Seasons of the Soul

Change

 

Why is it that change is so difficult for many of us? When we think of change, we are either excited or fearful. Change implies movement in our lives. It implies that the way we have viewed life and the considerations of life are now undergoing alteration. It means that we will have to adapt, adjust, and in many cases...grow! And sometimes we don't want to. But life by its very nature gives us a guarantee that change will be part of the process. We cannot always live in summer, because the seasons shift. And with the change of season, we have the opportunity to wear different clothes. As our life brings change, we have the opportunity to develop different attributes.

For some people, the antidote to problems is to change circumstances, change relationships, change jobs. The idea that constant change will bring solutions is the opposite and equally misconceived notion as resisting change. The purpose of change is to introduce new elements that stimulate growth and movement. However, after change we enter a settling period where roots are established in whatever the new state is. Life is a continuation of a multi-part process, whether we resist it or not. In this process change is one portion.

There are many examples of our resistance to change and the opposite. As teenagers, we often cannot wait to be 21. We want to hurry up so we can be "legal." After we have achieved that goal age is a change that many of us would rather forestall or not have to deal with at all. There are changes in our lives when the children grow up and move out. There are life changes such as marriage, birth, divorce, and death. Life is not static. It is continuously changing.

So how can we open ourselves to receiving the benefit of change? First of all, we need to recognize change as our ally and not our enemy. If we understand change as a signal that we have completed a level of growth and now need to move to the next level, we can be more accepting of it. Sometimes change is the catalyst that finally moves us from an entrenched position in life. It "blasts" us out of our rut. So we ought to be aware of the messengers of change. Are they in the form of opportunity, or do they come in the form of unwelcome guests? If they are the latter, we may want to review our life prior to the "change" and ask what clues were presented to us that we continued to resist. Once change is imminent, we need to determine how we can flow with it rather than resist it. What can we do to prepare more fully to embrace what it offers, and how can we use change to our advantage?

Change is a process we need to befriend. It is a vital part of life, like wind. By working with the changes that occur in our lives, we can overcome a tendency to resist or impede the life force as it moves forward. Whether the changes appear to be fair or not, they are forcing us to expand our awareness and the way we interact with some portion of our life. By embracing change, we open ourselves to exciting possibilities!

Forging Our Link With God and Establishing Trust

 

When someone comes from a wounded background, it is not always easy for that person to forge a direct link with God. Therefore, the need for intercessors and intermediaries may be appropriate. We often see ourselves as somehow lacking when we need to ask for help, but in truth, we are all lacking at times...and we do need help.

As an individual is in the midst of deep pain, their own natural capacity to reach straight up to their sense of God may be impaired. They have been weakened. It is at that time that the idea of a savior is very helpful...whether it be a religious figure or someone who is a point of balance and light to the person. The other acts as the conduit...the battery charger...that helps the wounded soul find their way back to union with God. And often it is more accessible and personal for someone to find a living light or to put their faith in someone they can identify with who has been human at one time. It is far more abstract to move into direct union to a God that has no human form. So...the Christ, the gurus, the many conduits to God are valid. They hold a place of importance in the process of reunion. And they do not indicate weakness...but become a framework for identification that allows the wounded soul to replace wounding parents or care givers with someone from whom they feel unconditional love and in whom they can have unconditional trust.

This is one of the reasons why people are so distraught when a religious figure or teacher "falls"...for they have taken over a role of perfected being. When they give in to the same human weaknesses that the devotee has, it becomes an act of betrayal that jeopardizes the link between heaven and earth. It is a serious breach of trust.

In this sense...the concept of a Christ who was crucified is the perfected vision of a savior, because he withstood all temptation and allowed himself to be nailed to the cross as a final act of redemption for all humankind. In this image, there is no room for disappointment. The ultimate sacrifice was given...one's life...for the future light in the world. The Christ became a living light through crucifixion and redemption...and that he moved in full form after death was a reminder of his indestructible nature. For Christ in essence AND form became a pure living light. And it is the purity of that image that allows followers to hold on to his example without fear of disappointment. There is nothing to disappoint. Christ became the ultimate conduit to God.

