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ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: Look for the Crystals in Your Life
My “Three-Minute” video for the week: Look for the Crystals in Your Life
MONDAY’S POEM: The Crystal Cave
In my meditations I have been doing a lot of traveling lately. There are two ends of the journey, both caves. I wrote about one last Monday. Here’s “part 2” of that poem:
The Crystal Cave
The hollow in the Earth
Is but a gateway to the
Ocean voyage through the
Stars to a distant light
That is just here.
It is a stargate linking
Earth hollow echoing laughter
To the Crystal Cave echoing light,
Reflected light from numberless
Points on the Ocean of Light.
Floating in the very center
Of the Ocean of Light in the
Very center of the Crystal Cave,
Light beings of pure consciousness
Gather expanding their radiance.
The songs of their light echo through
The vastness carrying the
Sparkling ship on its return voyage
Through that stargate to arrive on the
Near shore of the hollow in the Earth.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
I Ching Gua for the New Moon in Sagittarius
There was a New Moon this past Monday, December 2 at 7:22 pm when the Moon moved into alignment with the Sun in Sagittarius. As I like to do during these important celestial events I cast an I Ching Gua, the hexagram of open (yin) and closed (yang) lines. Reading the I Ching each month is a great way to learn this ancient divination tool and offers insight into the shifting energies as we move through the calendar, the wheel of the Zodiac, the Sun’s position as we progress around it and the Moon’s position relative to Earth and Sun. All these incredible influences are at work in our lives whether we choose to believe in astrology or not!
As always the energies and the yarrow stalks I use to cast the hexagram (gua) are in alignment and reveal significant information about how I am relating to these energies. My hope is that you too can relate to the gua, the sense of their meanings and how you see the alignment of your own processes with all these influences that surround you.
Here is the initial gua I cast. Heng meaning “long lasting,” consists of Zhen (thunder, the top trigram) over Xun (wind, the bottom trigram). Notice that the bottom line is a 6, meaning it is a changing line moving from a yin line to a 9, or yang line. This is where the change occurs, remembering that I Ching means the book of change.
Long lasting here means endurance; it can refer to a marriage of long endurance, a mature marriage or relationship. However, because the initial line is a yin or weak line in a beginning place (the bottom of the gua) it may be premature to expect a long lasting situation or relationship to appear. Patience is indicated. Master Alfred Huang, whose book, The Complete I Ching, I use as my main reference, says: “Everlasting relationships take time to cultivate.”
The approached gua, the hexagram that results when the bottom 6 moves to a 9, or yang line, is Da Zhuang meaning “great strength.” This hexagram retains Zhen or thunder on top and replaces the bottom trigram with Qian or Heaven. Thunder here indicates movement and Heaven below indicates strength; together they indicate strength in motion, or “a positive advance for further achievement.” Strength here does not necessarily mean physical strength but moral strength. From Confucius’ commentary on the decision we read:
What is great should be righteous.
When righteousness is great,
The truth of Heaven and Earth can be seen.
Use great strength wisely and cautiously. Don’t overdo it; rely on moral rather than physical strength.
It is interesting to note that for the last New Moon in Scorpio I cast Da Zhuang as the initial gua which then moved to Guai or “eliminating.” (See the November 4 post). The mutual gua for the approached gua this New Moon in Sagittarius is Guai. We seem to be moving in a tight circle about Great Strength!
PS: a wonderful astrologer friend, Gloria Hesseloff, posted this about the New Moon in Sagittarius: This is the time to question our basic assumptions and be open to new revelations and possibilities. It can be so much fun to look at life with new eyes! Doesn’t this New Moon fit so perfectly with the momentous times we are experiencing during this Shift of dire beauty? I love this phrase “shift of dire beauty”! As we examine our beliefs and assumptions the I Ching seems to be telling us to eliminate old beliefs that no longer serve, enter into new beliefs cautiously and let them grow and become long lasting with patience; they will become strong through perseverance.
Rosemary suggests there may be some pain involved in this evolutionary process we are finding ourselves in the middle of. There is always pain in not knowing. And there is so much we don’t know. When it comes to our evolution we certainly don’t know how it’s going to turn out; we don’t even know for sure that the human race will survive the process! But there are way-showers; through the millennia there have been people who emerge as prototypes for where we are headed.
But we are here now; and many are struggling with this angst of not knowing. However, there is hope and Rosemary offers a thoughtful prescription to calm the angst as we move through as standard bearers ourselves in the evolutionary struggle to emerge from the cocoon of our old ways.
