Archive
Know Thyself – Tools for Self-Knowledge – Richard’s Commentary
As I was writing my “morning pages” today I realized after a couple of paragraphs that I was writing today’s post and commentary on Rosemary’s Exploration article. I began my pages, as I often do, writing about the passage of time; here’s my entry:
We are running out of Leo fast; and then August. Everyone seems to be noting how fast time is now passing.
Of course it is all perception – as everything is. One effect on our perception is the amount of information we are bombarded with moment to moment. 24-hour news, FaceBook, email, the never ending stream of websites and blogs is literally overwhelming. When we are overwhelmed we can go into a spin, a dive that seems endless, frightening and high-speed. Time melts away in the dive – it almost feels like a death-defying dive!
And it is all perception! The only reality is of our own making, our own perceiving. To change our reality all we need to do is change our perspective. And this is a matter of intention and attention.
It begins with intention: what is going on inside. If we feel we are in free-fall, take a breath, maybe two, deep cleansing breaths, and then put the brakes on. Stop the fall. Sink into the dantien (the lower abdomen area) and breathe there. It is possible to float here. And as we float we can get a sense of flow, of going with the flow. The current doesn’t have to be a raging rapids; it can be a slow, lazy summer river taking its time in search of the sea. It can take on any speed we give it because this is our reality. We can imagine it to be any rate of flow we desire!
It’s good to take time out of a busy life to slow the pace. There really is no place to go. There’s nothing to do. Oh, OK, there are chores of life, tasks we set for ourselves, responsibilities we sign up for and lessons to learn. But we can be and breathe through all of these.
The “being part” is the witness who rides above all of the rapid pace, the wild passage of time, the endless stream of information. Rise up to that level and watch it all. How serious does it all appear to be – how real? How important?
From that vantage the passage of time seems almost irrelevant. Yes, we have our lessons to work out, our karmic Lesson Plan. Here’s where attention comes in. There are external influences that come to play in our lives. We have other people’s perceptions to take into account and to process. When we pay attention we can see and learn the lessons these interactions hold for us. This is a matter of shifting our perspective from “encounter” to “classroom.” We shift from “other” to “mirror” – how is this person mirroring me, my interactions and my behavior?
Inner perspective, intention, and outer perspective, attention, are always relative, which means they are adaptable, transmutable. The simple technique of using breath to do the adapting is all that’s needed. One breath can stop the fall, gain a fresh perspective and shift reality.
I have moved now well into my birthday month, working on my 70th year! To many, and sometimes me, this sounds old! And from this perspective that time is speeding up, I may not have much time left! So, I take a breath and try this on: “70 is the new 50”! Ah, that’s better and about how I feel! And soon enough 100 will be the new 70!
Rosemary asks: Have you explored tools to help you understand where you are coming from? What about where others are coming from? Do you value the differences in how people approach learning, or life, or do you expect everyone to see things as you see them? To listen and to hear exactly what you hear? To feel the way you feel?
My answer, as it is for many things these days, is “I practice Qigong.” Breathe deeply and gain a new perspective on your “reality.”
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: Tools for Self-Knowledge-What’s in Your Toolbox?
Rosemary’s “Two-Minute” Video for this Week: Tools for Self-Knowledge-What’s in Your Toolbox?
FRIDAY’S POEM FROM “RHYTHMS AND CYCLES” – Undefining
My word for the week has been “transparency.” I’ve worked with this notion a bit more and reached a deeper understanding of the meaning of “undefining” as it applies to oneself, the ego, the persona we so often hide behind.
I’m putting this poem, which came from my ruminations on transparency, into my “Rhythms and Cycles” collection because I believe as we grow and evolve as humans we go through a cyclic process of trying on costumes, masks, personae to see how they fit and feel. And then, as snakes shedding their skins, we grow out of them, beyond them and reach for a new way of being. We are in a constant state of becoming; notice the rhythms of becoming in your life!
Undefining
Let all masks, personae, identifications fall away.
Rise above all definitions that seem to fit, to feel good.
Let the “costumes” fall to the floor, around your feet.
What remains?
Stand naked, transparent,
Unashamed and unabashed
By the true essence of self you stand within!
There is nothing here but you…
And nothing between that you and all else:
Others in community, the Universe.
You meet here in that All:
The unmasked, unadulterated, Universal All…
The transparent water drop,
Naked, alone, pure light
Blends into the Ocean of becoming.
Nothing remains but bliss…
©2014 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Trim It Up!
You can trim your hair. You can trim your waistline. You can trim the bushes by the front door. But do you ever think about trimming what is surrounding you in your life?
Sometimes we assume that something, some person, or some situation, must stay with us simply because it is already in our life. The truth is that you can eliminate whatever does not serve your personal growth or your highest good.
