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Wake Up and Evolve! – Richard’s Commentary
This whole notion of “waking up” has been with us for millennia. The Aborigines of Australia refer to life here on planet earth as “dream-time”; death is a form of waking up! Twenty-five hundred years ago, Shakyamuni became The Buddha by “waking up” to the reality of his Four Noble Truths, the Eight-Fold Path, and all the lessons and sutras that followed. To a large extent this idea of awakening is about a choice; it is a conscious choice to “Wake Up”!
Here’s the key sentence from Rosemary’s article:
But, when you really decide to grow, to wake up, to evolve, you can change your beliefs!
Decide. Decide to grow, wake up, evolve. And once this choice is made there is no end to the awakening. As soon as some new concept is grasped another comes along to either build on it or tear it all down and build another conceptualization of some aspect of reality. Here’s the best part: there is no end to penetrating the truth or reality because as soon as we think we have it in our grasp, it evolves!
What, reality is evolving? What kind of notion is this? I suppose even this expansive concept is just that, another concept, another belief. But, if reality is in fact, the sum total of everything we “know” – our consciousness and our knowledge – then, our consciousness is growing, or evolving, and reality is evolving!
Rosemary and I are a part of a wonderful group of people who get together every first Wednesday evening of the month to discuss “spiritual” topics. We call our group The Spiritual Exploration Group. And our only “rule” for the group is “we gather for discussion, not dogma.” Our topic for the month, and probably the next several months, is “Consciousness.” In fact one of the articles we shared with the group stated that “spirituality” is really an outmoded term; “consciousness” creates a much larger context and is, perhaps, the more apt word to encompass the totality of our discussion topics. (We are in the process of renaming our group The Consciousness Exploration Group!) Another of our articles for consideration is by Ken Wilber who has thought and written extensively about consciousness. In his Integral Model of the world of consciousness he has defined levels; and he sees no end to the development of additional levels as we continue to expand our knowledge, our consciousness. This is evolution!
And we have a choice to be part of this evolutionary process. We can continue to learn, to think, to meditate, to study new concepts, to discard beliefs and form new ones, to tear down our ivory towers and open to the wide world of expansiveness, to “wake up.”
Some days it is easier to sit back and relax in our current set of beliefs, our world-view and enjoy the flow of life without strain. But there is so much happening in the world of consciousness, from discovering the very mechanisms of consciousness in the physical plane, to penetrating the mystery of how consciousness effects the physical plane that it is impossible for awakening people to sit still! It is these awakening ones who are pushing the envelope of consciousness, who are evolving!
Are you comfortable in your slumber or are you awakening? It’s a wonderful, expanding world out there! Join us.
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Wake Up and Evolve!
I am so glad that you are reading this! It tells me that you are seeking, that you are open to exploring, that you care about ideas and what is happening on the Planet. Congratulations!
Sometimes it is difficult to have a discussion with someone who has closed their mind to new ideas and wants only to reinforce what they already believe. But this person is usually operating out of some fear that controls their thinking and, thus, their life.
Are you that kind of person in some area of your life? Oh, you might wish to think of yourself as broad-minded and open to new ideas, ready to shift your thinking, but what about that relationship in which you are certain that you have formed the correct opinion about the other person? What if you don’t know the whole picture, and, if you did, you would be more sympathetic, more understanding?
Big ideas can be like that. We THINK we know all we need to know about something and then we form an opinion. For many, that opinion then gets set into concrete, never to be brought out for re-examination or re-consideration. These are the ‘don’t confuse me with the facts’ people. Just as you might think you know enough about another person to form a solid opinion, what if they are dealing with cancer, just lost their job or a loved one, are coming from court after losing custody of their children? Would that alter your opinion?
You have many ideas about how the world is that were formed when you were growing up and making decisions about what to believe. You had a little kid’s perspective. You knew what that little kid knew, probably not the whole picture, and you decided to believe something.
This belief might be something like, ‘Daddy yelled at me because my report card isn’t good enough. I’ll never be good enough.’ Or, ‘My sister is the smart one. I can’t get as good a grade as she can.’ There are so many beliefs that are insidious because they live with that little child within who dwells in your unconscious mind. That inner child is making decisions for you in your life, at the unconscious level, based on the belief formed many years ago.
Have you ever planned to do something and then not carried through? How many New Year’s Resolutions have you broken? It’s this belief in your unconscious mind that trips you up.
But, when you really decide to grow, to wake up, to evolve, you can change your beliefs!
If you want to Live Your Richest Life, then you start with shedding anything that is holding you back or blocking you from the path you desire. This starts with the beliefs you hold that might not be true anymore, and, perhaps, were never true.