Her first remedy: decide what you can control and what you cannot. You may have noticed that this post is late today. My usual deadline for posting is 10:00 am Eastern time. But I needed to make a priority choice between getting the post out and our grandson’s school holiday concert. And backing up from that we had an event at our home last evening that went much later than expected. So I chose these events over sticking to a hard and fast blog-post schedule. I can control my time and my priorities and flow with those choices. And I can significantly reduce my stress level by remaining flexible.
Rosemary’s second remedy: make sure that your spiritual life is on the path that you wish to journey. The event we hosted last evening that ran late pushing my schedule and delaying this post was our monthly Spiritual Exploration Group. Normally we gather this group at a local restaurant, but for this one everyone brought food to share and we visited the subject of Crystals and how we interact with them. One of our members is an extraordinary keeper of crystals and he set up a spiral and grid in our meeting room for this event. I have included a picture here that poorly captures his
creation and the “music” of the crystals. The evening of presentation, discussion and meditation was powerful and moving. The crystal spiral and grid had messages for each of us and seemed to offer support for our journeys.
The third remedy: Stay connected to other people. Both Rosemary and I have building community as part of our soul purpose. Our Spiritual Exploration Group is just one of the ways we are doing this and staying connected. We have brought this group together by invitation; we are very careful to invite those who are curious, exploring, growing and evolving with us. Our motto for the group is “we come together for discussion, not dogma.” We are open to all topics and any thoughts, experiences and observations are welcome. Last evening’s discussion, as an example, was free ranging from the approach to choosing crystals (or they choosing us) to deep meditation on what the crystals have recorded during their long history and what they have to tell us. Everyone had experiences to share.
The fourth remedy: Remember that you are a part of the evolution of all humanity. Holding this perspective is a good way to work through the “agony.” This work is not for the faint-of-heart!
Lastly, you are not alone. We are all in this together! No one can evolve by themselves. And no one needs to suffer the agony of angst alone. Set your priorities, look to the inner, spiritual journey, gather together to share the process and remember the great work we have been called to!
And thank you for doing your part in the work of evolution that all humanity needs at this time!
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: The Agony of Angst
Every so often in the course of human history there comes a period where humans who are awake to the evolutionary energies start to struggle with the cocoons of their lives and move into the process of growing out of old patterns.
This is one of those periods.
And you thought 2012 was the end of the cycle? It was just the beginning!
As all of humanity evolves each person must struggle against the teachings of the ‘old way’ and must create the ‘new way,’ for their own life and for the society in which they live. This is not a simple task nor one to be taken lightly. This is an important aspect of becoming a New Human.
Remember that your Soul, your Spirit, decided to facilitate this particular aspect of human evolution. You asked to be allowed to participate in human life on Planet Earth during this part of the 21st Century. Yes, you asked for this!
And now your work is to participate fully even if you are feeling the angst of the struggle, the upset of the unknown, and the agony of the desire that things were different. Even if it appears that your life is moving along swimmingly and things are wonderful, and I hope that is the case, there is probably a part of you that wishes that at least one aspect would shift to support your continuing personal growth. Or you might be wishing that society would ‘get its act together and resolve some things.’
Many people seem to be struggling with one problem or another in their personal or professional lives. Do you know anyone dealing with disease? Financial problems? Family issues? Career concerns? Any problem, when viewed in the evolutionary light, can present an opportunity for one to become anxious.
The job of the evolving human is to work through what life presents, not to wish away the circumstances one faces.
What can you do?
The first thing to do is to decide what you can control and what you cannot. Look at the next month and set your priorities for your goals and your time. You might not be able to control all of your time in that month but you can start by scheduling time for the highest priority items on your list. Make sure you give them time. Make sure, too, that you leave blocks of time unscheduled so that, when there are bumps in the road, you can handle them without throwing away the rest of your plans.
Next, make sure that your spiritual life is on the path that you wish to journey. Are you paying attention to your Inner Life or are you sinking beneath the obligations of your Outer Life? Where are your priorities? Examine the last few weeks and where you have spent your time. You’ll see what you are choosing to do with your energy. Does it match your honest priorities?
Stay connected to other people. The worst thing to do when you are feeling the struggles of life is to hibernate. Some alone time is beneficial, but you need connections to others to help you see a different point of view, hear advice that can help you shift, grasp ideas that you might not have considered. Find someone or a group who can support you in your personal evolution.
Remember that you are a part of the evolution of all humanity. The energy you are feeling is the same as the growing pains that kids feel when their legs start to grow really rapidly. Applaud your growth and work through your angst.
You are not alone. And thank you for doing your part in the work of evolution that all humanity needs at this time!
