Worth a Gander

Let it go

Michael Leunig is a fabulous Australian cartoonist and a brilliant artist too boot.
I love how this image illustrates the way our path is provided by letting go, letting it out, letting it all unravel !!!

Medicine Song from Sierras

Click on the words in Orange and you'll hear an opening introduction that describes how the Medicine Song from the Sierras came into being. Here sung by Sam Edmondson who was given the song by a mountain while he was on a solo vision quest in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Medicine Song from Sierras 

Try closing your eyes and allow the sound to flow over you, through you, under you, all around you, and ask yourself the question;  won't you open up and flow like a river?

Thanks to Filiz Telek for recording and sharing this beautiful song.

Being Lost

This poster marks the entrance to a special exhibition currently running at the British Library. Not all those who wander are lost, is a quote by JRR Tolkien from Lord of the Rings. You can take your own meaning from this. It is noticeable that so often being lost is a derogatory term. Especially for someone like me who enjoys pouring over a good map to discover where I am. Who prides themselves on having a good spatial awareness to find my way around. Despite these qualities I have to admit for a while now I have been lost. Not so much geographically. More lost in myself. In knowing who I am and what it is I am here to do. Only recently have I truly come to feel into what that means and boy have I been fighting it. Fighting with my feelings of being lost.

In response I'm on the lookout for structure to provide some semblance of knowing to cling onto as I try to find my way out of the malaise. Seeking in some way to stop the realisation that I have utterly no idea where I am, who I am or what to do!!! It's a peculiar place to be. Now I understand the saying, 'I'm running to stand still', because the more I try to not be lost, well the more I am lost and stay lost.

So, what am I to do?

Maybe I should try and get familiar with the lost feeling. Check out the terrain in lostville, possibly slowdown the search out of town and try to stop fighting the lostness, at least for a while and see what happens. Easier said than done when all my core instincts are seeking to not accept being lost. I sense my struggle is less about not wanting to be lost and more about not wanting to accept being lost. It feels way to unsettling, uncomfortable, disconcerting and downright unnerving to contemplate accepting the state of lostness.

Even as I write this I sense my playfulness is another avoidance tactic to prevent my feelings of truly being lost from creeping to the surface. Why? Because it is overwhelming. In the darkest times it feels like a tunnel with no light and my sense of self is dissolving into nothingness. Listlessly the weight of inertia drags me down further into nothingness and procrastination drains whatever energy may have been there. The indecision is cripplingly frustrating creating a fog like existence.

Don't get me wrong here, my life certainly has its high points and its good times. I have much to be grateful for, nevertheless, the inescapable lack of direction, motivation and purpose is palpable. The not knowing is a huge cloud floating above my head casting its shadow. And yet today I read in Bill Plotkin's book Soulcraft that being lost is a good thing. Out of the darkness gems are to be found that teach us a new way of being. I am being lead to beleive in my confusion the shape of a new identity is being forged.

I look forward to some signs of new beginnings to emerge from this cocoon I'm in. A shape not yet known or seen by myself. I want to believe that is what is happening. More than that I want to feel this is what is happening. I can only be patient some more and wait ... and dare I say it, Trust that all is as it's meant to be and all will be well. If I am prepared to say this to others I now must say it to myself. Patience and Trust. All will be well. All is as it's meant to be.

Silence is Golden

Why life unfolds as it does is a mystery

It's been over 3 months since I last posted to my blog. This is the longest gap in posting since I started up in 2007. I am curious how and why this happened. Firstly, it has been an unplanned break and an unexpected one in the sense that it is only recently that I've become consciously aware of my blog and the lack of postings. It is as if my blog simply disappeared from my conscious horizon. This happens in so many ways, not only my blog vanishes, but people, places, events, objects, experiences and memories. They are all present one moment and then in the blink of an eye they are gone. If this can happen to my blog I am left wondering what else in my life has disappeared from my awareness without me realising?

In the last few weeks I have had the space to slow down and it is now I am realising what I have left behind in my packed out schedule.  I have had much to share and write about during the last 3 months, however, my attention has been on the act of 'doing', the living and participating in experiences, rather than processing, reflecting and sharing. Being in the present moment immersed in being is ok, to a point. Where I am more uncomfortable is in the lack of deeper processing, reflection and contemplation. Without this complementary dimension I feel my life becomes blinded from the connections, the relational knowing that is also present. What might be called the transpersonal experience. All doing and not enough awareness of being is like living as an individual seperate entity and not recognising or engaging consciously with the universal whole. Time can fly and it can feel like I am having a lot of fun, and yet there is no sense of the deeper and greater connection to meaning or purpose to the great universal being beyond the individual separate self.

Last night I was reading Harvey Arden's Dreamkeepers on the life of the Australian Aboriginal. Chapter 17 'The Mystery of Wayrrull' introduced a most fascinating character, David Mowaljarlai.

