Be true to yourself

Are you breathing just a little

Are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?*
Who are you kidding? Not me!
You, breathe a little, no way.
There is not one fibre of your being
that does not live life to the fullest.
You reach out everyday with hope, faith and love.
I’ve seen it for myself.
Don’t go trying to convince me or yourself
That you do anything other than try your best.
Remember your best is more than enough.
There are times when life may appear to be
harsh, unrelenting, confusing and uncertain.
Be gentler, more compassionate with yourself.
Nurture and be nurtured on your journey.

It may well feel like a roller-coaster ride.
We are all on it waving our hands in the air,
Feeling the elements rushing by,
Catching the sideways glances of those around,
Wondering what’s happening over there?
Knowing there is no over there.
It’s all here.
It's all now.
Keep it simple, place your attention on where you
want to be, look up and step into the moment,
Your moment and live it the only way you know how.
Be the happiest you can be and watch the waves of
your smile expand into the never-ending spaciousness
of forever.

* The opening question is a line taken from the poem 'Have you ever tried to enter the long black branches?' by Mary Oliver.

What is woman's place ... ?

Paul Cezanne, Les Grandes Baigneuses (Bathers) National Gallery, London.

In the introduction to the book 'The Heroine's Journey' by Maureen Murdock, she asks the question: "What is woman's place at this stage of our cultural development?" and this is her response, "I feel strongly that it is to heal the split that tells us that our knowings, wishes, and desires are not as important nor as valid as those of the dominant male culture. Our task is to heal the internal split that tells us to override the feelings, intuition, and dream images that inform us of the truth of life. We must have the courage to live with paradox, the strength to hold the tension of not knowing the answers, and the willingness to listen to our inner wisdom and the wisdom of the planet, which begs for change.

The heroine must become a spiritual warrior. This demands she learn the delicate art of balance and have the patience for the slow, subtle integration of the feminine and the masculine aspects of herself. She first hungers to lose her feminine self and to merge with the masculine, and once she has done this, she begins to realise that this is neither the answer nor the end. She must not discard nor give up what she has learned throughout her heroic quest, but learn to view her hard-earned skills and success not so much as the goal but as one part of the entire journey. She will then begin to use these skills to work toward the larger quest of bringing people together, rather than for her own individual gain. This is the sacred marriage of the feminine and the masculine - when a woman can truly serve not only the needs of others but can value and be responsive to her own needs as well. This focus on integration and the resulting awareness of interdependence is necessary for each one of us at this time, as we work together to preserve the balance of life on earth."

Murdock, M (1990) The Heroine's Journey, Shambhala, London, pp.11-12.

An ancient way of knowing

The final paragraph of Robert Wolff's thought provoking book 'Original Wisdom' gives me hope ... "All who are in touch with the natural world can sense energies, emotions, and intentions of people and animals. If we listen, we can know - all we need to do is give up being in charge. Knowing inside is not something unusual; it is how we are. All humans can have that connection with All-That-Is. The connection is within us." (p.197)

Love the Mystery

Steve Judd I like the way you roll ...

In today's blog entry by the UK astrologer Steve Judd he says this about the impending Grand Cross that has been so much talked about... "In less than twenty four hours, Venus moves into Libra, the Moon moves into Cancer and the much heralded Grand Cross will be upon us. Despite being a long term proponent of these times, I feel delightfully ambivalent and surprisingly clear. Because of this, my shields are coming down ... on the eve of the Grand Cross, I pronounce thus: ''Oi!!! You Lot!!! Will you stop Looking for someone else to Blame! No Gods, no Leaders, No Gurus, No Masters. On Behalf of the Assembled Hosts of Discordia, we command the following: That from this moment on, your only real purpose in life is to be as happy as you can, at all times and in all circumstances, and to live in the moment to the fullest of your experience. Now get on with it.'" If you would like to read more click on http://www.stevejudd.com/

U R the E in my E=MC²

U R the sunshine that starts my everyday
U R the one that says, 'Lets go out and PLAY'
U R the most beautiful creature I ever did meet
U R the one that makes my heart skip a beat

U R a glistening rainbow that contains no grey
U R the Omega3 that makes my ADHD go away
U R a kaleidoscope of wonderful delights
U R the one I want to cuddle up 2 at night

A love poem found this morning pinned to a tree,
by Orlando 4 Rosalind.

Holding Hands

I'm on a David Whyte poetry fest this summer. Every which way I turn his poems find me. Today it was during a workshop on the feminine in leadership exploring the journey of Rosalind in Shakespeare's play 'As You Like It'. We were in Act One considering which of 4 archetypes do our affections need to wrestle with; the divine, the self, the other or our work - we were read the poem Truelove, this is how it goes,

Truelove

There is a faith in loving fiercely
the one who is rightfully yours,
especially if you have
waited years and especially
if part of you never believed
you could deserve this
loved and beckoning hand
held out to you this way.

I am thinking of faith now
and the testaments of loneliness
and what we feel we are
worthy of in this world.

Years ago in the Hebrides
I remember an old man
who walked every morning
on the grey stones
to the shore of the baying seals,

who would press his hat
to his chest in the blustering
salt wind and say his prayer
to the turbulent Jesus
hidden in the water,

and I think of the story
of the storm and everyone
waking and seeing
the distant
yet familiar figure
far across the water
calling to them,

and how we are all
preparing for that
abrupt waking,
and that calling,
and that moment
we have to say yes,
except it will
not come so grandly,
so Biblically,
but more subtly
and intimately in the face
of the one you know
you have to love,

so that when we finally
step out of the boat
toward them, we find
everything holds
us, and confirms
our courage, and if you wanted
to drown you could,
but you don’t

because finally
after all the struggle
and all the years,
you don’t want to any more,
you’ve simply had enough
of drowning
and you want to live and you
want to love and you will
walk across any territory
and any darkness,
however fluid and however
dangerous, to take the
one hand you know
belongs in yours.

- David Whyte -

Published in his book called 'House of Belonging'