Seasons of the Soul

Spring and Emergence

 

 

In spring we are faced with beginning again, and in the process, seeds we plant are fraught with possibility and fragility. Have you ever noticed that spring flowers are the most extraordinary shades…the youth of color? In early spring, pale colors burst forth with fresh intensity and as spring moves to its midpoint and later its nadir, colors are deeper and more enduring. One of the things I note about spring is the hope and warning implied, for in our enthusiasm to begin again, to recycle, we may be brash or hasty, and in spring, the bloom is tentative.

Farmers never count the potential harvest as they watch the fruit trees budding in spring, for weather is unpredictable now and a harsh wind can come at any moment to blow the buds away. So too, for us, spring is filled with possibilities, but they are tentative and will take time for refinement and corrective action that the unfolding months provide. This is a season in which we must cultivate with care, for out of the many ideas, opportunities or desires, only a few will find root and come to fruition later.

Spring is a season in which festivals of fertility take place…to insure the birth, the harvest, the fruitful union. It is in spring that many cultures celebrate sacrifice and resurrection, and although death is part of that process, the focus is on birth and rebirth.

So this is a season in which to move forward with caution…to allow our eagerness to emerge and our optimism to be refueled. The long nights are over and we are moving toward the fullness of our plans for the year. In spring we set the intention. We begin the process and test the validity of our ideas, calibrating as we go. Like the farmer, we do not count what our harvest will be, because we don’t have all the information as of yet. We are the potential and must weather the unexpected storms that may come to challenge the bloom of possibilities.

Thoughts to Ponder

 

 

“It's easy to get lost in endless speculation.
So today, release the need to know
why things happen as they do.
Instead, ask for the insight to recognize

what you're meant to learn.”

~  Caroline Myss ~

 

“Just for today, allow yourself to embrace all that you are every moment.
Know that you are a vessel of light. 
Allow yourself to release all doubts about your ability,
the mistakes of the past, the fear of the future.”

~ Iyanla Vanzant ~

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.

 

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.

Consciously Becoming Conscious of Being Conscious

 

 

 

 

Recently, I have heard the same statement about why we are here from two different sources. It got my attention and I determined it was important to explore and share. We are spirits coming into a material experience to become consciously conscious of being conscious.

We act upon life and life experiences affect us. We can go through the process on automatic pilot, reacting to events and perceived hurts and joys, or we can become an observer observing ourselves. And when we go beyond observing ourselves to observe ourselves FROM a place of consciousness, and reacting IN that state of consciousness, we are unified. We have come to a fullness of the inner and outer selves, reflecting the same light and truth rather than being a “house divided,” driven by emotions or desires.

The seemingly separate parts no longer need feel separate. It is at home within the cradle of consciousness—at one with Itself. From this space of emptiness or fullness, depending on how we want to describe it, nothing is lacking. We have and are everything we need. There is no longer a necessity to protect our individualized view or to be better/worse than anyone else because we see ourselves as extensions of the same consciousness.

When we flow within that field, we attract situations that affirm unity—no matter what they look like on the surface. When we are out of that state, which we might even call a state of Grace, we are at odds with whatever comes our way. Duality breeds suffering, and all spiritual texts are given to help us unravel the mystery by giving us clues as to the purpose of the journey. This is a journey without distance because it is an inside job. However, we may have to go through a lifetime of experience before we recognize the gifts given along the way to bring us closer to consciously being conscious.

Being consciously conscious doesn’t mean that life events stop happening—it means that we are not BOUND by them. Bondage comes through attachment—and once we realize that everything we experience is purposeful in the sense of furthering our soul growth, we can let go of expectations, anger, and self-righteousness or hurt. We are no longer tethered by limiting or inflated thinking—we flow into the unified field and are conscious of being conscious. The trick to this is recognizing that we are indeed spiritual beings having a material physical experience.

When we recognize the eternal nature of spirit, we are no longer afraid of an ending because there is none. We flow within the river of Consciousness, realizing it is from where we came and to which we return—not by death alone, but by intention.

When we consciously choose to tune in, we are Home. It is not a physical location—not a distant exotic place—it is within our Being and requires the marriage of head and heart in ultimate union.

As each one of us becomes consciously conscious of being conscious, the world takes on a different appearance. We indeed become co-creators in this adventure called life, and we can in deed all create a garden of splendor—a Heaven on Earth. It’s all a matter of choice and remembrance.

We will have times when we are truth, be it ever so fleeting. And then we will forget and fall away. But Home is everywhere present. It is just a heartbeat in distance—waiting on welcome to pull us to itself/ourselves once again.

In this New Year—let’s do those things that help us achieve conscious awareness. Let’s take the steps needed to move towards wholeness and holiness. Just imagine what a blessing we can be!

Dark, Dawn, and Faith

 

I’m a night person—so I often miss the early mornings, but at 6:00 AM I had to drive my daughter and her husband to the airport. It was dark and crisp as we left for the airport, and as I drove I noted that there was a definitive feeling of newness about the day. After dropping them off, I turned homeward, and the dark began to lighten. The sunrise was spectacular from the east and there was a feeling of a fresh start. As I drove, appreciating the beautiful coloration in the sky, I was reminded of a saying by Tagore that “Faith is the bird who sings in the dark, knowing the dawn will come.”

This is the message in winter, and the new dawn of each morning. The promise is there for us—everything is waiting in potential, and it’s up to us to seize the opportunities, to make something beautiful of each precious gift this life provides. The bird sings in the dark. It does not wait for the light—it welcomes it in song. There is no doubt or inhibition in the bird. It does what it was created to do.

How sweet the sound of our harmonious endeavors and efforts to bring out the best of ourselves without fear or hesitation. How pleasing that must be to our Creator.

There are so many metaphors we are shown in symbolism related to what life is and what opportunities are, yet we often ignore them or think them quaint sayings from the past, rather than taking them to heart and acting on what they point us toward now.

On this day, in this moment, I find my voice and greet the day without hesitation—this glorious gift of creation!