Get Your Bearings

"I used to travel on business so much that some days I would wake up and not know where I was or what I was supposed to be doing,” a friend told me. “I became so disoriented that every night before I went to sleep, I would paste Post-its on the hotel TV screen, telling me what city I was in, and who I was supposed to see, when, and why."

We are all like voyagers in a distant city. We came from the world of Spirit to a world that has lost sight of its origin and purpose. It is easy to become distracted by fears and illusions and to forget who we are and why we came.

We must take care to remind ourselves often about our identity and purpose. Prayer, meditation, spiritual study, and uplifting fellowship are like Post-its we can paste on the screen of our consciousness to help us stay on our spiritual track. If you do not surround yourself with reminders of your spiritual nature, the world will teach you that you belong to it, and you will feel lost and alone.

Keep the high watch. Put up inspiring pictures and quotes in your home and office. Listen to music that nourishes your soul. Go to restaurants, movies, and social gatherings that honor the presence of God.

Choose friends who uphold you on your spiritual path. Get regular massage, counseling, or training by persons attuned to higher laws.

It is within your power to build your life on the values you choose, but you must take an active role in staying awake. Step back often, take deep breaths, and check in with your spirit. Any investment you make in your spiritual growth will bless you many times over.

The Whale...

If you read a recent front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle, you would have read  about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down  by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.

A  fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands, and radioed an environmental group for help. 

Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and  determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.

When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them,  pushed them gently around as she was thanking them.

Some said it was  the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.
  
May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.
 
I pass this on to you, my  friends, in the same spirit.
 
It's a good  life!  

The Answer Is You

I have good news and I have bad news:

The bad news is that we have lost the key to the door
behind which the secret of life is hidden.

The good news is that it was never locked.

— Swami Beyondananda

As the story goes... when human beings appeared on the planet, a group of gods got together and decided to play a game. “Let’s hide the secret of life!” one suggested.

“Great idea! ” another agreed. “Where shall we hide it?”

“Let’s plant it at the top of the highest mountain,” one proposed.

“No,” responded another, “people will even climb to Mount Everest.”

“How about at the bottom of the ocean?” asked another.

“No, they will invent submarines.”

On and on the gods pondered, trying to find a suitable hiding place. Finally, one god had a bright idea: “I know!” he exclaimed. “Let’s hide the secret of life inside each person, they’ll never think to look there!”

We remain in darkness when we seek external solutions for internal needs. We believe our problems exist because of causes outside ourselves, and then seek to rearrange the outer world. Even when we succeed, we feel empty because the external situation was not the cause of our pain. To truly be healed we must deal with our experience at its source; our own beliefs, attitudes, and actions.

In their important book, Conscious Loving, Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks put forth the core principle that each partner must take 100 percent responsibility for everything that happens in their relationship and their world.

Empower yourself by identifying yourself not as a victim of circumstances, but as the source of your experience.

The whole game changes when you realize the answer is within you.

Building a Sidewalk That Flows

Shift your sail with the wind. ~ Italian proverb

A friend told me of a time when she attended a conference at a Toronto University, she so enjoyed walking through a huge grassy mall between the buildings. The area was landscaped beautifully, and the sidewalks were laid out in an interesting, irregular pattern.

When she had commented on this to her friend, he told her, “The sidewalks were designed by the people who walked on them. When the mall first opened, the architects did not designate sidewalks; instead they waited for a few weeks to see where students walked. After the engineers determined the footpath patterns, they laid down the sidewalks. They realized that no matter where they put the sidewalks, people would walk where they wanted and just trample the grass. So they decided to save themselves some work and make it easier for the pedestrians.”

The sidewalk designers understood that there is a flow to life, and when we are one with it, we are empowered. When we tune into the energy flow, we can use it to our advantage, rather than struggling to make the world fit into our expectations. The ancient Tao Te Ching, recorded by Lao Tse, is a magnificent poetic instruction book on how to be strengthened by changes.

