"I have no quarrel with the Christ, only with his priests, who call the Great Goddess a demon and deny that she ever held power in this world.
At best, they say that her power was of Satan. Or else they clothe her in the blue robe of the Lady of Nazareth...
Truth has many faces and the truth is like the old road to Avalon; it depends on your own will, and your own thoughts, whither the road will take you, and whither, at the end, you arrive in the Holy Isle of Eternity, or among the priests with their bells and their death and their Satan and their Hell..."
-Marion Zimmer Bradley
Friday, December 30, 2005
Thomas Berry
Here is another good author. I just finished his book The Dream of The Earth.
It was Awesome.
"As a pioneer in the field of spirituality and ecology, Thomas Berry has created a quiet revolution. He is a monk, a cultural historian, an author, a teacher, and a mystic.
He sees his life work as waking us up to that sacred story. He calls us "mad" for the way we are despoiling our home, our planet, its beauty, and its living systems. He is a force that reminds us that we are living through the greatest extinction spasm of the past 65 million years. We are the ones responsible. Berry urges us to change our ways.
He reminds us that "we are not a collection of objects but a communion of subjects." His values are rooted in this sacred cosmology which includes the entire natural world. The mountains, rivers, birds, fish, all living organisms are not there for our use but for a union which is needed for us to become who we are. As Berry says, "I am not myself without everything else."
It was Awesome.
"As a pioneer in the field of spirituality and ecology, Thomas Berry has created a quiet revolution. He is a monk, a cultural historian, an author, a teacher, and a mystic.
He sees his life work as waking us up to that sacred story. He calls us "mad" for the way we are despoiling our home, our planet, its beauty, and its living systems. He is a force that reminds us that we are living through the greatest extinction spasm of the past 65 million years. We are the ones responsible. Berry urges us to change our ways.
He reminds us that "we are not a collection of objects but a communion of subjects." His values are rooted in this sacred cosmology which includes the entire natural world. The mountains, rivers, birds, fish, all living organisms are not there for our use but for a union which is needed for us to become who we are. As Berry says, "I am not myself without everything else."
Tibetan Monks
Happy Campers!!!!!!
The chanting of the Tibetan Monks is legendary. For centuries these devoted spiritualists have studied the art of meditation and vibrational medicine. They are masters of Mind-Body-Spirit principles.
They are so happy and fun loving! They find beauty and joy, and meaning in every little thing.
The depth of their chants is a truly moving experience. You can feel the sounds resonate right through the core of your being. It is awe inspiring to listen as they create multiple tones from deep in their chests.
One important principle of Buddhist meditation is to create an "Inner Smile". Try this. Set an intent of sending out compassion to everything and everyone you encounter, and hold that inner smile all through your day.
It takes a conscious effort and a degree of practice to keep it going all day, but this discipline will bring you great reward.
Namaste!
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Sam Harris
Sam Harris is the author of the international bestseller, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason.
The End of Faith won the 2005 PEN Award for Nonfiction.
Sam Harris is worth reading.
(My thanks to Adam Ash for recommending the book.)
The End of Faith won the 2005 PEN Award for Nonfiction.
Sam Harris is worth reading.
(My thanks to Adam Ash for recommending the book.)
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Visions of Hope
The new year is here, and thus it is a time to reflect on the past,
and create visions of hope for the future.
I reflect here, on My Country.
We have divided and debated long enough.
My vision for the future is one of Unity.
Not unity of ideas, or beliefs, or politics,
Not a Unity of "Us" against "Them",
but simply the Unity of our constitutional foundation.
Let us join hands in The Great Melting Pot,
and celebrate our diversity.
Let us praise the Free exchange of ideas.
Freedom of Religion
Freedom of Speech
Freedom from Slavery
Let us pursue happiness in 2006,
and strive to build a better world for our children's, children's, children,
and beyond.
Let us each look into the eyes of our adversaries and search for common ground.
Let us fill our well with peaceful compassion from which all are welcome to drink,
and refuse to add fuel to the fires of hate.
We all want to win,
but win what,
and at what cost?
LOVE is the most powerful tool,
the most potent weapon,
the most meaningful path.