PS: Are you feeling angst? Are you agonizing over decisions? You can receive personal assurances from Guides, Spirits, Angels and Loved Ones who have crossed over at Rosemary’s next event: a Conversation with The Other Side,this Friday, December 6 at 7:00 pm Eastern. Click for details
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: Who Do You Believe in?
Rosemary’s “Three-Minute” video for the week: Who Do You Believe in?
PS: Do you believe in yourself? Are you seeking guidance? You can receive personal messages from Guides, Spirits, Angels and loved ones who have crossed over at Rosemary’s next event: a Conversation with The Other Side,this Friday, December 6 at 7:00 pm Eastern. Click for details
Gratitude and Happiness
We just finished one holiday here in the US; some call it “Turkey Day” – affectionately because turkey is the traditional main course for the meal. And we held up our part of the tradition with turkey and all the trimmings at our niece and nephew’s home. It was good to be with the family and I am very grateful to be part of this loving and close extended “Robertson Clan.”
There is a lot of gratitude going around now. I wrote about two of the people I am most grateful for yesterday. My goal is to be grateful and demonstrate that gratefulness every day of the year. As we move deeper into the holidays, already in the spirit of Hanukkah, moving toward Solstice and then Christmas, the 12 Days, a New Year and then Epiphany, I grow ever more excited, contemplative, boisterous, quiet, bustling, restful, high and low. I like this roller coaster ride for the emotions. If I really want to get myself pumped up one of our traditional holiday movies will do it every time.
It is easy for some to remain in gratitude through the holidays. Many give and receive gifts. Our family drew names today for our “secret Santa” gift exchange. We keep it simple just giving one gift to a member of the family and receiving one from our surprise Santa on Christmas Eve. I am grateful we keep the tradition of gift giving and keep it simple; it eases the stress of finding just the right gift for a long list of family and friends.
What are your traditions? Are you happy with them? If they bring stress into your life it might be time to evaluate those traditions and make some adjustments. The rule here is happiness and self-care. Traditions don’t have to be hard and fast rules.
I am on a journey of happiness. I have frequently written here on this blog about transformation. We are on a long road of transformation and it doesn’t necessarily look much like I expected. But I know we are on it for all the bumps and curves coming at us at high speed. Have you noticed?
Is your journey smooth and straight? Are you cruising at a moderate pace, comfortable with the ebb and flow of your life? Be grateful; be happy!
I am adopting the attitude that happiness can smooth out the bumps and open up the tight curves we hurtle toward; and it can even ease the speed. Happiness is a choice. Happiness is a practice. Happiness is the journey. Happiness is the transformation!
As we enter the sometimes hectic, sometimes stressful holidays I am taking Rosemary’s advice: Let’s make this year the year of truly ‘Happy Holidays’ no matter what your personal circumstances might be!
I am choosing this Journey of Happiness! Join me?
Stay Happy Through the Holidays – Richard’s Commentary
Today, the holiday festivities all begin with the day we set aside here in the US to give thanks. I’ve been giving thanks, writing notes of gratitude in my “morning pages” this week. I began my thank you notes, giving deep gratitude for my incredible partner, wife and love of my life, Rosemary. And if you have been following our blogs and reading our posts you know what a talented and resourceful woman she is. Her advice for conscious living and spiritual evolution are profound and creative. And her advice for the holidays is no different! She suggests:
The first step to staying happy through the holidays is to do a realistic and honest assessment of this time of year for yourself.
This may sound superficial but do you move into this time of year with a perspective of staying happy? We have all heard the stories of people who are alone, who dread the holidays because they don’t get along with family, who feel bad because they can’t afford to give elaborate or expensive gifts, who party and drink their way through the season. Perspective is an all-important first step to be happy in every moment.
Next Rosemary suggests:
Consider a new way of operating through the holidays this year.
Everyone around you is struggling with their own life lessons. Somehow the holidays come with Hallmark Cards and Norman Rockwell expectations that nobody really experiences. If you put self-care at the top of your agenda, IT IS NOT SELFISH!!!! Let me repeat that – Self-Care is not being self-ish!!!
Self-Care – in other words, give yourself the gift of looking out for you! Attend to your health, prepare wholesome meals for your celebrations, if you drink alcohol moderate your intake, stay warm and especially keep your neck and throat protected and warm, keep moving with yoga or qigong or another body practice, take time to meditate and if you don’t meditate this season is a great time to start, celebrate the special holidays in your tradition – make them Holy, honor everyone you meet as learning their lessons just as you are – they are you!
Compassion begins with yourself. Taking care of you is taking care of everyone. Recall Rosemary’s question in her inspirational video posted Tuesday: “can compassion for yourself equal compassion for them?” She goes on to suggest:
Look at your calendar for the rest of 2013 and decide what you will do for yourself. Rest. Relax. Pamper yourself. Watch movies that make you smile. Hang out with friends or go on a silent retreat.