What if you believed that the Earth was flat? Would you get into a ship and sail across the ocean into that unknown and scary edge of the world? And then what if NASA launched a satellite that took a picture of Earth from Space that showed the blue ball hanging in Space without a flat edge showing at all? Would you take in that new information and change your belief about the Earth and accept that it is round?
This is the basic question about ‘evolve or not.’ If you can be presented with new evidence, if you are open to new ideas, if you are willing to consider that you might have to change your mind based on new data, then would you be willing to have the conversations that might open you up?
Evolution isn’t about the monkeys. It’s really about the Evolution of Human Consciousness. In order to evolve, we must first Wake Up!
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: Wake Up and Evolve!
I Ching for the New Moon in Pisces
For each New Moon I use the I Ching to provide an indication of what we can expect the energies coming in might bring us. The moon went through her “death and rebirth” this past Saturday, early morning here on the east coast. And after her rebirth I cast a Gua (a hexagram of yin and yang lines); I use the yarrow stalk method, a very meditative process of manipulating 50 “sticks” to obtain the six lines (note these lines are digital, just like computer bits, either open, zero, yin or closed, one, yang; maybe given my computer background this is why I am so attracted to this ancient method of divination!)
The Gua I cast for this New Moon and the next month (or Moonth) is Gen, pictured here. This Gua is made from the doubling of a single trigram, also Gen. This trigram means “mountain” so the picture we have is mountain standing on mountain. Can you picture a more solid image?
The translation of Gen is “keeping still.” What could be more logical? But what does this mean for the month?
First recall that the Gua I cast for last month, and since it was a New Year, that Gua has influence over the entire year (see earlier post) is Tai, meaning Advance. Now we come up to Keeping Still. After a fast start to the year through February it may be time to slow down, consider, regroup, and be sure of our plans! We are still in winter for another few weeks; inner work remains on the agenda. While the overall year may be one for advancing, we do need to ensure plans are correct and in alignment with our overall goals and our purpose!
Here is my journal entry on this Gua: “Mountain over Mountain – keeping very still. After the Advance it is time to become introspective. Be certain of plans, consider them carefully, sit in stillness to contemplate further action.
“The overall Gua and energy for the year is to advance. However, plans for that advancement need to be revisited. Think before action. This Gua contains great power, great energy – potential, not kinetic energy. Something great is coming. It is good to wait for it!
“By the next new moon we will be beyond the Spring Equinox. Take this last few weeks of winter to review and revise plans. Master Alfred Huang, author of The Complete I Ching writes: “keeping still is meant to prepare one’s mind and spirit to progress when the time comes.”
Also Master Huang quotes from Confucius’ treatise, The Way of Great Learning:
The way of great learning is to illustrate brilliant virtue, to love people, and to rest in conduct that is perfectly good.
By knowing how to keep still,
one is able to determine what objects he should pursue.
By knowing what objects he should pursue,
one is able to obtain calmness of mind.
By knowing how to obtain calmness of mind,
one is able to succeed in tranquil repose.
By knowing how to succeed in tranquil repose,
one is able to obtain careful deliberation.
By knowing how to obtain careful deliberation,
one is able to harvest what he truly wants to pursue.
Master Huang adds: “In the final stage of one’s life, if one can manifest one’s brilliant virtue, love people, and maintain one’s goodness to the end, it is a true blessing, and there will be good fortune.”
Seems to me it might be well worth the time to sit, reflect, and confirm the plans for “advancing” for the year!
PS: my dear friend and favorite “cosmic astrologer” Gloria Hesseloff, says this about the New Moon in Pisces: “MEDITATION is Pisces favorite activity and is highly recommended… this New Moon, is a powerful time to set intentions. The New Moon in Pisces is a significant time to activate the Consciousness of ONENESS throughout the planet.” As always her readings are exactly in alignment with the I Ching!
A FRIDAY POEM FROM “RHYTHMS AND CYCLES” – Dark Goddess
If you are reading this blog at all regularly you know I publish a poem on Mondays. Why only Mondays? So here is a poem for Friday.
A few years ago I committed to publishing a book of my poems; I planned to call it Rhythms and Cycles. As plans sometimes go I have not published that book yet. But I have collected a number of poems to include. And since many of you have liked my poetry over the last number of months, I’ve decided to offer some entries from the unpublished book.
This first Friday Poem is in honor of the New Moon coming tomorrow. And I’ll be casting an I Ching Gua for the next moon cycle to publish on Monday, so this entry will carry you through to next Friday’s Poem…
Dark Goddess
February 26, 2010
As the Moon waxes to fullness
We know She will collapse,
Again, into darkness.