Jungle lore tells that monkeys learned how to evade capture by making use of ease rather than force. Hunters would put some nuts in a glass jar with a rim smaller than its base. A monkey of inferior intelligence would reach into the jar and grab the nuts, but because the hand with nuts in it was too large to fit back through the rim, the animal would stand there struggling, and the hunter would grab him. The smarter monkeys, however, didn’t reach into the jar; they simply opened one palm and tilted the jar so the nuts fell into it.

If you are trying to clutch onto something that won’t fit into your life naturally, that’s when you get caught.

Accept what shows up, and you are free. Take advantage of the tide of events, and life will support you in ways that you could not manipulate through anxious struggle.

Build on what is, rather than what isn’t, and you will be one with life.

At Faith Value

Faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.

~ Hebrews 11:1

“Hurry up, or we’ll miss the bus!” shouted Paul. The streets of New York City became a blur as Paul, Tom and John jogged toward the bus terminal. Two blocks in five minutes? was it possible?

“You guys go up and catch the bus, and I’ll get the tickets,” offered Tom. They ran up the long escalator, brushing past less anxious passengers. At the top of the ramp, they saw the bus closing its doors. Running full speed, they reached the bus just as it was pulling out of its parking space. They pounded on the door, and the driver let them in. “Can you wait for our friend?” Paul implored. “He’s getting our tickets.”

“Sorry, fellas, I’m already late.”

Paul stepped off the bus, looked toward the escalator, and exclaimed, “There he is!”

The driver rolled his eyes and indicated he would wait. Within moments, Tom showed up, short of breath, tickets in hand. As they made thier way to the back of the bus, John told Paul, “It sure was great that you saw Tom coming; the bus would have left if you hadn’t.”

“That was good acting, don’t you think? ” Paul retorted.

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t see him coming; I only said that to stall the driver. We were lucky he showed up when he did!”

Real faith is acting as if your good is on its way even before you have evidence it is so. Jesus told us to give thanks for the answers to our prayers before we see the results. Faith is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes, and the more power you have to bring your good into visibility. Proclaim your good as if you already have it even before you see it, and you will see it.

Joy Is My Compass

Joy is the most ineffable sign of the presence of God ~ Leon Bloy

Pick out a treat, ” I offered my (at that time) four-year-old at the candy display. Quickly she grabbed a packet of M&M’s with one hand and a Mr. Big chocolate bar with the other.

“You can have only one,” I told her.

“Eenie, meenie, miney, moe,” she counted, finally landing on the M&M’s.

“Okay, we get the M&M’s,” I confirmed.

Immediately, she threw the M&M’s back in the bin and clutched the Mr. Big chocolate bar. “I want this one.”

Within our hearts, each of us knows what we really want. While our mind and emotions may go through all manner of drama and machinations, when we are confronted with the reality of choice, our heart will speak.

Sometimes it is only when we receive what we do not want that we recognize what we do want.

When confronted with a difficult decision, flip a coin and imagine that you will be committed to the alternative the spin lands on. Then notice your gut reaction to the result. If you feel delighted, that is your path. If you are disappointed, go with the other alternative.

Joy is the best compass.

Jesus and Judas

Life is a long lesson in humility. ~ James Matthew Barrie

When Rembrandt set out to paint the likenesses of Jesus and the apostles, he walked the streets of Amsterdam to find men who embodied the character of his Biblical subjects. Rembrandt began with a tall, handsome man who bore the stature and purity of the Christ. Then, after setting the images of the disciples to canvas, Rembrandt was ready to paint Judas, and he searched for a man with a tortured soul. After combing Paris, he found a homeless man sitting outside a store. The man was dirty, unkempt, and his eyes spoke of deep sadness. After painting Judas, Rembrandt thanked the man for his assistance.

“Don’t you remember me?” asked the man.

“I don’t think so,” answered the artist.

“I sat for your portrait of Jesus,” the man answered.

Within every human being is the propensity to rise to the highest of the high and sink to the lowest of the low. That is why we can never judge others for their sins or errors. Given the same circumstances, we might be in exactly their position and take the same action they did. Mother Teresa became a nun when she recognized that “there is a bit of Hitler in every one of us.”