The notion that Christ is the only conduit to God is simplistic. He is the only recorded example of a full sacrifice in love to God. The human sacrifice became a divine sacrifice, because in essence, God was saying to humans..."you may feel crucified by me, but here I give you my own Divine child and crucify him as well." It isn't personal. It isn't selective. Crucifixion becomes part of the life experience...the earthly heritage. And yet, we are shown that beyond crucifixion...there IS resurrection... and we are born into a body of light, not gross form.

Earth - A World of Contrast

 

We live in an environment of duality in order to recognize the variations of a theme. Earth, being a school of contrast, is neither bad nor good, but rather a learning environment in which we have opportunities to challenge ourselves, our level of understanding, and to refine our character

We see things that appear to be against life and against the good of all because we are each in different places within our lives....and that term is used advisedly...it is just that. We come to this realm much as the movie Groundhog Day demonstrates. Again and again we get to see the effect of our actions. We get to refine areas of misunderstanding by dealing with issues that call upon us to take another tack...another direction. We are tested periodically in life to see if we are paying attention and to recognize the level of our achievement in recognition of ourselves as part of a unified whole instead of distinct and disenfranchised parts. The illusion of separation fuels acts of alienation or self-protectiveness, when in reality there is nothing to defend and nothing to protect because it is all an arena of contrasting experiences that help us to define who we really are.

If we look at nature as a wise teacher, we see that there are seasons as a natural part of life. Each has distinct markers and lasts for a particular period of time. Just as we have the promise of new life in spring, we have the completion of it in autumn and a time of seeming emptiness in winter. Yet, within each season lay the seeds of contrast that bring about the continuing journey to the next. Nature does not shrink from itself....it expands and retracts and always opts for new life as seasons change, and provides the nourishment that once again activates the urge to life.

When humans separate themselves from the cycles of nature and the interlinking that nature provides in land management, pest control, and species control, they stray further from the great teaching that is at hand right before them. Humans seemingly come into this realm with a veil over their eyes...removing a greater truth that is in plain sight, but is missed because it is so obvious.

We see the need in humans who have lost the connection to unity to create pockets of specialness in order to bolster their sense of entitlement or worthiness. In this separate space, tribalism, religious intolerance, gender bias, and dominion over everything deemed inferior takes place. It is a result of a fear based mentality that believes in scarcity, and that there is something to protect and something to defend when in actuality, the very act of defending and protecting creates separation between oneself and the greater Self of all.

Where does the air stop? Where does the earth stop? It is a circular living being with atmosphere and soil...earth and sky...water and land. Yet, all of earth must work together in harmony for continuity of life and for the health of itself and its inhabitants. All species save for humans work within this system of reciprocal usage and respect. However, humans seem to be a species that was seeded by some alien culture that saw something on the planet to exploit. Even if that is so...that we were the creation of genetic engineers from a different planetary system that sought to find ways of mining this rich planet, it doesn't matter. From a soul perspective, we are here to refine our nature. We are here to become what is held in potential for each of us once we remove the veil and look with respect and appreciation for everything that is provided and all that is given. We don't have to pay for air. It is given freely. Water has also been provided, as has food. These are the absolute necessities for life, and they are given to us without regard to who we are or what we have done. Yet, as exploiters, those who take impose their will on those who don't. And this cycle of taking without replenishing goes on until a time of crisis is reached when the alarm bells go off and human beings are forced to note that doing things the same old way does not work. A day of reckoning is at hand. Hence, Groundhog Day.

Moving up the scale of vibrational frequency, we ascend from fear and survival to gradual interlinking with others who hold our same view, to those who may have different views, to accepting differences, to finding commonality with those who heretofore we have not understand, to opening our invitation to understanding, to include animals, plants, trees, soil, water, all of life as a communal cup. We are all part of this vessel and our interdependence becomes clouded as we stray further from the concept of live and let live.

