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Friday’s Poem: Casting No Shadow
[Warning: this poem contains a four-letter word that may offend some people. It is a word for material found in the bottom of a bird cage and rhymes with grit. If this word offends you please read no farther!]
I am fresh from the Christine Kloser event, known simply as “Breakthrough,” for Transformational Authors. I have known Christine and her event for several years; this one was her sixth; it was the first one I attended. And I can honestly say this was the best of all personal growth conferences, retreats and other such meetings I have ever attended! I did come away transformed in several ways. I will write more about this in a later post.
For now I want to offer this poem, dedicating it to Christine and all of the friends and fellow poets I spent three quality days with this week:
Casting No Shadow
Standing in the Center under high Sun,
Casting no shadow
I wonder:
Where has all that shit, my shit gone?
Earth, Mother, accepts it all
Composting it, the shit, into food:
Rooting soil
For the wonder and beauty of the lotus.
Facing East, bowing to the rising Sun,
Shadow stretching West
I wonder:
How far does that trail of shit extend?
Great Bear of the West doesn’t care;
His shadow absorbs all darkness
Sending life
Deep into the root and stem of the lotus.
Facing West, bowing to the setting Sun,
Shadow disappearing into the night
I wonder:
While the Mother sleeps, who stirs the shit?
The Great White Way of the night sky
Carves a graceful turn to churn
Rotting waste
Feeding the growth and awakening the lotus.
Facing North, bowing to the Great White Way,
Soft Moon shadows glowing in the night
I wonder:
How can shit survive this peace and beauty?
Cosmic Energy, creative power
Pumps the life-blood, pure potential
Filling mud
With juice to enliven the lotus bud.
Facing South, bowing to the warming Sun,
Shrunken shadow withering to the North
I wonder:
How can so much shit generate all this beauty?
Earth and Fire, Mother and Sun
Join in Holy Union, merging love and light;
Ascending we
Witness the opening, Jewel in the Lotus!
(Om mani padme hum!)
©2018 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
And then this happened…
Once again there’s been a delay between posts here. And I haven’t written any poems lately. Many of you already know why:
Sometime, just after the “Lion’s Gate” event on 8/8/2017, I had a heart attack. I am a bit vague about exact time here because my symptoms were pretty mild – no great drama, no race by ambulance to the hospital, no life-saving actions by first responders. No, just a few days of chest pressure and a restless, mostly sleepless night on 8/10.
On 8/11 I taught my Friday morning Qigong class. This felt good, but the pressure in my chest continued and began migrating to my back. Hmmm! Between Rosemary and me we decided to give our local “urgent care” a try. Good experience. They sent me to the emergency room with EKG, chest X-Ray and instructions to Rosemary to get me through triage fast.
Long story short my troponin level, a protein marker for heart attack, was through the roof. By early morning on 8/12 I was on my way via ambulance to Washington Hospital Center for catheterization to determine the cause of this heart event. In at 8:30; by 9:00 they knew I had blockage that needed CABG (the cardiology short-hand for Cardiac Artery Bypass Graft) – three of them in fact.
My CABGx3 got scheduled for Tuesday, August 15 (Mary’s Assumption Day, so I knew I was in good hands!). I spent the rest of Saturday through Monday in the hospital under acute observation; I had this time to prepare.
I continued my Qigong practice. There was this lovely atrium window on the fourth floor where I could go through my morning routine in nice light. I knew at this point that Qigong had saved my life, kept me healthy and strong enough to endure/survive the heart attack. I certainly wasn’t going to stop practice now, especially prior to surgery!
Surgery was routine, as these things go. I suspect splitting open a person’s chest to access the heart’s arteries is never quite routine. My care at Washington Hospital was stellar! I can’t imagine my experience going any better. (OK, the food was not gourmet but it was edible!). By Saturday, 8/19, one week after admission, was released with new drugs and a few restrictions. No Qigong for a few days! But I walked out with the “heart of a 20-year old” (according to the cardiologist who read my echocardiogram) and new plumbing.
And I have been on a fast-track to full recovery ever since. I started my Qigong classes up again on 9/22 – added two make-up classes to cover the missed August classes.