As She collapses into Herself
Descending into the underworld
We know She will rise again.
She is the Dark Goddess, The Dark Mirror.
Her inner light is hidden deep within,
As She reflects, at times, the light of others.
She is a deep and mysterious Goddess.
She absorbs all our cares and woes.
Like the Grandmother, She comforts.
This Dark Goddess has a rhythm
All Her own. She is an independent
Wanderer, this Wonder of the Night.
As She rides through Her courses
At times blotting even Sun
We watch in awe and praise Her.
©2014 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
Survive or Thrive? – Richard’s Commentary
The Divine Feminine challenge us in Rosemary’s article to make the key choice in this life: we can either scrabble for survival in what many think is a “dog-eat-dog world”; or we can step up and out to live our True Purpose, the reason the Universe supported our birth in this time and space, and thrive!
It really is that simple. And it really is a choice. Here’s how They put it through Rosemary:
Many people on Earth in 21st Century Societies are greedy for what they don’t have – riches, power, control, freedom, pride. These people are distracted from what is really important.
When one seeks to live one’s purpose, one finds that collaboration with others supports thriving in life.
There are the choices: survive or thrive.
Interestingly They do bring up karma, more as a threat than a factor in our choice. They say: Don’t think that you can thrive by pushing someone else to the brink of survival. Those who believe that this is acceptable will learn exactly what the rules of karma are. But doesn’t karma affect our choice, our purpose? Are people merely in survival mode because they have past “debts” to work through?
I am in the middle of asking this very question of myself, working through the process of purging karma, some from my younger days and likely a whole lot from past lives. I am practicing an intense “yoga” in preparation for Kalachakra Initiation, known asKalachakra Tantra Six Session Yoga composed by the First Panchen Lama. And things are coming up. Some days in the midst of practice I ask myself if I am making any progress, if all this is worth the effort. Can we really purge, burn up, karma? And, is this part of the choice we must make to turn mere survival into thriving?
When I ask the hard questions I am often blessed with answers. Today I received two “replies” to my deepest seeking. The first is from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. He quotes his guru, Sri Yuktesvar: “Forget the past. The vanished lives of all men are dark with many shames. Human conduct is ever unreliable until man is anchored in the Divine. Everything in future will improve if you are making a spiritual effort now.”
My second answer came from my Goddess Cards, art by Susan Seddon Boulet and words by Michael Babcock. Today I drew Hathor, a Great Mother Goddess. And here is what Babcock says of her: “Hathor reminds us that we, too, must acknowledge all parts of ourselves, that what we call destructive is sometimes necessary to allow our creativity and compassion to flourish.”
Wow; thank you, Universe! Ask and you shall receive!
I have full permission to step into my purpose and thrive. I will most certainly continue the Six Session Yoga to see what comes up next.
And you, too, have the permission of the Universe, in fact the demand, that you step into your purpose and thrive! The choice is yours!
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Survive or Thrive?
A message from The Divine Feminine:
“Dear Ones,
To merely survive is not the same as to thrive. The Universe is set up so that each individual can thrive unless that opportunity is taken away from them.
Every plant is poised to thrive unless it is deprived of soil, nutrients, sunlight, water. Every animal has the tools it needs when its natural habitat is allowed to thrive. Human beings have been able to thrive on Planet Earth until the population has reached billions.
Some might argue that earlier peoples did not thrive and were wiped out. While it is true that some populations are no longer on the Planet, all who have lived as a part of a tribe have had an opportunity.
Some groups are no longer on the Planet because others conquered and destroyed them. Some were deprived of light or sustenance because of natural disasters. In modern times, greed of one sort or another has resulted in huge numbers of deaths.
War comes about because of greed, for power or money or territory. Governments who suppress the power of the people are greedy for power and control and, often, riches. Those who can kill others easily do it out of a sense of superiority over others and are greedy for a position of pride.
Many people on Earth in 21st Century Societies are greedy for what they don’t have – riches, power, control, freedom, pride. These people are distracted from what is really important.
When one seeks to live one’s purpose, one finds that collaboration with others supports thriving in life.
For some people struggling with survival, they have been put into that position as a direct result of some other person or people and greed.
Homelessness is not the natural state. Even in Nature, orphaned babies of one species are often taken in and raised by a mother of another species. Humans are meant to be communal and to support each other but, when greed gets in the way, people can end up struggling to survive.
Don’t think that you can thrive by pushing someone else to the brink of survival. Those who believe that this is acceptable will learn exactly what the rules of karma are.
And if you are surviving then it is your work to live your purpose and thrive.
Make the choice to thrive and all other choices become clear.