It requires the greatest of all discipline to do this.
LOVE is not a weapon for sissies, or cowards or hotheads.
It is the act of sheathing the sword in the face of the dragon,
of denouncing ego and pride.
More often than not, it requires the ultimate sacrifice.
Let us search for the hero's and heroines with the strength to wield Loves Power.
They are our great hope.
Let us find the hero within each beating heart
and create Visions of Hope for the future.
and create visions of hope for the future.
I reflect here, on My Country.
We have divided and debated long enough.
My vision for the future is one of Unity.
Not unity of ideas, or beliefs, or politics,
Not a Unity of "Us" against "Them",
but simply the Unity of our constitutional foundation.
Let us join hands in The Great Melting Pot,
and celebrate our diversity.
Let us praise the Free exchange of ideas.
Freedom of Religion
Freedom of Speech
Freedom from Slavery
Let us pursue happiness in 2006,
and strive to build a better world for our children's, children's, children,
and beyond.
Let us each look into the eyes of our adversaries and search for common ground.
Let us fill our well with peaceful compassion from which all are welcome to drink,
and refuse to add fuel to the fires of hate.
We all want to win,
but win what,
and at what cost?
LOVE is the most powerful tool,
the most potent weapon,
the most meaningful path.
It requires the greatest of all discipline to do this.
LOVE is not a weapon for sissies, or cowards or hotheads.
It is the act of sheathing the sword in the face of the dragon,
of denouncing ego and pride.
More often than not, it requires the ultimate sacrifice.
Let us search for the hero's and heroines with the strength to wield Loves Power.
They are our great hope.
Let us find the hero within each beating heart
and create Visions of Hope for the future.
Monday, December 26, 2005
Magical Moments
Last night it was was my turn to offer deep, prolonged, personal sacrifice to the Porceline God, after nursing my daughter through it the night before. In case it's been awhile, I must remind, that a certain coordination is required when one goes at this activity full tilt.
At the peak of my projectilepassions, the electricity went out.
Flashlights, candles, a family huddled around the fireplace for warmth;
telling stories,
making shaddow puppets,
and a really fun game with the whole family aiming thier flashlights for me each time I ran for the bathroom.
The juice came back on about three hours later. Dad and kids went off to bed. I stayed on the couch.
In the morning, I found my daughter sleeping on the floor next to me. She snuck out of bed with blanket and pillow because she felt that she should be near, to take care of me.
She put her hand on my forehead, gave me a cup of ice and said "Its almost over mommy. Tommorow your stomach will hurt, but you wont get sick any more. Here drink this."
"Thanks Doc." I replied with love and respect.
My son bounded down the stairs. "That was FUN in the dark last night! Can we do it again?"
At the peak of my projectilepassions, the electricity went out.
Flashlights, candles, a family huddled around the fireplace for warmth;
telling stories,
making shaddow puppets,
and a really fun game with the whole family aiming thier flashlights for me each time I ran for the bathroom.
The juice came back on about three hours later. Dad and kids went off to bed. I stayed on the couch.
In the morning, I found my daughter sleeping on the floor next to me. She snuck out of bed with blanket and pillow because she felt that she should be near, to take care of me.
She put her hand on my forehead, gave me a cup of ice and said "Its almost over mommy. Tommorow your stomach will hurt, but you wont get sick any more. Here drink this."
"Thanks Doc." I replied with love and respect.
My son bounded down the stairs. "That was FUN in the dark last night! Can we do it again?"
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Friday, December 23, 2005
A Quantum Theory on Life
Do you know what’s great about Quantum Physics?
It brings together the ideas of religion, philosophy and science.
Quantum physics teaches that when we break up atoms to see what they are made of, we find these little energy blurbs called quarks. Quarks are made of pure energy. They are constantly blinking in and out. They might be blinking in and out of time, across the past and the future. They might be changing from positively charged energy to negatively charged energy. Or they might be blinking in and out of existence all together. We don’t know.
What we do know is that they are made of pure energy, and that everything that exists in the universe is created from this source.
Think about that. The air you breathe, the chair you sit in, the books you read, and you. You are made of this energy.