As we approach the Winter Solstice, one of those special holidays we celebrate, it is a good time to go inside, to do the inner work of deep winter. The Ancients took this time to retreat, to look inward for the coming renewal. Deep inner work is another way to take care of yourself on the personal level and all others on the global level. This is true compassion!
Coming back to Thanksgiving I took Rosemary’s advice and turned inward to give thanks for me. I am grateful for my soul path, my spiritual journey back to myself, I am grateful for the health and strength to make this journey, I am grateful to myself for making the commitment, I honor myself for my discipline and I am grateful for all of the spiritual teachers and guides that hold me in their love and compassion.
Be grateful for yourself! I am grateful for you because I know you are supporting me on my journey.
Have wonderful, blessed and happy holidays!
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Stay Happy Through the Holidays!
It’s that time of year when the stores seem to reach out to grab you to come inside and spend your money. The meals and parties get you focused on food and drink. You have to make sure you can get to all the events, have the right clothes, the right gifts, the travel arrangements. And for many it is a time of overwhelm.
For others, though, it is a very lonely time. You might be worried about finances and wishing you had more money with which to buy gifts. You might not have any family to visit or they are too far away. You might be looking at the holidays with no plans or parties or meals to attend.
And for a few you might have family gatherings in which to participate that you are not really anticipating with pleasure.
Even those who love the holiday season can have expectations that are not met and, thus, experience disappointment.
Let’s make this year the year of truly ‘Happy Holidays’ no matter what your personal circumstances might be!
The first step to staying happy through the holidays is to do a realistic and honest assessment of this time of year for yourself. Do you really need to buy everything that you usually do? Do you need to put as much pressure on yourself as you usually do? Do you need to attend every party? Every gathering?
What is your energy level now, as the holidays approach? Do you need more rest and self-care than you need excitement and company? Why not choose a different pattern to your holidays this year?
How are your finances? Do you get stressed out by spending before the end of the year and then worrying about the bills in January? Do you buy a lot of gifts because you feel you must instead of genuinely wanting to share?
The honest assessment leads you to understand what YOU need in this season.
Next, ask yourself if you really must spend time with people who upset and disturb you or if you can find time for yourself without that burden this year. This might even be your family. Are you looking forward to seeing them or do you dread the time you spend there?
Consider a new way of operating through the holidays this year.
Everyone around you is struggling with their own life lessons. Somehow the holidays come with Hallmark Cards and Norman Rockwell expectations that nobody really experiences. If you put self-care at the top of your agenda, IT IS NOT SELFISH!!!! Let me repeat that – Self-Care is not being self-ish!!!
Taking care of yourself might be limiting what you spend this season to what you can comfortably afford. Make some gifts. Give away something that’s meaningful to you and share its story with the recipient. Go to bazaars and thrift shops and find unusual items that will delight someone.
Look at your calendar for the rest of 2013 and decide what you will do for yourself. Rest. Relax. Pamper yourself. Watch movies that make you smile. Hang out with friends or go on a silent retreat. If you’re lonely, find a shelter where they need volunteers. If you’re overwhelmed with social ‘obligations,’ decide how to handle the schedule to preserve your energy for the activities that matter most to you. Ask for help if you need it.
Spend some time planning for 2014. This doesn’t have to mean the big New Year’s Resolution list, but pick a theme for the year that resonates with your heart. Delight yourself with your plans. Dream BIG!!!
Remember that everyone around you has something going on in their life that they are having to handle. Take care of yourself so that you can show up fully present to everyone else. Be CURIOUS . This helps to keep you focused on the mysteries and not on what upsets you. Have healthy boundaries. Eat healthy foods. Take care of your own health.
Everyone is doing the best they can with the resources they have at any given moment – even you!
May you truly have Happy Holidays this year!
PS: Need help making it a happy holiday time? Looking for guidance and additional resources from beyond the norm? You can receive personal messages from Guides, Spirits, Angels and loved ones who have crossed over at Rosemary’s next event: a Conversation with The Other Side December 6 at 7:00 pm Eastern. Click for details
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: Find Compassion in Yourself
Rosemary’s “Three-Minute” video for the week: Find Compassion in Yourself
Note: this clip was taken from our November gathering for Satsang.
PS: You too may experience channeled messages from Rosemary. In fact you can receive personal messages from Guides, Spirits, Angels and loved ones who have crossed over at the next event: a Conversation with The Other SideDecember 6 at 7:00 pm Eastern. Click for details
Men and The Goddess 