While we strive to be the Christ, we must have compassion for the Judas, who simply played out his role in the Christ drama. In the end, we are not the roles we play. We are the light that animates every soul in the dance we call life.

Life Beginning

The following is an excerpt taken from Alan Cohen's meditation book, A Deep Breath of Life

"When I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 17, I was sure that my life had come to an end,." Edward told the seminar audience. “I hated the chemotherapy, all the medicalese, and the whole arena of sickness I seemed to enter. Sure, my body didn’t feel good, but my Spirit was dying in all those morbid thoughts. Then, one day I was scheduled for chemotherapy when I discovered that there was a Grateful Dead concert the same night. The concert was much more attractive than the chemo, and I struggled with the decision over what to do. I realized that I had lived my whole life trying to please my parents and make everyone happy. I decided that this was my chance to make myself happy, and I went to the concert. Soon my condition was reversed, and I have been cancer free for years. I believe that it was my choice to be kind to myself that made all the difference.”

It is not the years in our life that count, but the life in our years. We may live a long time in a small shell of fear, or a short time in a blaze of celebration. When we follow our spirit and live from joy rather than self-protection, the whole world opens up to us, and we have the power to make our dreams come true.

Cheri Huber declared, “I don’t want to tiptoe through life just to arrive safely at death.” What dreams have you been postponing? What steps could you take now to make them a reality? Do you live from fear or delight? What gift could you give yourself that would remind you that life is beautiful and worth living? Answer these questions honestly, and the road to freedom will be illumined for you.

Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning. ~ John Henry Cardinal Newman

The Orange

On the Jewish holiday of Purim, it is the custom for neighbors to visit each others’ houses with gifts of fruit.

One Purim, three men on a business trip found themselves miles from civilization with but one orange between them. One man took the orange in his hands, held it close to his heart, turned to another man and told him, “My dear Chaim, with this orange I give you all my love, and I pray that God grants you a life of peace and plenty. ”

Chaim appreciatively accepted the orange and faced the third man, telling him, “My brother Yosef, this is a symbol of my deepest thanks for your friendship in my life. I wish you all the happiness your heart desires. ”

Yosef, nearly in tears, received the fruit and turned to the first man. “Beloved Jacob, you are a true man of God. May the angels of mercy walk by your side and return to you a thousandfold all the good you give. ”

Jacob received the orange and, brimming with ecstasy, gave it to Yosef again with an additional blessing. So the three men went on all night, adding more and more love to the orange until their souls were filled beyond measure.

The only gifts we truly have to offer one another are the gifts of spirit. Physical objects are but cups we fill with love. A gift, no matter how expensive, is not a gift unless it is given with sincerity and kindness. Even if our physical means are meager, if we imbue a gift with intention, it will bless the receiver in the deepest way.

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 Excerpt from Alan Cohen's meditation book, A Deep Breath of Life.

Move the Spotlight

If someone in your life talked to you the way you talk to
yourself, you would have left them long ago. ~ Dr. Carla Gordan

I wondered why I had signed up for this expensive astrology consultation. As the astrologer discussed my chart, I found myself feeling bored and impatient. Finally he made an assessment that rang my chimes: “You are the kind of person who, if you did a job with 99 percent excellence, would berate yourself for the other one percent. ” I had never thought about myself that way, but he was correct. The entire reading and fee were worth that insight.

The amount of abusive self-talk we put up with is incredible. We must retrain our mind to spotlight what is working rather than what is not. The rational mind is programmed to search for errors and imperfections. But the nature of the heart is to find what is lovable and expand on that. The habit of fault-finding is learned and, as such, we can re-educate our vision to find perfection. A Course in Miracles tells us that we are much too tolerant of mind-wandering. We allow our fearful mind to run in every which way without calling it to return to sanity. We will have as much insanity in our lives as we allow; we can eliminate it entirely if we choose.