And so it is.”
The Divine Feminine guide us into position so that we can take an honest look at the life we are leading, especially as it relates to living our purpose, the reason we incarnated on Planet Earth at this time. We were meant to thrive!
There are so many ways to merely survive – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. And, yet, we are conscious beings who have the ability to create our world with our thoughts.
What if we become ‘Conscious Creators’ and focus our intentions on thriving? What if we decide that it is important to help others not only to survive but to thrive? Can you imagine the energy that is generated when that becomes the focus of our thoughts and behaviors?
Thrive because you have found your purpose. Set your sights beyond mere survival and Live Your Richest Life.
Many of my clients are doing ‘okay’ in their life but they feel that there is something more, something calling to them. A book to write, a program to start, a foundation to create, a new product to develop. For some it is the search for peace within so that they are free to live the purpose they know they were born to manifest. Mere survival is not what drives them to thrive!
But it is important to clear the way, to get rid of those blocks that prevent the energy of ‘thrive’ and throw us into the energy of ‘survive.’
Reaching for the higher purpose brings a joy, a peace, an excitement that creates a beautiful energy in which to thrive! Accept that the Universe will help you to survive and jump on the bandwagon to thrive!
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: Surviving or Thriving?
Rosemary’s “Two-Minute” Video for this Week: Surviving or Thriving?
MONDAY’S POEM: Medusa
This past Friday I started another Qigong class; I’m offering a morning class for those finding it difficult to make it to my Monday evening classes. I am enjoying these opportunities to share one of my loves, ancient Chinese wisdom, the Tao and Qigong. Today I mix up a bit of the East with the Greek to explore common understanding.
Medusa
Death to Life.
Composted negative energy
Through the death process
Creating positive energy.
Vital Life Force – Qi!
Medusa’s dark blood births
Pegasus, the Flying White Horse:
Instinct, wisdom, imagination,
Intuitive understanding – Vital Life Force.
Flying Wood Horse Year,
Pegasus rising from Water Serpent,
Medusa. Negative to positive, dark to light,
Death to Life.
©2014 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
A Topsy-Turvy Week!
Remember my lesson for the year I mentioned yesterday? Yeah, it was patience. And I got another test of it today. I’d like to think it was a “final exam” but I know better!
The “slide” of the week began about a week ago with the Full Moon on Valentine’s Day. We’ve been in a waning moon cycle ever since; and the energy of the week has seemed to wane as well. How have you experienced the week?
On Sunday Rosemary and I each had excellent experiences with a Shaman friend who led a wonderful workshop. I felt the afternoon session was well done, interactive, experiential; just the kind of workshop we both enjoy. But later that evening and well into Monday I felt down and in a dark place. I had some shadow work to do. I’m not sure if I got in touch with some negativity during my shamanic journey that I wasn’t fully conscious of, or if I simply had some issues to work through.
Fortunately I did work through them and by Tuesday I was on an upswing. I had a reasonably productive couple of days mid-week. Maybe the lessons of patience in the school of Love were getting a bit easier.
Ha! Don’t be deceived. True there are times when life gives us a break and lightens up a bit on the steady stream of the lesson plan. But never for long!
Thursdays are the days we produce Rosemary’s weekly Ezine, her MuseLetter which we publish early every Friday morning. Our goal is to work on this through the week, but we usually procrastinate (we are both Leos after all!) and leave it all to Thursday night. We shoot a video, process it, Rosemary writes the article, her Mystic Message, and the news article. And I format produce and publish it through our email application. (Oh, and I usually write this blog post as well.)
Yesterday was the usual full day so we began the Ezine with the video shoot at around 7:00 pm. Then I began processing the video using iMovie, as usual. Whoa! Nothing was “usual” about iMovie! I did vaguely remember processing an automatic update to the app a few days ago and thought nothing of it. But when I opened the app I didn’t recognize it. Wow, I’ve seen make-overs before, but this is a whole new model.
So, I’m back in school, learning how to process movies all over again. And I failed my first exam, badly! I could not save the video after I had processed it. At that point I was swiftly escorted into my next lesson in patience! I wasn’t even sure I would be able to recover until Rosemary suggested using her Airbook. Yes, it still had the older version of iMovie! Back to the familiar! So, another hour or so later I finally did get the video processed.
The lessons just keep coming. In my discussion with Rosemary on this whole subject of school and lessons she said two things happen as we learn: 1) we immediately get tested on how well we’ve learned; and 2) the lessons then get harder.
It’s about growth, evolution in consciousness. And Apple seems to be pushing the limits of my growth through patience!
I hope you can take a recess from the School of Life this weekend!
Men and The Goddess 