And now I am launching my next series of classes for the Fall 2017; they run from October 6 through December 29, 10:30 am in West Annapolis. And these classes are available LIVE via internet. You can find the details on my website (linked below).
Qigong saved my life. It continues to speed my recovery process. And I am committed to bring this ancient, life-saving technology to as many people as I can reach.
Join me for this life-saving practice! QigongistheWay.com
My “New” Manifesto
A week or so ago Rosemary brought several of her long-term clients together for a group VIP day. I was fortunate enough to be included and to do the work with this select group. And we did some excellent work.
Rosemary led us to create our “manifestos” for ourselves. We did some deep work exploring our purpose, our big “Why?” We answered questions like:
“What do you stand for?”
“How does your heart, your soul and your personality come together in this life?
“What is your declaration about this life, independent of any ‘shoulds’?”
We also answered the five questions that Matthew Goldfarb asks in his book, “Corporate Renegade.”
“What are you pissed off about?”
“If you could change one thing about business or the world what would it be?”
“Why do you want to start a business in the first place?”
“Why are you willing to go broke to make this business work?”
“Why are you willing to go for broke to make this business work?”
And then we went to work. Some of us got out paper and scissors, colored pens and fancy tapes, decorating their manifestos with frills and flourishes. I’m a word guy and not overly skilled at the crafty work so answered questions, took note of my priorities and wrote out my manifesto. Here is the result:
New Moon, New Lunar Year, New Beginnings!
Hello Dear Readers!
I hope you have noticed I have been absent for the past couple of months. Rosemary and I have been regrouping and revamping during our hiatus, but now we are back – the Goddess is returning!
We have begun publishing a revised newsletter based on the phases of the moon. We will publish updates about twice each month just before the new and full moons. Why? Because the moon is a very important influence in our lives and awareness of her importance is a key to living a more conscious life.
The “Chinese New Year” based on a Lunar Calendar was celebrated about two weeks ago. The sun was exactly conjunct the moon Wednesday evening, February 18 at 6:47 pm Eastern. The year transitioned from a Wood Horse year to a Wood Sheep (or goat) year. We are now in this new energy.
As I begin publication of “Men and the Goddess” again I will draw material from the MoonLetters Rosemary and I publish, I continue to cast I Ching Gua (Hexagrams) on each New Moon which I’ll publish here and I continue to write poems which I will share here from time to time.
Meanwhile here are some excerpts from our MoonLetter published just after the New Moon and New Year:
Moon Message
“At the time of the Lunar New Year, each individual is invited to create a vision for the coming year that encompasses new wishes, new desires, new dreams, new delights. It is a time to lay to rest the past, the ups and downs of the past 13 Moon Cycles, and allow everything to start afresh. Let go. Detach. Dissolve that which holds you back and look forward to your new creations. Happy New Year!”
Moon News
Happy Lunar New Year!!! The New Moon is ushering in the New Year according to the Chinese calendar and we are ready to move into the Wood Sheep year.
According to Feng Shui Grand Master Lillian Too, “The energies of this year of the wood sheep are very favourable in terms of business and other opportunities. It is important to begin to live in a state of greater awareness so that these opportunities don’t pass you by.”
This New Moon happened on Wednesday, February 18 at 6:47 pm Eastern Standard Time in the very last degree of the sign of Aquarius in the very last minute – 29 degrees 59 minutes. This is a powerful time for manifesting something new in your life, and this Lunar New Year gives you a fresh start for the next 13 Moon Cycles.
Three minutes after the New Moon was exact, the Sun and Moon were both in Pisces, moving us from consciousness of all humanity to a sense of interdepence with all – nature, plants and animals. We also look toward the spiritual aspects of situations and ourselves during the Sun’s time in Pisces. The Moon in Pisces invites us to connect deeply with our emotions.
What new dreams are you dreaming for yourself? What new ideas do you have for your life this year?Celebrate! Take advantage of new opportunities by committing to act in the direction of your dreams. You will be supported.