When we have defiled to the point of accelerated collapse, we see that we cannot do it alone or the way we want that infringes on the rights of others...including our earth. And then, in crisis, a new reality is possible. We shift frequency and move up the scale to the heart where compassion and love bring the mixture of heaven and earth to fruition. It is here in the heart that we can distill and blend our recognition of being heavenly AND earthly bodies. We merge/marry heaven and earth, and our sense of duality recedes as we stop warring against something external and embrace it instead.

When we no longer look at better/worse, good/bad, righteous/sinful, man/woman, gay/straight, and all the other separating images we feed, then there is an unbelievable movement. We drop out of the line mentality and move into the circle within circles that holds hands with one another and all our fellow life forms. Seeing this, we are relieved of the burden of ownership and recognize ourselves as participants in a beautiful exploration that can be filled with joy, delight, humor, laughter, appreciation and gratitude. We feel the richness of giving rather than taking. We observe the effects of compassion and the waves of delight that we bring with our good-hearted deeds and dissolving of differences.

This is the holy moment that is possible. And this is what earth is about. It is our arena of contrasts wherein a time will come when we move energetically into the crown of our being, having explored and experimented with all the lower vibrations. As a result, our tone will be full and vibrant, and when we combine our tone with those of all our fellow inhabitants on and throughout the planet, a symphony will emerge that uplifts us all into what we were originally intended - a Holy Family of Love.

Going Forward Looking Backward

 

How often we’ve heard that unless we learn from history, we are bound to repeat it. However, there is a problem many of us have which keeps us from moving forward, and that is the tendency to hold on to something from the past that has been a stumbling block, or a failure. We impose the past on the present so that we restrict the flow of what can be for us right now. When we are driving a car, it’s good to check the rear view mirror occasionally to see what is going on behind us. However, if we look in the rear view mirror continuously, we might miss something on the road ahead, or distract ourselves to the point of being dangerous. We know that about driving (or should), but tend to forget that lesson in daily living.

Life is a movable feast. What we experience at 20 or 30 may have a different impact to a similar opportunity at 40 or 50, and by the time we reach 60 or 70 our perspective and insights may be far beyond what we knew in the earlier years when decisions were made with lack of experience. They were our learning curve, and in the process of making right and so-called wrong decisions, we grow and come to see our strengths and limitations as long as we are willing to view ourselves objectively. Realizing that our history can be a tremendous foundation point for the present and future when we make a conscious decision to learn from our experiences, we don’t need to move forward by looking back. We have integrated what we need to know and can keep our eyes steadily on the present goal, trusting that the essence of what we’ve learned previously will help guide our decisions along the way. This keeps us open through faith to new and updated possibilities that will enrich and enhance our lives. Looking in the rearview mirror is good when we have to back up. But in order to move ahead…we must look forward

Parting the Veils

 

 

Breaking waves crash

on the shore

Tension brimming

Veils are thinning

Tides are changing

But what for?

 

Walking through the

labyrinth maze

Anguished people in a haze

Looking for a daily fix

Where none is to be had

 

Alteration, altercation, liberation

Tiny granules forming sand

Tension brimming

Veils are thinning

Eternal law - supply/demand

 

Some will reap

and some will sow

Amidst the chaos

flowers grow

 

The soul does bloom

in light of day

But through the dark

the angels play

and people pray

and life gives way

 

Tension brimming

Veils are thinning

For Heaven is at hand.

~KJ

Full Cup, Empty Cup, No Cup

 

It is really astounding as one ages to watch what you took for granted suddenly disappear. In its place is someone you smiled at briefly in restaurants or felt kindly toward because they seemed so spry for their age. But it was never someone you identified with, because they reminded you of life’s impermanence…of the passing of physical youth, health, and beauty. Yet, that “elder” has become you, and you have no idea how or when it happened! As we grow into advancing years, we’re suddenly confronted with the unavoidable truth: People are born, we grow up, and we die. Emptiness becomes fullness and emptiness again. The flower fades, and so do we. Or do we? It depends on our focus.

