Seasons of the Soul

Piercing the Veil

While browsing through an edition of a Sounds True Catalog , I found a great little interview in it with Sophie Burnham, who wrote A Book of Angels. She speaks of investigating love and surrender as linked with mystical experience, and there is one part I wanted to share with you because I think it speaks so well to what this whole journey is about.

The question is posed to her:  In your work with mystical states and experience, you use the phrase ‘piercing the veil.’ What do you mean by this phrase? She answers that it is a metaphor for the separation between our physical world and the invisible spiritual world surrounding us. She then goes on to add...

"Now we can also look at this invisible world in psychological terms. It isn't independent from us, but is actually encased in the cells of our bodies. Jung said, 'When you know the Self, you know God.' The interior journey leads to the essence of our selves. And the essence of our selves is pure love - vulnerable, unconditional, without any defenses or barriers. Then you build up barriers to protect that vulnerable, trembling, quivering soul - quivering with love. And then you forget how to reach it again. So piercing the veil is also an interior piercing, piercing the veil that we place over our hearts."

Well said!

Conscious Answering

I hadn't noticed anything for a while when all of a sudden the wellspring of observation was refreshed, and while driving, I heard portions of a program with Carolyn Casey on NPR (if you haven't heard her...she is WELL worth listening to). There was a discussion about becoming conscious of ourselves in relation to earth consciousness, and one caller asked how we could be conscious amidst the demands of daily work in an office. The guest mentioned that he has written a book called Field Guide To the Soul, wherein he gives exercises to do at the office that allow for consciousness to flow.

He mentioned that for him the telephone is a great disrupter of equilibrium. So rather than allow it to remain so, he decided to make a concerted effort each time the phone rings to let it ring three times and do deep breathing between each ring. He said that act of conscious remembrance created a deep calm in him and has made a major difference in his reaction on the phone and in the office.

Soon after he started doing this, he noticed that one of his secretaries would come into his office and sit by his desk on her breaks. He asked her what was up. She said that it was so peaceful in his office that she just wanted to hang out there. He said that was a real confirmation that his practicing of presence did indeed make a difference, not just to him, but to others as well.

As I listened to this, I was driving home from downtown, and realized how often I just zip around from point A to point B without really being present in my surroundings. I made a conscious effort of noting the ground and the trees and the sky, and suddenly I wasn't out of my body just navigating by rote, but was participating and being conscious as I traversed the terrain towards home. It felt good. The trees were healthy and green. They held out their arms in welcome. The road was sturdy and provided smooth pavement for me to travel on, and the sky, well...what can I say. Radiant Blue. A picture postcard rather than a mindless blip, because I took the time to be aware of it and appreciate the gift I am given in being part of this earth and part of this picture!

Jasmine, the Surrogate Mother

In 2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog.. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had clearly been abused.

 
 In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a Greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock and known as a willing haven for Animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need.

 
 Geoff and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved.

 
 They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home.
          

 
  
    
    
  But Jasmine had other ideas.  No-one remembers now how it began, but she started welcoming all Animal arrivals at the sanctuary.. 
It wouldn't matter if it was a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, any other lost or hurting Animal, Jasmine would peer into the box or cage and, where possible, deliver a welcoming lick
          

 
  
    
    
  Geoff relates one of the early incidents. "We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee.  Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them."

 
 "But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them and it helps them to not only feel close to her but to settle into their new surroundings.
          

 
  
    
    
  "She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose."

 
 Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary's resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and 15 rabbits.

 
 And one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, 11 weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster mum role. Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the Roe deer with affection and makes sure nothing is matted.
          

 
  
    
    
  "They are inseparable," says Geoff "Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other.. They walk together round the sanctuary.

 
 It's a real treat to see them."

 
           

 
  
    
    
  Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. 
She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next orphan or victim of abuse.
          

 
 
 
    
    
  From left, Toby, a stray Lakeland dog; Bramble, orphaned Roe deer; Buster, a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; Sky, an injured barn owl; and Jasmine with a Mothers heart doing best what a caring Mother would do.

Conformity and Authenticity

I was walking with a friend in the hills one Spring morning, and all around us the wild flowers were in exquisite and full bloom, unlike anything I'd seen before. The amount of rain we had during that winter transformed us into a southern version of the northwest, and the wildflowers were absolutely breathtaking.

While viewing them, I saw row upon row of a yellow variety of daffodils. They created a carpet of color that was quite attractive. And in the midst of all this yellow, one plant with several magnificent deep pink/red flowers shot up between them, its individuality quite remarkable. It was such a reminder to me that in the field of life, conformity may be appropriate in many ways, but it is also good to be that authentic flower that bears its own colors amidst a field of sameness. There is a place for conformity, but ah…the beauty in differentiation! Diversity. Contrast. Uniqueness.