This New Moon is also a Super Moon when the Moon is closest to Earth and in alignment with the Sun and Earth. Its impact is enhanced when this is the case. Have you noticed that this week you are feeling a lot of energy? Or more drained than usual? I did an ‘electronics fast’ for a couple of days before the New Moon and it was exhilarating! Try it some time.
Get ready for the Full Moon which occurs on March 5 at 1:05 pm Eastern Time. The Full Moons are times to let go, to release the old.
You’ll be receiving another MoonLetter at the Full Moon! (But only if you subscribe.) We’ll also publish bits and pieces here on the blogs.
If you want to receive the MoonLetter each time it is published you can do that at TheScientificMystic.com When you subscribe you will also receive a meditation on the phases of the Moon given by Rosemary.
I hope you have been well while I’ve been “away”! 2015 is coming in with very different energy; enjoy!
A FRIDAY POEM FROM “RHYTHMS AND CYCLES” – A Poem for Tristan
Yesterday was an eventful day! Our newest grandson, Tristan Wallace Bredeson, was born! Rosemary and I are at a conference in Orlando which also started Thursday. We knew some additional testing was being done for the baby, not due until August 24, but did not expect his arrival so soon! When we got word of his impending birth we began to wait and wonder; just as excited as expecting parents ourselves!
I began this poem while we still did not know; parents had not wanted to know the gender of this child and we did not even know name choices! I completed the poem after a few details were added. I include it in this volume, “Rhythms and Cycles”, because birth is certainly the beginning of another cycle! And I’m happy to share the joy of this new cycle!
A Poem for Tristan
I hold my breath
Waiting to hear in the silence
That first ring of life-news.
Is he here? Is she breathing?
Has our new grandchild
Joined us on the Mother’s surface
Breathing the Mother’s air?
And I wait.
I glance at my phone for signs.
I see only a dark face.
Cold technology is waiting
for some signal to let us know
All is well.
The phone remains inert,
Resting in that space of silence
Between breaths, between updates.
I take a breath.
Does baby take a breath?
I take a baby-breath
As baby takes his first breaths.
“Can I make my breath
As soft as a baby’s?”
Can baby breathe a healthy
Breath of air – and spirit?
Yes, I believe he can!
Then all comes to life
As we learn the joyous news
That all is well and he is here.
He may be early, anxious for
Sun, Moon, Stars to be just right.
He may be small, for now;
He will grow into his big name!
Tristan Wallace Bredeson is here!
©2014 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
Reflections on 2013
We have reached the last weekend of 2013! I hope yours has been as adventurous as mine has. I have experienced some significant ups and downs; this is the way of life. The ups remind us of how high we can fly! And the downs come along to teach us our lessons so we can fly higher still!
So, whatever happened through the year, reflect on the gains and the lessons (which are also gains). And carry the changes, the newness, your transformed self into 2014 with confidence, character and that sense of adventure that keeps life grand.
I want to conclude this short note today with a huge Thank You to all of you who follow this blog and frequently “like” my writings, especially the poems. Do know that I visit your blogs too and appreciate your efforts, even if I don’t always click through. I’ll work harder to make my appreciation known going forward.
Finally, I would like to let you know about a major project I am beginning to plan for 2014. I will share the details as I work through them and I will share the process as it unfolds. I am excited; I hope you will follow my progress with enthusiastic support!
Blessings and love as you wind down 2013 and look ahead to a fantastically transformational 2014!
PS: Next year will be wonderful! How do I know? Because I listened to a message from The Divine Feminine channeled by Rosemary on the Winter Solstice; and they offered guidance and advice on what we might expect in 2014 and how to approach the year’s upcoming energy. Expect more change! The transformation continues! If you missed the message it is now available as an MP3 recording for a modest price; check out the details here: Winter Solstice Mesage
Change…and moving in the rain!
As I write this I have finished up our first day of moving. I’m feeling a bit tired and stiff…some muscles were stretched a bit more than usual today! But thank goodness for Qigong! I moved well through the day and after a rest will be ready for another one tomorrow!