© Harvey Arden 1994 photo of David Mowaljarlai

 
This is what david had to share ... "What's important is beyond all understanding - that's the first thing you must understand," ... "Ask me questions if you like ... but remember the same question's got different answers for different people.Maybe they're true for you, maybe not. And never forget - everything's a mystery anyway. Once it stops bein' a mystery it stops bein' true."

"I go to teach in the universities in Perth or Sydney or wherever young people'll listen to me. Give 'm one o' my messages. You call 'm lectures, but they're messages. Words carry the spirit, you know? That's about all we Aboriginals have left to give the world. Spirit. But that's a lot, and we're always glad to share it. So sit down in the sharde here. I'm glad you blokes caught me before I left."

"Identity," he began. "That's the thing."

"I know who I am. I have my identity. I am a Nagarinyin man. My dreaming is Hibiscus. That's my symbol, a beautiful pink flower. And this ... this is also my symbol."

His eyes burned with an incandescent pride.

"This is my brand, my identity. We have to spill our blood on the earth, spill our blood in the country to make it ours. Once we spill our blood there we belong to the country. When another Aboriginal looks at these scars, he knows where I'm from, what my country is, who I am. He knows my identity and I can look at him and know his.

"But these days my people don't belong to their country anymore. They've been locked out. White man took the land away from them. Took their identity away, too. Our people don't know where they're from anymore. They don't know their grandfather or grandmother. They don't know why they're on this earth. They hurt. They hurt in their hearts. They dry up like a desert. They're empty, like an empty drum inside.Got no life inside 'm. That's why they want the grog so bad. To make the hurt go away. To make it wet again inside."

"So they get into all kinds of humbug and kill 'mselves and each other. People I know who were young in the sixties and seventies ... they're dead now. Gone. I have to bury 'm.  But I'm an old man now ... they should be buryin' me!"

"And it's all because they don't know their right place. They don't know their country anymore. They don't know their borders, their boundaries. Everyone needs to know their place and where their borders is.  If they don't know that, then they don't know their own identity. Without that they have no soul, nothin'. That's their creation place that country.  When they die the soul goes back there. Doesn't matter where they die, their soul goes back to their country. But now their soul is lost. They never knew their country so their soul doesn't know how to get back there."

"Even worse, today's generation don't want to listen. They've lost it and don't want to know it. They don't want to know who they are. So that's why I go around teachin' about Aboriginal identity. Teach white people, teach black people. teach 'm about Aboriginal culture. I'm trying to give the Aboriginal back his identity ... That's my work, that's my life."*

David's words spurred me to ask myself to what extent do I know my identity? Do I even want to know? To which I say a big YES. If this is true how do I go about rediscovering who I am, where my country is and reconnecting to the land? Even in a country as small in land mass as the United Kingdom there are many tribes. If I think about my travels about this land I recall many differences in topography, architecture, geology, climate, food and dialects all of which tell varying stories of the people and the land.

When did this disconnection take place?
Was it my generation, my parents?
Or way before that?
Who knows where I am from anymore or where I belong?
I wonder is it possible to start again?
Could I begin relating to the land where I now find myself?
How do I do this?
Aboriginal men scar their bodies. Their blood touches the land and forever connects them to that place. Is this how Celtic people were initiated into adulthood?

So many questions swim around in my mind searching for answers and I am reminded of David's earlier words, 'the same questions got different answers for different people'. And most of all - 'what's important is beyond all understanding.' Maybe it is not about having answers. It's more about asking questions and acting on these questions by allowing this curiosity to light the path ahead.

And back to where I started in this mystery; why did I stop writing my blog 3 months ago? I have no idea. But I did stop. And then I started gain. That is all I need to know.
 

*Arden, H. (1994) 'Dreamkeepers', HarperCollins, NY, (p.197-200). 

Goethe and Einstein

In the last few days two quotes (see below) from men of what I would call 'more-than-science' have floated across my horizon. It's striking to me that science in it's fullest deepest sense is way beyond an objective external verifiable truth. It is a search for meaning, knowing, sensing, feeling and experiencing of what it is to be living a life in this wonderous universe.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

 “Man knows himself only to the extent that he knows the world; he becomes aware of himself only within the world, and aware of the world only within himself.  Every object, well contemplated, opens up a new organ within us.”

 Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

 

 “A human being is a part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe’, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest -a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness-. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation, and a foundation for inner security.”  

Mr Squirrel

Yesterday while picnicking in a local garden we were joined by this little fella. Squirrels are fun to watch. This one was quite, small and seemed like a young one all bright eyed and bushy tailed enjoying his day in the spring sunshine. Later on my cycle home a squirrel dashed across my path. They can be lightening fast. When I arrivedhome I decided to look up the meaning of Squirrels as a power animal totem or guide. And this is what I found: 

"Squirrel gathers and prepares for long winter nights.  As a friendly, quick and industrious worker, he knows the ways to survive.  On a spiritual plain, Mr. Squirrel brings us many gifts and lessons to help us gather the blessings of life for our journey into the next dimension.

