means Eliminating. It’s picture here.
The built-up potential energy of Da Zhuang can be held in check no longer. It is time to use the power, the Great Strength, to Eliminate darkness. Shine the light into the shadowy places. Yet, even as this great potential is built, there is need for caution to be sure everyone is onboard with the program. Consult the constituents. Proceed with the energy cautiously.
This action can happen later in the month. Again, there is no need to rush into this. Nevertheless, great outcome is possible. The power can overcome the dark. This is very auspicious.
There is one more Gua that can be derived from this cast. The Mutual Gua, which holds a secret or inner meaning, is created from the 6 inner lines, taking lines 2, 3, and 4 as the lower trigram and 3, 4, and 5 as the upper trigram creates Heaven over Heaven. The hexagram with all 6 yang lines is Qian which means Initiating – Transformation! The conclusion of all of this celestial energy in Scorpio, here at the end of the Celtic year and the beginning of a new cycle is – Transformation – with Great Strength to Eliminate whatever is in the way of the New.
And just to confirm there are other indications that this energy is with us, here’s a snapshot from Gloria Hesseloff’s newsletter on the New Moon in Scorpio:
Scorpio is ruled by our beloved and respected Pluto. Thus, the higher levels of Scorpio include nothing less than TRANSFORMATION. This is a call to restore back to sacredness that which has become taboo. This includes our Shadow. Scorpio represents our shadow. We usually think of the shadow as our lower frequency qualities. However, the shadow also holds anything we have repressed, including our talents, our authenticity and our light.
It will be quite a month!
Men and The Goddess 