In prayer or meditation, ask that you become aware of patterns of thought with which you hurt yourself: “Poor me,” “Never enough, ” and “Why can’t I? ” are trains of thought that will take you over a cliff if you ride them.

If you read the destination printed on the train before you step onto it, you can choose another train and replace those negative patterns with “Blessed me,” “Always enough, ” and “How can I? ”

We can elect to change all thoughts that hurt.

Instead of being a fault-finder, become a perfection-finder, and quickly the world you live in will reflect your vision.

I find the good because I seek it.

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An excerpt from Alan Cohen's meditation book, A Deep Breath of Life

Becoming

While waiting at a stoplight, I found myself next to a thrift-store truck transporting donated clothing and household goods. On the side of the truck, a huge sign suggested, “If It’s Not Becoming to You, It Should Be Coming to Us. ”

Every person or thing in this world has a purpose and a right place. If you are using and enjoying what you have, then bless it. If it is not working for you or if you don’t use it, pass it on, it has more value elsewhere.

(In the second to last paragraph you'll find an analogy relating to work/career which may in fact resonate more easily with many rather than the next paragraph. And that's ok)

Personally, this resonates with me more through a relationship analogy. Sometimes we may find things no longer work, but we try to hold onto it (sometimes desperately) for very selfish reasons. We, of course, do not see these reasons as selfish, we convince ourselves either through ego or fear that our reasons are justified.

I suggest we ask ourselves if these grips we have on what we feel is 'ours' are in fact based in insecurity; are they truly beneficial or are our grips indeed selfish? Take a step back, look at the bigger picture. Are we really happy, or are we just holding onto that something special because we are just too pig-headed to see the truth? Whether it be an old item, an old pattern, an old habit, an old job or an old relationship, we need to be honest about what it is we hold close so tightly. Perhaps this item, habit, pattern, job or relationship is in fact no longer what we need, want, or use. Perhaps it has lost it's value or may not even work anymore?

Many relationships are in a constant disarray, but they still 'stick it through'. It always facinates me as to the various reasons "why?" when asked. "...because I like/love him/her, ...they/he/she are/is not really that bad, ...every relationship has thier ups and downs, ...all relationships take work..."

But do they?

Do they really need to take so much work? Isn't it suppose to be easy, fluent, and without effort? Isn't connection a feeling, and not a task?

Perhaps I'm a dreamer, but the message resonates - if the relationship is not "becoming" to you, then let it go so that it may be received elsewhere with love. Perhaps it is not working for a reason? Instead of trying to hold on to something out of desperation, set if free, perhaps it's not yours to hold onto.

Ok, now onto the safe analogy:

I once accepted a job with great opportunity for growth and potentially valuable lessons and rewards. I was not happy there. For months I guilt-tripped myself for wanting to leave, and rationalized all sorts of reasons why I should stay. Egotistically, I believed I was doing a better job than anyone else could, and if I left, the company would be bereft. Finally, I got sick and realized I would rather leave and take my chances than wither in the position. The moment I gave notice, I felt free, healthy, and alive again. Later when I spoke to ex-colleagues I realized the the person who filled the vacancy was doing a far better job than I ever did. Out of guilt, I was stealing her job from her and withholding my right work from myself!

We learn through experience to vow to participate in only those career and social situations that are becoming to us; if not, to let them “be coming ” to someone else.

Rocks or Light?

Your task is not to seek for love, but to find the barriers
in yourself that you have built against it.

~ A Course in Miracles

The Hawaiian spiritual tradition teaches that every child born into this world is like a “bowl of light ” containing the radiance of heaven. If rocks are placed into the bowl, the light of original innocence is hidden. Fear, guilt, and unworthiness are some of the stones that mask our true brilliance. The more rocks in our bowl, the less light we shine. Angry, nasty, or irksome people have lots of rocks in their bowls, while radiant, happy, and joyful people have few.

The game of enlightenment is not about going out and getting something we do not have or becoming something we are not. We are already enlightened; we have simply covered our wisdom. We started out fine; then we got de-fined; now we must be re-fined.