There was room in that field for many more flowers of different colors. They would only have added to its splendor!

From Seasons of the Soul print edition 1997

Birds of A Feather

This Spring , when you see geese heading home after the winter…flying along in V formation…you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way.

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
  
When a goose falls out of formation it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone…and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.
  
When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing, and another goose flies point. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep their speed.
  
Finally…(and this is important), when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gunshots, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.
    
We can learn a lot from geese!

Walking the Labyrinth

Years ago I had a strong prompting to learn about the Labyrinth after reading an article in a magazine about a labyrinth at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, modeled after the Labyrinth on the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France.

Walking the Labyrinth is a transformative experience that I have shared with many people who have been curious about its purpose. It is also a focal point in my novel, Vision of the Grail.

In keeping with my desire to acquaint you with sacred opportunities, the following is a description of the Labyrinth and its function from the brochure put out by Grace Cathedral.

“The Labyrinth is an archetype, a divine imprint, found in all religious traditions in various forms around the world. By walking a replica of the Labyrinth, laid in the floor of Chartres Cathedral around 1220, we are rediscovering a long-forgotten mystical tradition: the walking meditation.

"Three stages comprise the walk: the first (until you reach the center of the Labyrinth) is shedding - a releasing, a letting go of the details of your life. It quiets the mind. The second-Illumination-is when you reach the center. You are encouraged to spend as much time in the center as feels right. The center is a place of meditation and prayer and a place to receive what is there for you to receive. As you leave, following the same path out of the center as you came in upon, you enter the third stage - Union - which is joining with the Divine, your Higher Power, or the sacred healing forces at work in the world. Each time you walk the Labyrinth you become more empowered to find and do the work for which you feel your soul is reaching.”

I can attest to the validity of these statements, for the experience in the church and the meditative walk was very enlightening. Everyone’s experience is different and there is no right or wrong way of walking or receiving from the labyrinth. You get what you need when you’re there, and you may receive something entireley different on your next visit.     

Since this article was written in 1996, many churches have created Labyrinths, so check on google.com to find out where one is in a locale near you. It is a very interesting experience when you focus on taking an interenal journey as you walk the circuit.
    
If you want more detailed information about the Labyrinth, you can read, Walking a Sacred Path: The Rediscovery of the Labyrinth as a Spritual Tool, by Lauren Artress, available online or  in most bookstores.

Maya's Song

By Betsy Appell ©2009

The night Maya was born to Tama, the clouds sent down sheets of rain, masking Tama’s tears. The sky shook with thunder, drowning her screams. The night Maya was born, her mother died. Tama was a queen, beloved by her tribe. Maya slept with the mother elephants of the tribe. The mother elephants were very sorry for Maya, because she had no mother, and because she had no song.

In this tribe, at its birth each elephant was given a song by its mother. This song was said to be the very soul of the elephant. The tribe would sing an elephant’s song on its birthday, at events honoring that elephant, and at its death. Maya’s mother died before she could give Maya her song. As Maya grew older, the elders remarked on her kind and silent way. She was gentle and loving and, like her mother, honored by her tribe. But as the time drew near for Maya to take her mother’s place as queen, the elders decided that without a song Maya could not be queen. She must, they decided, go out into the world to find her song.

Maya left in the early morning. Although she was just a little elephant, already she seemed to move in shadow. Everyone watched her go, alone down the clean earth path that traveled to places no one had dared go.

Maya came first to a great tree of birds. They were, each of them, full of song. “Please,” Maya said, “I am looking for my song.” But the birds did not respond. Each sang out loudly, as though it were trying very hard to be heard. Maya’s ears began to hurt, and she moved on.

After a day she came to a river. As she drank from it she heard a mosquito hovering near her ear. Mosquitoes whine, she thought. They have a song.

“Please,” Maya said, “I am looking for my song. Can you help me?”

“Hold still,” said the mosquito.

Maya decided that this was not the place to find her song, and moved on.

On the third day, Maya came upon a great lion.

“Please,” she said, “I am very tired. I am looking for my song. Do you know where I can find it?” The lion let out a great roar that echoed beautifully throughout the valley and across the hills. But Maya was not afraid. She was only sad. She had come to find her song, but what she’d found was that everyone else had a song and no help to give her. The lion, seeing that she was not afraid, saw her sadness and was touched by it. He said to her, “you have a song, little elephant. But you must get quiet enough to hear it.”

And so she did. Maya sat still for three days. She did not move. She did no speak. She opened her great ears and her heart and waited. And after three days, she had found her song.