All of the universes in the heavens and everything within them are a giant dot pattern of these little vibrating blips of energy. Nothing separates this from that. We are all ONE.
So the result is that:
The atheists are right. Science does hold the answer.
Western religion is right. The eternal God does live within us all.
The Taoists are right. We are all ONE.
The worshipers of nature are right. The divine does exist in everything.
The theory of Yin and Yang states that First there was the Yin and the Yang, and from that sprang the ten thousand things.
If we interpret the yin and the yang as the blinking of the quark, then they are right too.
What we need to do is stop debating the differences between our ideals, and start looking for the commonalities.
When it comes to philosophical differences, I guarantee that you will not find two people on the planet whose ideals are identical. Everyone will have their own nuances and twists because we all see life from a unique perspective. No two people ever born were exactly identical to each other. We are all different. Every snowflake, every flower, every blade of grass has its own individual qualities, just as do our ideas.
So rejoice, and connect to the energy of the divine! We are all ONE.
The Human Virus
According to data from The United Nations, World Population Prospects, Anthropologists date human history back about 3 million years. They estimate that in these early hunter gatherer periods, the world human population hovered at around 10 million people. The population grew to about 300 million by A.D. 1, and then sprinted to one billion during the industrial revolution. The exponential growth of humans in the twentieth century was astounding. We entered the era with 1.6 billion souls, and exited with a count of over Six Billion People!
Deck the Halls with What?
We had a great Yule Party two nights past.
But last night, the gifts began to arrive.
First Little Bailey started vomiting, Then Natalie, then Alex...
If my calculations are correct, my family will be decking the halls within the next 24 hours.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
But last night, the gifts began to arrive.
First Little Bailey started vomiting, Then Natalie, then Alex...
If my calculations are correct, my family will be decking the halls within the next 24 hours.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
A life of Service and Compassion
I was watching the Barbara Walters special on Heaven, when my little boy got out of bed and wanted me to play.
"Not now honey. Go back to bed. Mommy wants to watch this show."
The Dali Lama was telling Babs about living a life of service and compassion. Heaven is right here and now for those who do.
His words made me stop.
I turned off the TV, went to my son and playfully cuddled under the covers. It was yummy good fun.
His smile made my heart glow, in that way only a mother knows.
Heaven.
Right Here and Now.
"Not now honey. Go back to bed. Mommy wants to watch this show."
The Dali Lama was telling Babs about living a life of service and compassion. Heaven is right here and now for those who do.
His words made me stop.
I turned off the TV, went to my son and playfully cuddled under the covers. It was yummy good fun.
His smile made my heart glow, in that way only a mother knows.
Heaven.
Right Here and Now.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Doctor Doctor Gimmie the News
When I arrived at 11:15 for my 11:15 appointment, the receptionist was on the phone instructing another patient to arrive on time for her appointment, and to call to reschedule if she was going to be late...
...
...
...
...
forty minutes later, I was still in the waiting room, and when I had the Gaul to say "excuse me, but, my appointment was for 11:15" the little blonde with the chart put her hand on her hip, rolled her eyes and indignantly said "We are running a few minutes behind."
"Three is a few my dear. That's expected. This however is unacceptable."
"This IS A Medical office." She said while rolling her eyes. "You can reschedule if you want."
(Add a piece of gum and some big ball earrings and she could have passed for Mrs. ZWhiggins on the Carol Burnett Show.)
"I will wait five more minutes, then I am leaving. I have a schedule to keep too."
So they take me in a room. The snippy blonde wants to get my pulse, weight, and blood pressure.
"I thought I was here to consult with the doctor about the results of my sleep study?"
"Im supposed to do this to everybody. And I have to ask some questions too." She said with a big case of attitude.
The questions were repeats of the ones that I had answered on a form I filled out the last time I was there. This was to be my last visit to this office, as the sleep study was complete, so I can not imagine how my current pulse had any revelance other than to show this woman just exactly how irate I was.
"Wait here the doctor will be in to see you in a moment."
I recalled that the Doctors office was in another building on the other side of town, and that I had never seen him here at the sleep clinic. I also recalled my phone call with the receptionist:
"The study results are in. Can you come in Monday so we can order your [stupid acme sleep contraption?]