Health, happiness, and success are our birthright, and we carry all we need within us to manifest all the good we seek. But first we must remove everything from our consciousness that works against the full expression of what we are.

What rocks are in your bowl? Begin to note the beliefs and attitudes you hold that stand between you and the light that you are. When you act out of fear or self-doubt, you add more rocks to your bowl. When you let go of one of these impediments, you release your true essence to shine.

One Link at a Time

It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead.
The chain of destiny can only be grasped
one link at a time.

— Winston Churchill

Author and Unity minister Eric Butterworth gave a 15-minute radio talk every day for over 30 years, during which he inspired countless millions with illuminating ideas. When someone asked Dr. Butterworth how he was able to come up with a unique address for such a long time, he answered,

“I just do one at a time. Sometimes I sit down to write a week’s worth of talks, and the prospect seems overwhelming. Then I remember that I just have to write one. So I write what is most alive within me at that moment, and when I am done, I ask myself what is stimulating to me now. Before I know it, they are all done.

I have written a dozen books in 15 years. If at the outset someone had told me I would do that, or asked me to take on such a project, there is no way I would have agreed. But each book showed up in its own time, along with the energy and enthusiasm to make it happen. Somehow they add up".

If you feel overwhelmed with projects or responsibilities, ask yourself, “What do I really need to attend to right now? ” Then handle the project at hand as if it is the only one. You will have a lot more fun thinking of it in that way, and you will be amazed at how the bowling pins fall one after another if you focus on what can be done in the moment. God never requires anything of us that is beyond our capacity to perform. The secret is to forge the chain one link at a time.

The Right of Consciousness

This is an excerpt from Alan Cohen's meditation book, A Deep Breath of Life
 

When I complimented my friend on her car, she reported,

“My husband wants the car as part of our divorce. But because I brought the car into the marriage, I argued with him. Then I realized that it was my consciousness that drew the car to me. My husband can take the car, but not my consciousness. I told him he could have the car. I still have my consciousness, and with that I can attract a dozen more cars if I want to”.

What we have is not a result of luck or circumstance, but thought and attitude. Some people succeed at everything they do, and others fail consistently. The life we live is not cast upon us like a net; it is magnetized by our attitude.

No one can take from you anything you deserve by right of your consciousness, and you cannot keep something you have not earned by virtue of your thoughts.

The most powerful way to improve your circumstances is by upgrading your consciousness. If you try to change your situation without changing your mind, sooner or later you will revert to your former position.

When you change your mind, life has no choice but to re-cluster itself according to the new level of vibration at which you are operating.

Circumstances do not make the man - they reveal him ~ James Allen

Discovering My Soul's Purpose

And indeed, there is…according to the Edgar Cayce philosophy, each person living in the earth is here for a specific soul purpose; a purpose that no one else can fulfill.

While for some people, their purpose might be directly related to a profession or vocation, for others it could simply be a particular way of living day by day.

Finding and then understanding and living your soul’s purpose is actually a life-long process.

As your knowledge grows and deepens, you will find greater and greater opportunities for fulfilling your life’s mission.

To discover clues to your own life’s purpose, ask yourself these questions:

• What makes my heart sing?
• When in my life do I feel a sense of wonder?
• In what ways do I feel called to be of service to others?
• When do I feel closest to God?

The Cayce readings suggest that we are closest to living our soul’s purpose when we feel joyful, when we are in awe of the wonder of life around us, when we are being of service to others, and when we are deeply aware of our connection God.

In your contemplative or meditation time, ask your higher self, “What is my soul’s purpose? Why am I here in the earth at this time?” Then become aware of the answers that will come to you through that “still, small voice” from within, or through synchronous events, or even through your dreams.

Your soul is communicating with you all the time, and its greatest desire is for you to fulfill your purpose for this life experience

STOP and Take a Moment People!

The Situation:

In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes:The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $200 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:
*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

Don’t Bunt - Aim Out of the Ball Park

One of the ways in which we hurt ourselves on the spiritual path is to define ourselves as seekers, students, or addicts. For a time, we are, of course, looking and learning - after that, however, we must acknowledge the truth of our wholeness.