What relationships in your life are you holding onto because they are long-term and familiar, even though they no longer serve your growth? Are you in a job that feels as if it robs you of joy but you feel that you need to go there every day anyway? What possessions do you surround yourself with that steal your energy because they require so much care or space or attention or money to maintain?
The list of questions to ask yourself goes on and on. Maybe it’s time for a trim.
Do you ever find yourself indulging in negative self-talk, the kind where you put yourself down or tell yourself that you are not good enough for something? Self-talk is another candidate for a trim.
What about beliefs that are holding you back? If you have unconscious beliefs that you made as a child they may be keeping you from the forward momentum in your growth that you desire for yourself. You can clear limiting beliefs and trim the ropes that hold you back.
When a client tells me a story, I am listening not just for the content but also for the way they are telling the story. The language gives me a lot of information about the meaning behind the story they are telling. Often the ‘trimming’ occurs when I suggest a different way to language the story. You can trim away the old energies and move beyond the way you habitually interacted with those facts. This is a huge benefit to someone who wants to leap forward in their life but feels their story is holding them back.
Just as Spring Cleaning is a way to clear the clutter – in the house, the closet and the mind – this Summer Trimming is called for when subtle or insidious forces are acting on us and our growth depends upon our trimming away what is holding us back or keeping us stuck.
Look around at what is in your life and make a conscious choice to keep it or discard it. Sometimes this requires a painful choice, but your personal growth depends on it.
The guidance I am receiving is that we have no time now to pussyfoot around. We are focusing on growth, on expansion, on moving into deeper territories where we live the examined life, not an unconscious one. If you have relationships, situations, ‘stuff’ that doesn’t support you, that you feel holds you back or, worse, is toxic for you, then it is time to trim that out of your life.
Think of the big tree that has all those dead branches trimmed off so that now all of its energy is focused on new growth. Think of how freely you’ll breathe when you’ve trimmed away the weight of the dead branches that are hanging on you!
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.
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Crystals and You
A message from The Divine Feminine about Crystals:
“Dear Ones,
The Crystal Kingdom on Earth contains many molecules that have come to Earth from other parts of the Cosmos. These molecules are carriers of multi-dimensional wisdom whose time has arrived to be shared with the people of the Earth.
Not all people alive at this time are ready to hear the Wisdom of the Worlds as transmitted by these crystals, and, so, they will deny the value or, indeed, even the idea of crystals as messengers. They will dismiss crystals as ‘new age fads’ or ‘just fancy rocks.’ When you hear this from a person, or if you feel this yourself, know that this attitude comes from a fear of the challenge of personal growth. If you are connecting to these words then, Dear One, you are ready for personal growth through a personal relationship with the Crystal Kingdom.
We will not give you here a compendium of theories about crystals and their physical, spiritual or emotional properties. There are many sources for material on these topics. We will, however, tell you here how you are to interact with crystals to gain the most benefit from them.
To begin with, the crystals that are available to you have traveled to you from many distant locations on Planet Earth as well as some that traveled to Earth fairly recently from beyond her atmosphere. All of these crystals, whether they began on earth or are sourced from elsewhere, are the Crystal Children of Mother Earth.
Crystals carry in them energies given to them by Mother Earth, either from her core or through her atmosphere. Just as a human baby became ‘a human’ by taking its first breath of Mother Earth’s atmosphere, so, too, did crystalline structures that came from elsewhere in the Cosmos become Children of Mother Earth when she kissed them as they traveled through her atmosphere. The crystals that have grown within Mother Earth are being birthed into the service of her human children as they are appearing above ground to work with Mother Earth’s human children.
This work with humans is to help them grow in their understanding of themselves and of how the Cosmos works.
In your home, place crystals where you feel they want to be. Choose crystals by using your intuition, by paying attention to how you feel when you hold a crystal or view a picture of it. Notice if your first impression is that a certain crystal ‘appeals’ to you, or that you keep finding yourself being drawn to it, or picking it up and not wanting to put it down.
Choosing a crystal is the first step.
Choosing where to place the crystal is the next step. Do not criticize those who would use a crystal ‘for decorative purposes only.’ They may not know or appreciate the deeper properties of the crystal but it will share its benefits with them even if only at an unconscious level.
If you are ready to connect with, to communicate with a crystal, then hold it in your hand or place it near/on your body and dialogue with it. Learn what its message is for you. Be aware that it may take several visits to get the complete message transmitted and that there might be additional messages from the crystal at a later date.
The crystal will let you know where to place it. If you feel that you haven’t received any information about placement, then set it down wherever you choose. It will be the right place. And be prepared to move crystals around when you feel like doing so.
There are many theories about clearing crystals and we would tell you to choose whatever method feels right to you.
At another time we will teach you about crystal grids and their energy.
Go now and learn from your crystals.
And So It Is.”