I woke up on the first day of August to rain. My first reaction was, “oh, no, moving in the rain won’t be much fun” (as if moving is ever fun!). Then I quickly recalled my Dad’s admonition to never complain about the rain. He was a dairy farmer his whole life. The grass and the crops that provided all the feed for the cattle depended on the rain. And when you are in the middle of a field, putting up hay for the winter, the rain can be inconvenient. But it is not something to complain about, ever!
I quickly changed my “oh, no” to an “oh, well, we do need some rain; and in any case there is nothing I can do about it!”
Fortunately we live in Maryland where the weather can change on a dime. By the afternoon the rain was gone and the sun was shining and we moved our first load without getting wet at all!
Whether we are talking about change in the weather or we are talking about bigger changes, like moving an entire household to a new house, change is inevitable. The only question is what attitude to assume when looking at the on-rushing changes.
And this is my point. Rosemary and I have both been writing a lot about change lately. We are anticipating many changes in the coming months. We know many will be great, in full alignment with our direction and goals. We also know there will be stumbling blocks put in our way; our lessons lie before us and we accept them. The question we ask as we move into every step, every change we either want to make or are forced to make by circumstances is: “how is my attitude toward this change?”
Some days it’s going to rain. Some days we might stumble. Some lessons may be harder to learn than others. But we both know we are on the right path, we are doing what we love, and we are ever expanding into our Soul Purpose Work.
How do you approach change in your life? Do you fear it? Avoid it? Do you rush into it with your eyes shut? These questions bring me to my second point about change: After I get my attitude about the inevitability of change set correctly I then face the choices in my response to the change.
All change comes with choice. My response today to the rain I awoke to could have been to postpone the move by a day. The weather report indicated the possible clearing by the afternoon, but you know how well the weather people predict! I moved forward with a certain amount of trust that things would work out. While my Dad was saying: “never complain about the rain” Rosemary’s Mom was saying: “things always work out for the best.” And sure enough, they did today!
So, maybe the big lesson today is “trust your parents.” They may have some pithy sayings and family proverbs to offer but in my case they tend to be right more often than not!
Adopt a positive attitude toward inevitable change, make the best choices you can under the circumstances and trust your parents! Good guidance for facing the changes that are coming!
PS: Happy Solar Return, Rosemary!! Yes, Rosemary and I have the same birthday. This year is the 41st one we’ve been happy to share!
HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2013!
From RosemarySpace and my family we wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous 2013! May you live Your Richest Life!
Happiness is Family All Around!
I’m Back!
I have been away for too long! Sorry, it has been a hectic year. How is 2011 treating you?
I am still in the midst of rubble! No, there’s been no tragedy that’s struck here other than one of my own making! You see Rosemary and I have decided to sell our house in Colorado and move back to Maryland. This is a long and winding story and I’ll spare you the details. Here’s the high view:
We moved to Colorado in early 2000 just a couple of weeks after Rosemary’s Mom, Gloria, made her transition. We moved more stuff than we wanted to, but since it was a corporate move and we were in the midst of grief, the packers and movers packed everything in our Maryland house, yes, even some trash! In 2003 my company wanted me back in Maryland; rather than move again we went the short-term rental route keeping the house in Colorado. Four “short-term” places and five years later I retired and we moved back to our house in Colorado. Basically we then had two house-holds worth of stuff in this one house.
Well, I’m now going through all that stuff and purging. It’s a task and a half! Boxes of keep-stuff are in the basement and garage. Boxes of give-stuff are in the entry-way to be picked up soon. And I have many more boxes to fill! So, I’m living among the rubble of sorting, purging, packing, pitching as I go room-to-room preparing the house for sale. And this is my shallow excuse for my absence from this blog!
But I have not been idle in other ways aside from the move. In fact a friend of mine, Glenn M. Smith and I are joining forces to start a movement. And you can read about this movement, still in the “crawling phase” at:
And I’m going to repost an article I wrote for that site here; please read the next post.
Glenn’s and my new site is a social site meant to gain membership and discussion on any range of topics men may be interested in pursuing. Please visit and join our movement!
Meanwhile I plan to keep “Men and the Goddess” alive and begin feeding it again. I’ll keep you “posted” on that!
Men and The Goddess 