Everyone on the planet is a master of something. The question is not “Are you a master?” but “What are you a master of?”. We have the ability to succeed at whatever we put our mind to, humanity’s challenge is not that we lack the ability to succeed, but that we have applied our skills to things that hurt us.

I am reminded of the following story; A shop owner hired a man he did not know was a drug addict. The shopowner loaned this man money that he promised to repay and gave him privileges that he abused. When the shop owner confronted the man, he manufactured some of the most convincing lies the shop owner had ever heard. When the shop owner went to this man with facts that clearly pointed to his lack of integrity, the hired man would quickly and deftly come up with excuses that were believable. Eventually, the hired man stole a few items and left without notice. In retrospect, the shop owner realized he was dealing with a master? A master liar. This fellow was also a master artist, he could have been a great success, but most of his energies went down the drain of his addiction.

Many of us have mastered drama, urgency, lack, worry, and/or failed relationships. We are able to take a situation with great potential and find a way to undermine it, now that is truly mastery! Why not take the skills we have used to hurt ourselves and apply them to our healing. Harness the force of intelligent love and build the life we choose rather than the one we fear. Use the innate wisdom we were given to make the planet a wonderful place to live, this is clearly within our capacity. 

Moving Forward

I don't normally blog Astrology but I found this to be of interest, being it's in keeping with the healthy notion of moving forward. So here it is for all you astrology, (and would be astrology) buffs, enjoy!

North Node in Sagittarius and South Node in Gemini

03 March 2011 to 29 August 2012

The North Node of the Moon in our natal chart shows us the direction our Soul is wanting to move toward in this incarnation. It challenges us to leave past patterns and conditioning behind, symbolized by the South Node, and embrace a new way of being. Whatever astrological sign the North Node is in the South Node is in the opposite sign and together they show where we will be focused on the new, while releasing the old. The expression "been there, done that, don't need to do that again", is very appropriate for the shadow side of the South Node. Instead we want to embrace the knowledge gained in past lives and let it become wisdom that guides us as we learn the North Node lessons.

The Nodes change signs about every 18½ months and they always have backward motion. Since August 21, 2009 we have been working on Capricorn lessons, creating a new society, changing the dynamics of our family traditions, and being in our spiritual power in the world. Capricorn is a symbol for Soul Purpose. On March 03 the North Node will enter Sagittarius, the South Node Gemini. They will be visiting this pair until 29 August 2012. The last time they visited these signs was August 01, 1992 to February 01, 1994. It is helpful to look back and see what was happening in your life at that time for the lessons are back again.

Here is what the North Node in Sagittarius is asking you to focus on:

• To seek a spiritual path that allows you to discover and live your truth.
• To see what is happening in your life and the world from your Higher Consciousness.
• To seek experiences that free your spirit and allows you to manifest your vision.
• To develop your intuitive wisdom and listen to what others are saying beneath the surface. Hearing what they really mean.
• To connect with your Spiritual Teachers, both physical and metaphysical, and Divine Guidance.
• To believe in your true self and the inter connectedness of all belief systems. To let go of any dogma that prevents you from seeing yourself in the other.
• The Animal Totems for the North Node in Sagittarius are Elk - community, and Owl - wisdom.

The South Node in Gemini is asking you to release the following:

• Indecisiveness and scatteredness.
• The logical mind disregarding intuitive knowing.
• Wanting and needing more information before making a decision, creating delays.
• Skimming across the surface of life and not looking at the deeper meaning.
• Looking outside yourself for answers and not listening to your inner guidance.
• Talking too much and not hearing others.
• Being caught in duality and not being able to find the balance between left and right.

The points for the South Node in Gemini are the shadow aspects of the sign. The Animal Totem for Gemini is the Deer Tribe - strength, adaptability, sensitivity, and unconditional love.  Those are the attributes we are being asked to embrace with this Nodal journey through Sagittarius/Gemini.