"shouldn't I discuss the results with my Doctor before you purchase this machine? How do we know that I need it?"
"Oh....(sigh) you want to see the doctor?"
"Yes, Please."
Then there is a knock on the door. In walks a man in a white coat, stethoscope around his neck, medical chart in hand.
"Im here to go over your results."
He starts in telling me what's in the file, and getting me all buttered up to think I need his silly air machine.
He also wants to prescribe Parkinson medications to me for restless leg syndrome.
"How exactly does this medication react in the body."
"Well, we not sure, but it stops restless leg."
"What causes restless leg?"
"We're not sure."
"So you are just treating the symptoms without any knowledge of the cause or any data on the long term effects of this drug?"
"It seems to work."
He wants to tell me about how all people stop breating for certain amounts of time while they sleep, and where I fall within the range, and how this "Forced Air Breating Machine" will make me feel rested and young and wealthy and even popular!
I on the other hand, simply wanted to know about my heart condition...you know, the reason my doctor sent me there in the first place.
He didn't know nothin bout that Scarlet.
I then notice the name tag hes wearing: Physicians Assistant.
O.K. Now, I'm Postal.
I got up to leave.
"Please forward the results to my primary physician."
"wait, don't you want your machine?"
"No thank you. I've wasted enough of my time today."
"O.K we'll send it to him."
"Her." I corrected, with a forced burst of hot air.
...
...
...
...
forty minutes later, I was still in the waiting room, and when I had the Gaul to say "excuse me, but, my appointment was for 11:15" the little blonde with the chart put her hand on her hip, rolled her eyes and indignantly said "We are running a few minutes behind."
"Three is a few my dear. That's expected. This however is unacceptable."
"This IS A Medical office." She said while rolling her eyes. "You can reschedule if you want."
(Add a piece of gum and some big ball earrings and she could have passed for Mrs. ZWhiggins on the Carol Burnett Show.)
"I will wait five more minutes, then I am leaving. I have a schedule to keep too."
So they take me in a room. The snippy blonde wants to get my pulse, weight, and blood pressure.
"I thought I was here to consult with the doctor about the results of my sleep study?"
"Im supposed to do this to everybody. And I have to ask some questions too." She said with a big case of attitude.
The questions were repeats of the ones that I had answered on a form I filled out the last time I was there. This was to be my last visit to this office, as the sleep study was complete, so I can not imagine how my current pulse had any revelance other than to show this woman just exactly how irate I was.
"Wait here the doctor will be in to see you in a moment."
I recalled that the Doctors office was in another building on the other side of town, and that I had never seen him here at the sleep clinic. I also recalled my phone call with the receptionist:
"The study results are in. Can you come in Monday so we can order your [stupid acme sleep contraption?]
"shouldn't I discuss the results with my Doctor before you purchase this machine? How do we know that I need it?"
"Oh....(sigh) you want to see the doctor?"
"Yes, Please."
Then there is a knock on the door. In walks a man in a white coat, stethoscope around his neck, medical chart in hand.
"Im here to go over your results."
He starts in telling me what's in the file, and getting me all buttered up to think I need his silly air machine.
He also wants to prescribe Parkinson medications to me for restless leg syndrome.
"How exactly does this medication react in the body."
"Well, we not sure, but it stops restless leg."
"What causes restless leg?"
"We're not sure."
"So you are just treating the symptoms without any knowledge of the cause or any data on the long term effects of this drug?"
"It seems to work."
He wants to tell me about how all people stop breating for certain amounts of time while they sleep, and where I fall within the range, and how this "Forced Air Breating Machine" will make me feel rested and young and wealthy and even popular!
I on the other hand, simply wanted to know about my heart condition...you know, the reason my doctor sent me there in the first place.
He didn't know nothin bout that Scarlet.
I then notice the name tag hes wearing: Physicians Assistant.
O.K. Now, I'm Postal.
I got up to leave.
"Please forward the results to my primary physician."
"wait, don't you want your machine?"
"No thank you. I've wasted enough of my time today."
"O.K we'll send it to him."
"Her." I corrected, with a forced burst of hot air.
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