Seasons of the Soul

Prayer

In recent years multiple studies have been undertaken regarding prayer. The results are stunning. Prayer aids in the healing of others and lifts the spirits of those prayed for.

When studies have been undertaken with plants, animals, and people, the ones prayed for—even at great distance—do much better than those not prayed for. In healing studies, the patients who have been prayed for heal better and have much faster recovery periods. What many have known, science is now validating. And although the process of prayer’s effects are not understood, the results are indisputable.

The power of using our mind constructively—and the power of praying for others—makes a big difference in quality of life, so regardless of our own method, let’s not forget to Pray.KJ

From Seasons of the Soul 2005

Fire the Grid Meditiation: July 17, 2007

I recently read an incredible story about a woman and her son who were swept into a muddy bog and drowned - but were saved by an extraordinary voice that guided the woman on exactly what must be done in order to be alright. Rescuers got her out, but by the time her son was retrieved, he appeared dead, and at the hospital she was told that he would not live, and if he did live, he would be a vegetable because all functions were gone. The voice had given her specific instructions that she must follow to the letter to save her son, and she did. The outcome was miraculous. This is a story well worth reading.

This woman continued having visitations by the voice, and it told about our earth and what we can do to assist in the healing of our great Mother and ourselves. On July 17, 2007 at 11:11 Greenwich time, which translates into different times for different time zones, (4:11 AM Pacific) there will be a one hour world-wide meditation that focuses in a specific manner to do what they call "Fire the Grid", and much like the Harmonic Convergence in 1987, this may be an important opportunity to participate in something that can enhance the quality of all life on the planet.

To learn more about this important event and the story behind it, visit:

http://www.firethegrid.com/eng/home-fr-eng.htm

Summer Plum Crunch

Plums are in now, and this is a great recipe for early summer enjoyment!

Pit and quarter 3 pounds fresh plums; combine with 1/4 cup brown sugar. Spoon into 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch baking dish.

Sift together 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp each salt and cinnamon. Add 1 beaten egg; toss till mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over plums.

Drizzle with 1/2 cup melted butter. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream. Makes 8 servings.

Tribute to a Great Lady

My dear friend, Alix Taylor Robertson passed out of this world two years ago. We had been very close, and her passing was a great loss.I think of her often, and miss her wonderful ways and mystical wisdom.

Alix has left a legacy of work behind that would make anyone proud. Yet, I’m sure she felt to the end that she hadn’t done all she could do. She thought of herself as a "difficult case", and we laughed often about our mutual rebellious attitudes to what we felt we were “supposed” to do.

Alix wrote several books, including her beautiful autobiography, A Door Ajar, and in her last few years turned to poetry. As the date of her birthday approaches, I’d like to share some of them with you here as a way of honoring the lady I hold very dear to my heart.

Rumi
“There’s a field,” Rumi said.      
“I’ll meet you there.”                     
I waited and waited.                     
I watched the corn blowing         
in the next field making its dry   
Rustling sound,                         
And watched the geese               
Walking away from the distant pond.                                           
I even thought I saw a leafturn yellow on the little oak tree.                                                                           Rumi never came.                     
And no poetry sprouted from the ground                                       
Or blew in with the breeze.

The Light
Where are you going? He asked.      
Into the light, I said.                        
Where is the light? He asked.         
It’s around you, around me, ahead of us.                                             
I don’t see it, he said.                      
Keep walking, I said.                     
Can you see the light? He asked.      
Yes, I said. I can see its edge         
And I’m heading for its center.         
How will I ever see the light? He asked.                                             
Close your eyes, I said.

I Heard A Voice
I heard a voice.                                 
It said “Bee”?                                 
It said, “Be.” You know                  
Bees can do things I cannot do.      
They take something from inside themselves                                    
And something from outside—         
The pollen from the flower —         
And make something totally new, 
Totally different, something          
That was not there before.             
I cannot do this. But the voice said, “Be”.                                  
And I threw the doors of my heart open                                              
And light flowed in,                      
And something I did not know was inside                                     
Flowed out like honey.

Impermanence

It isn't good to know too much. It is deflating to the idealist in us who seeks to do good and believes that good will prevail. Yet, after years of observation - and indeed with the reality of life - everything takes much longer to change and often reverts again and again to the lowest common denominator - and in truth, everything dies.

Our good deeds appear to die, our noble inquiries fill us for the moment and help us move through the seeming travesty of life - we make a heady contribution, and then we watch the purveyors of whatever pull it apart or twist it to their own intention. Yet, in spite of it all, we proceed.
I think it boils down to doing what we do because it is innate and instinctive and that is what we do - not because of any outcome. Outcomes dissolve. There is always a new scheme, a new disease - and this seems to be the way of Earth. Impermanence, impermanence, impermanence. So the Buddhists say. Don't be disappointed in the truth. Don't be swayed by events. Just be the presence you want to be.

I have a great-aunt who is 98 3/4 - she points that out very proudly (the 3/4 part), and she has a wonderful attitude of enthusiasm and childlike excitement about things. She looks forward to family gatherings and her one great delight is going to play slot machines once or twice a year. She plays all of $20 in nickels and quarters, but the delight she exudes has the whole family looking forward to these adventures with her.