Beyond the Dark Night

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil ~ Psalm 23

At some point, everyone passes through a dark night of the soul. This is a difficult time in which we are moving from an old life to a new one, with no apparent security or help in sight. It appears that the old is being taken away by a hand larger than our own, and there is no solid ground on which to stand. As old friends or supporters fall away, we feel like misfits in a world that does not understand us. The activities and things that once gave us comfort seem empty or unavailable, and sometimes it appears that all is lost. At such a time, we are called upon to search deep within ourselves for faith.

Although the dark night is painful and harrowing, it is an important and productive time. If you are passing though a dark night, take comfort in the truth that there is a bigger picture than the one you are seeing, a larger hand operating behind appearances. The dark is a time to clear away the old to make way for the new and better. Nothing is taken away that is not replaced with something more valuable. The field is being turned over so that old weeds and dead roots can be dissolved and new seeds sown. Spring is not far behind the winter.

When I have gone through such experiences, this message has come to me loud and clear: Surrender to love. Do not try to fight the changes, and do not try to understand them. In your anxiety, do not attempt to clutch at the old for security; instead, do your best to release what was, and be open to what is to come. Define all the changes as good, and look for their blessings. The day will come when you will look back at such a time and say, “Thank you. ”

This is an excerpt taken from Alan Cohen's meditation book, A Deep Breath of Life

Take the Best and Leave the Rest

My dog Daisy is quite discerning. She eats only what she likes and rejects everything else. If I offer Daisy a piece of celery, she walks away from it. If I give her a slice with peanut butter on it, however, she licks off the peanut butter and leaves the celery.

Take what belongs to you by right of your joy and consciousness, and let the rest go. We are not required to put up with situations we cannot digest. We are required to do what expands and heals us and reject what causes us to contract.

The awakened mind functions as a “ blessing extractor. ” Like a vegetable juicer that grinds up a carrot and spits the pulp out of one chute and sends juice out of another, the blessing extractor takes any experience and draws forth the good from it. It shows you how you can enjoy, learn, or grow from all events and relationships. All else is compost, which goes back into the field to grow next year’s crops.

When looking back on past relationships, we must take the best and leave the rest. Bless the other person, yourself, and the relationship for the gifts you gained and the experience through which you grew. Hold on to your appreciation, and release the regret. It does not belong to you. Recycled properly, the relationship will become fertilizer to grow on.

Similarly, every teacher will offer you wisdom you can use, as well as ideas you do not understand, agree with, or wish to employ. Take the best and leave the rest. There is a nugget of good in every experience. Receive what God wants you to have, and let Spirit take care of the rest.

Make Compassion The Essential Foundation Of Your Personal Philosphy

Feeling guilty about what you've amassed or wallowing in sadness over the plight of the starving won't change things, but making compassion the essential foundation of your philosophy will.

This is one of the most significant ways of initiating the growth of a critical mass.

As that mass grows, kind hearts and actions will realign our planet, like-minded leaders will emerge, and gross inconsistencies will be reduced and eventually eliminated.

Mother Teresa was an outstanding example of how one person's way of seeing the world can change the world itself. When asked how she could continue day after day?, her response, "In each person," she said, "I see the face of Christ in one of his more distressing disguises."

"Walk in the Great Way" by doing charity work or supporting candidates for public office who embody compassionate action. Vow to make a difference on a daily basis throughout your life, which might be as simple as refusing to join in denouncing others or categorizing them as "evil" or "defective."

After all, so many of the wars that currently rage on our planet are rooted in religious hatred that perpetuates the imbalances pointed out in the Tao Te Ching.

In the following excerpt from the Koran, the great prophet Muhammad tells the followers of Islam to practice compassionate action. We can use his teaching to make a daily difference during our own lives.

Behave beneficently toward the neighbor
That is a kinsman and the neighbor that is
a stranger and the companion by your side.

He who behaves ill toward his neighbor is not
a believer, nor can ever be one.

One who eats his fill while his neighbor
is hungry by his side is not a believer.