On the seventh day, she returned to her tribe. Everyone gathered around her and she said, “I have found my song. To hear it you must get very quiet.” And they did. No one moved. No one spoke. And in a short time they heard Maya’s song.

The wind rustled through the trees. From far off there was the call of birds. The stream ran hard and steady. And the sweetest of all was what came at intervals, the best representation of Maya - the perfect peace in the pause between sound.

 

 

The Questions Are Important

So many of us long to find the answers to our questions. We want to know right now. Yet, the need to take action prematurely can cause us to miss magnificent opportunities for growth and depth in our development. In a book I recently read, Fearless Creating, author Eric Maisel states that any work of art requires a period of anxiousness. In the following excerpt he talks about this process related to art, but the process can be applied to any major creative dilemma in life. He states:

“In order to bind the anxiety that naturally arises when one doesn’t know, an artist may determine to know anyway. The landscape before her is not held as a fantastic problem or a great mystery; instead, she knows what to do. She knows that if she puts down a wash like this and twists her brush like that, decent bushes will appear in the foreground. One sure way of binding anxiety is reflected in this knowing.

“But the artist who is more interested in creating deeply than in ridding herself of anxiety will refuse to know too soon. She will remain with doubts, worries, questions, and the burning desire to realize herself. She will courageously refuse to bind anxiety by knowing too soon, refuse for the sake of her art and for the sake of truth and beauty to reduce her encounter with the landscape to a matter of familiar technique and experience, beneath any surface calm, an internal war. All that not-knowing, all those doubts, all the sense data flooding her from without and within! This is the chaos of working, the necessary chaos that must not be avoided by too much knowing.”

The tendency for many of us to obtain the answer NOW releases the pressure and masks the appearance of an issue because we have “settled” it. This can be a dangerous illusion, and as a good friend wrote to me recently, in his experience “the deepest of questions are often mean and ornery; yet, in the longer run, are spiritually so inviting, potentially golden and ultimately fulfilling….hasty answers prematurely cut off great and noble questions before they naturally come to bloom. A true answer is only identifiable when the question is totally exhausted.”

From Seasons of the Soul print edition 1996

Remineralize the Soil

Years ago I met a wonderful person named Don Weaver whose mission in life is to re-mineralization of Earth’s soil. This rare human being radiates love and light in such a way that you just know his purpose has value. Beyond that, however, is a striking series of studies showing that our soil has been depleted as a result of overproduction, use of fertilizers, and reliance on pesticides. Food value is diminished as the soil has fewer minerals to impart, and our life systems are weakened as the earth is neglected.

Weaver found glacial and river rock as well as other forms of rock to be an antidote to the loss of mineralization. Pulverized rock in powder form can be ordered with ease and applied to a garden with amazing results. An article in the San Francisco Chronicle stated that crops grown using powdered rock as soil enhancement yield consistent fruits and vegetables of outstanding quality, taste, and nutrient value.
Plants of all kinds that are grown in these naturally enriched soils resist disease and pests because they are superbly healthy. Through re-mineralization, the soil revitalizes and exudes an aliveness that was formerly lacking.

Anyone who is sensitive to earth can see a noticeable difference, and if you believe in nature spirits, these are the gardens they love to play in, for here is the true honouring of Mother, the Earth. Companies such as Odwalla Juice and Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley use produce from rock dust gardens. Both have excellent products.

You can obtain information about rock dust by going to www.remineralize.org . They have a list of places to obtain rock dust and also carry Don Weaver's book, The Survival of Civilization, which gives further insight into the growing dilemma of plant and planet survival for those wanting more information about this issue.

As we plant our gardens for summer, it is an excellent time to renew our soil as well as our souls!

From Seasons of the Soul print edition 1996

More Thoughts to Ponder

*One does not make friends.  One recognizes them.
*Leadership Principle:  Organize, Deputize.  And supervise.
*Horse sense is what keeps horses from betting on what people will do.
*Even on the springboard to success, you have to bounce a little.
*The best that great teachers can do for us is to help us to discover what is already present in ourselves.
*Comfort comes as a guest, lingers to become a host, and stays to enslave us.
*Clarity is not a thought process but a way of life.
*When you fall in a river, you're no longer a fisherman; you're a swimmer.
*There is only one degree of difference between hot water and steam.
*How exciting are your dreams?  Most people don't aim too high & miss - they aim too low & hit !
*Ever tried.  Ever failed.  No matter.  Try again.  Fail again.  Fail better.
*The world belongs to the enthusiastic, and people will follow them anywhere.
*If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.
*Accepting life's gifts is simple and effortless when we stop dictating the terms and conditions for delivery.
*Don't think of it as failure.  Think of it as time-released success.
*Love is the final end of the world's history, the Amen of the universe.

~Author Unknown