The Divine Feminine via
A FRIDAY POEM FROM RHYTHMS AND CYCLES – “The Molt (Molting by the Light of the Moon)”
Tomorrow is the full moon in Capricorn, when the moon is exactly opposite the sun, still in Cancer. As always I pay close attention to the moon’s cycles; she and her movements around the Earth affect us in so many ways. I like to be aware of these influences, not to look for excuses for my feelings and behavior but to understand them and modify them as appropriate. Sometime it can be like shedding a layer of skin!
The Molt (Molting by the Light of the Moon)
The great moon swells
To her fullest magnificence.
She takes on all we have to give her,
Stripping us of the surplus, refuse.
It can be a painful time
Of loss and grief, of letting go.
Like snakes in their skin, crabs their shells,
We twist and scratch to transform.
In the midst of the molt
We are left wounded and vulnerable.
This is a rough and dangerous time
To release the old and trust the new.
And then we crawl out
Into the light of the Full Moon
Stiffening shells, thickening skin,
Armoring once again our New Self.
The shadows recede
Hiding no longer the threats once held.
The night sky bright light encouraging,
We stand taller in new Minds.
©2014 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
MONDAY’S POEM: The Unfamiliar
I sense we are in a transition period. I’m feeling a bit betwixt and between. We are just moving into June; spring seems behind us, yet it’s not yet summer. Some graduations are behind us, yet, many are still in school. We are well into the New Moon, yet it is just now showing on the Western horizon just after Sunset.
It is within this transitory energy that I came across a poem I wrote under similar circumstances several months ago. If you are feeling a little unsettled, perhaps approaching some as yet unknown transition, you too may resonate with this.
The Unfamiliar
Different, strange,
Dark, peculiar,
Low energy,
Unfamiliar.
Rest in this new
Environment.
Take it easy,
Let it ferment.
Adjustments come
To all who wait.
There is no rush,
Just hesitate.
Relax, just be;
There’s time to know
And when it’s right,
There’s time to go.
©2014 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: What’s Your MESSAGE?
Each of us is put on Planet Earth for a reason. We have someone important to BE. Our Soul agreed with the Souls around us to play a certain role in every interaction. When you figure out who you came to Earth to be, your message to others grows out of who you are BEing.
How often have you been caught up in DOing so much that you haven’t have time to think about anything except putting one foot in front of the other and getting through the day? Happens to everyone occasionally. But if you are living your daily life like this you are missing your own message, to yourself and to the world.
Sit with yourself for a few minutes and ask yourself these two questions:
1) What is MY MESSAGE to the world? And, then,
2) Am I living MY MESSAGE in my daily life?
Bob Sima, a transformational musician, has a great message for his latest CD – Put a Little More Love in the World – and Bob lives his message as he travels around the world sharing his amazing music. Everyone who encounters his gifts knows that he is living this message.
Are you clear about YOUR MESSAGE? Do you know what you want to tell the world? Think about what you would say if you knew this were your last day on Planet Earth. What would you broadcast on a radio show to the world that day? What would you want the rest of the world to know, to ponder, to act on?
What do you feel about the gifts you have been given and how you are sharing those in the world? Are you living your message?
When you ask yourself these two questions you start to glimpse how you fit into the bigger picture of what is going on in 21st Century Earth life.
You HAVE a message to share, based on your gifts, talents and purpose. Your responsibility to all those other Souls is to crystallize that message and get it out into the world. You don’t have to write songs to share your message. Live it first!
You don’t have to be famous or have a radio show or write books to share your message to the world. I think of our daughter who is an Occupational Therapist and who works with infants and toddlers with challenges, coaching the parents on how to interact with their children in the most beneficial way. She LOVES those kids with all her heart. Her message to the parents is to bring out the best in the children through love and knowledge of what to do.
Every one of us is a child within an adult and we are looking for someone to help us to be the best we can be. If your gift is to help another person and you continue to hide or to avoid reaching out because you aren’t sure of your message, then you are not serving in the highest way that you are meant to serve. If you are seeking help and don’t know where to find it, look inside yourself to your own purpose, gifts, and talents. Share your own message and you will attract others who have the very message that you are seeking/needing to hear.
Live your message this week. Ask for help if you need to get clarity on what your message, purpose, gifts and talents are. Other Souls are waiting for you.
PS: If you are struggling with your “message” why not ask for some help to seek clarity? Rosemary has a special offer running through May to help you find how you “fit in to the bigger picture”! Send her an email to explore options: Rosemary@TheScientificMystic.com
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: What’s Your Message?
Rosemary’s “Two-Minute” Video for this Week: What’s Your Message?
PS: Do you know your “message”? Are you looking for clarity? Rosemary is offering a very special “spring cleaning” opportunity to work with her. This offer is only available through May. Send her an email to explore this opportunity: Rosemary@TheScientificMystic.com
Men and The Goddess 