We are drawn in by her fun loving spirit and thrill at being there. When she is gone, none of us will ever go again. It wouldn't be the same. We'd bring our ho hum minds with us. But for that brief few hours where we indulge her in the joy of pulling slot machine handles and watch the little symbols jump around until they land in one or another position - we are transported out of our knowing and brought into her childlike sense of joy and wonder. And for a few hours the world is gentle, kind and simple. There is something completely innocent and fun about the way she views life.

We hope my great aunt will be with us in this exuberant form for more years. She is our antidote to too much news, too much greed, too much power, too little grace.
It isn't good to know too much. It jades us. Truth is, we will all pass out of this "illusion" into another form or space, and all we will have (perhaps) is the soul qualities we've gathered and expressed while here.

There may be no other grand assignments, but we certainly can take this vital energy that is still ours and put it into things that bring meaning and comfort to us - and perhaps inspire others in the process. Once I realize I'm not going to change the world, I don't have such a burden of assignment. However, I can choose which lens to use in viewing life and pick the one that unifies me.KJ
Seasons of the Soul 2005

Running Through the Rain

She had been shopping with her Mom in Walmart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout.
      

We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Walmart. We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried summer day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall, so I got lost in
the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the  world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child come pouring  in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

     Her voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in ...."Mom, let's run through the rain," she said.  "What?" Mom asked.  "Let's run through the rain!" She repeated.   "No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied. This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run  through the rain."  "We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.  "No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.  "This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get  wet?”  The little girl looked surprised. "Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!"
 

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few  minutes Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will  bloom into faith.

   "Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said. Then off they ran.

      We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I  was one of them.  I got wet. I needed washing.

      Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories...So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday.
    

To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.
Author unknown

Summer Herbal Tips

I buy basil at farmers markets or from Trader Joe’s with the longest stems I can find. I fill a glass with water and put the bunch of basil in it, then put it on my kitchen window sill where it gives a fragrance of basil and is handy for putting in special dishes or salads.  Sometimes the basil even starts growing, and I’ve kept it for as long as two months before it wilts.  You can also clip other favorite herbs and try the basil in water method or let them dry by hanging them. 

Lavender sprigs can be found at farmers markets now and are wonderful air fresheners. If they start to shed you can rub the blossoms off the stalks and put them in a bowl or fill silk pouches or small plastic baggies punched with holes to put in drawers. If you have lavender bushes, be sure to cut the flowers when the buds come out. Trimming  increases  next season’s flower yield. KJ
From Seasons of the Soul 2004

The Gift Within Language

In the latest Mother Jones magazine, there is an article about a forgotten language used by a Native Americans tribe in California called the Maidu. What was very interesting within the article relates to the importance of language, culture, and creation.

We get upset about people from other cultures coming to the U.S. speaking their language in preference to English, but for native peoples, the arguments for language preservation are deeper and more personal. Language, more than any other single human creation, is the living artifact of a culture. Constructed over successive generations, it embodies the cumulative memory of a people’s beliefs and knowledge, their stories, their names for things, the conventions that they use to tell each other about the world.

One young man from the Maidu tribe has used his knowledge of Maidu plant names to unlock the secrets of traditional ecology. The Maidu name for “pine tree” translates as “wind-lessening tree,” indicating that the pine was used to shelter oak trees, thus protecting the precious acorn harvest.

If we would take time to investigate the gifts within different languages we would learn valuable things about our lives. How would we know that a pine tree lessens wind in English? We wouldn’t. But this important link to protecting the food harvest is spoken of through words that represent the understanding and knowledge of people with much longer histories than our own.

In Maidu tradition language was one of the first gifts the Earthmaker gave to beings he created. In other ancient cultures, the gift of language was considered equally sacred.  Language is a link to heritage – a link that reaches back to the creation of the world. KJ

From Seasons of the Soul 2004

The Attractor Factor

For those of you who enjoyed The Secret and have determined that you want to shift your perception to attract the life you want to live, The Attractor Factor, by Joe Vitale, is a great followup.

This is one of the few books that touches all areas of our lives, and offers excellent suggestions for how to overcome blocks, how to determine if what we think we want to do is really in alignment with our internal  wants, and how to achieve end results that give us the story we want to be living. I have been so enthused by this book that I'm going to use it for a course in the near future. Vitale offers a rich Suggested Reading and Listening list in the back of the book, including websites, web courses, healers, mentors and counselors.

If you are ready to enrich your life and shift into a new octave of living, check out The Attractor Factor on Amazon, or visit Vitale's site : www.mrfire.com

Personal Self and True Self

Two birds, one of them mortal, the other immortal, live in the same tree.  The first one pecks at the fruit, sweet or bitter; the second looks on without eating.

Thus the personal self pecks at the fruit of this world, bewildered by suffering, always hungry for more.But when he meets the True Self, the resplendent God, the source of creation, all his cravings are stilled.

Perceiving Self in all creatures, he forgets himself in the service of all; good and evil both vanish. Delighting in Self, playing like a child with Self, he does whatever is called for, whatever the result.

~From The Upanishads,                              
Translated by Stephen Mitchell