As I observe physical changes, I recognize something else. The reason it is all so surprising is that who I relate to inside has always remained the same. When I look at my interior self, there is someone who is no age, no gender – only pure consciousness. It is unmoved by my tantrums, unfazed by events, and surmounts all grief. When I look to this aspect of my self, I find a comforting presence that remains itself no matter what. And in this, I am aware that when we are in full bloom, we are a full cup, and as our physical body deteriorates, we become an empty cup. Yet, when we look at our interior life, we might say that in our youth we are empty, and if we age well, we are full. However, beyond that…inside we are no cup. What remains and what is real is consciousness, pure in essence, without form. Full cup, empty cup – no cup. Ahhhh.

Butterfly

 

In the process of metamorphosis there is a very delicate time of not quite being. The story is told of a man who walks along and sees a butterfly caught within its cocoon, struggling to free itself from the constraints of the protective shield surrounding it. As he watches, the man determines that he will help the little creature free itself, and with his pocketknife very carefully cuts the membrane that separates the butterfly from freedom. As the little butterfly feels the air, it moves its wings, and falls to the ground, unprepared to fly. A bird swoops down, and the butterfly becomes a meal...all possibility of further gracing the world with its unique contribution gone.

 The object lesson is that the cocoon is the protected testing ground where the butterfly must work to prove its endurance before emerging into the world. What appears to be a struggle is the necessary strengthening that builds the muscles and tissues into cohesive wings of glory. And so with us. We view struggle as something to avoid. Yet, it is because we have been tested within the cocoon of experience that we become champions. Without endurance, we are prey to the whims of fate. With strength, we can rise to meet whatever is on our path with assurance that we have the wherewithal to fly. And in viewing another who is also being called to prove their own endurance, we must allow them the necessary time of strengthening without interference, so that they, too, will have wings of glory. Then we can all fly together as an unbroken legion of light.

 

Winter and Reflection

 

 

We tend to see winter as reflective of death, and often something or someone does go out of our life at this powerful time of year. The underworld retrieves that which it gave in spring, the great cycle of return now underway. As the landscape stands stark and colorless, contrast is evident, and we must pick up the palate of our inner world. Rather than deny the dark and cold of the external world, we need to move into the warmth of soul for the illumination we seek.

As projects or loved ones recede, we are given an opportunity to recount ourselves. If we’ve been on a blazing marathon, this transition may be difficult at first, because we have to stop. Winter does that to us. When we don’t pay attention to the subtle clues, the body is under attack.

Winter puts us on notice that everything is exposed. The trees and landscape are pared back, only the sturdy wood remaining through the onslaught of the elements. So we, too, may have harsh weather, and we must bear through it. When it is lovely outside, we have no reason to sit at home and ponder the state of our union, and I have noted in the process of unfoldment that it is important to avoid avoidance. If we insist on ignoring the external signals, winter will bring stillness to our attention.

We live in a society that doesn’t make time for siestas, so we must carve the quiet time…the reflective time, out of our schedule as an act of discipline. And when the pain or hurt or isolation creeps in, we need to find the gift in it, for at the root, winter leads to spring, and it is the quality of our insights bound in winter that will dictate the seeds we plant as the new season unfolds.

The Plumplets

As this new year begins, I want to encourage all of us to use our creativity in whatever way gives us joy and allows for the glorious child part of our nature to come out and play. Creativity takes many forms, and it doesn't matter if what we do is perfect or not  as evidenced by my own work. It matters that we allow ourselves the pleasure of bringing our gifts, talents, and appreciation to something tangible. Creativity and its expression is one of the ways we feed our soul, so as the year begins, here is to CREATIVITY!!

I'm sharing one of the creative ventures I did years ago that calmed my spirit and allowed the little kid in me to come out and play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqTV2dYLsA8