Squirrel is fast at everything he does and remains in constant motion during three seasons of the year.   For those who hear or see squirrel in dreams, the message may be to 'get busy' with your life and stop waiting for good things to happen.  The squirrel is a reminder that good things come from our honest labour.

Squirrels do not always remember where they store the hard earned food and forget the best routes to travel to retrieve their stores during winter.  If you see squirrel, it may be time to slow down and concentrate on the task at hand.

Squirrels are playful, friendly and chatty.  As a sociable animal, the squirrel continually chatters sometimes to the annoyance of his neighbours.  If you hear squirrel, it may be a lesson to seek silence or to speak slowly and distinctly.

Squirrels are skittish and at the same time trusting.  They will often eat from your hand and come very close to bring a gift.  This wonderful quality of the squirrel teaches us to trust one another in personal relationships and trust the Creator in all things.  Creating trust where none exited builds on this special medicine.

The squirrel teaches us to gather our energies for the important tasks in life and honour the future by preparing for change."*

*http://www.manataka.org/page236.html

Be glad to be here ...

I came across a fabulous land artist called Richard Shilling. He is following in the footsteps of an artists way using nature materials and the landscape to make art. Some call it land art, or earth art, ecological art, or nature art. Whatever you want to call it when you see the images of the ephemeral creations you may understand the beauty within. For more on Richard Shilling read his blog or visit his webpage. And if you are interested in sharing your own nature mandala's there is an incredibly lovely group on facebook where you can send examples of your work for others to see. Go create and have fun :) And whatever you do, don't think about all those things you fear ...

  

Anarch - T - y

As an imbiber of the refined

refreshing brew known as tea.

I have learnt to never underestimate

its mighty powers to effect change :)

There's a radical moment in every pot !

Become an imaginal cell and watch the world change :)

Dr Bruce Lipton uses biological science and the metaphor of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly to describe what is happening in the world today. Our daily lives may appear dangerous, scary and bleak and yet there is a beautiful, connected and loving world emerging before us and within us. You maybe able to see it forming and you may not. For those of us who haven't done so already it helps to awaken to our intuition, listen to our inner voice and trust in our creative potential. Then reach out and connect with our tribe, build and nurture our relationships and follow our passions. Change is inevitable. The question we should each ask ourselves is, what kind of world do we want to co-create? Don't wait for someone else to do it. Don't believe those who tell you it's not possible. We can thrive. We can make our own dreams come true. We all have a special gift to contribute and a unique role to play. There is hope. You are one of the 100%. Occupy Love.

 
The Evolution of the Butterfly from Abraham Heisler on Vimeo.

We are all Guru's

Did you know guru means teacher? I didn't know this until the last weekend. I was given this gem of information while on retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh and the monastics from Plum Village. What is it that we teach you may ask? We teach whatever it is we represent be it happiness, love, joy, sadness, fear, suffering. All these emotions are within us and also outside of us because there is no separation. The cosmos is everywhere in all things simultaneously. Some would say we are all interconnected and others would say we are all inseperable. It all pretty much adds up to the same thing.

There are an infinite number of pathways to enlightenment, or should I say to be enlightened ... as it may be more a state of being rather than a destination. And what is enlightenment? Ah, that's the ultimate question that upon answering transcends itself.

At the weekend I participated in a Buddhist Retreat for educators led by Tay, which means teacher, or as I now realise it also means guru. Tay is the affectionate name given to Thich Nhat Hanh. It is pronounced more like Tie. He has travelled to the UK with over 50 monks and nuns from Plum Village to share with us their way of being in the world. If you want a small insight into this travelling band of merry people take a look at this ...

   

 

Introverts

In the last few weeks the nature of introverts has been the subject of conversation on a regular basis. There have been articles by the BBC and the Guardian newspaper as well as images like the one above appearing on facebook. It's as if the notion of introversion has been rediscovered and the quiet people are being noticed again. Which by the way, if you are an introvert, being noticed in and of itself is a bit of a worry. Nevertheless a contemplative, reflective personality, need not be downtrodden or overwhelmed in the modern world. There are qualities that the more gentle people have to offer that provide balance and wholeness to our collective experience. We need all kinds of people. No one is better or more special than anyone else. This is not an agenda of affirmative action or positive discrimination in favour of introverts. It's all ok. The world is non-dualistic. We do not need to focus on polarities. It is not an either or situation. It is merely a recognition of the qualities of introverts and an appreciation of how to be comfortable in the modern world if this is your predilection. Nor is the act of taking care of yourself as an introvert a proclamation of selfishness. Why, if you don't nurture and nourish yourself how else can you be supportive and present to others? So let's celebrate the diversity of personalities and be thankful that we are not all the same. Life is so much more colourful because of our differences. Yeah to the introverts and their desire for quietness, privacy and presence. May the world be a more welcoming, open, inclusive, understanding, considerate and accepting place of the unique characteristics of each one of us.