The Spin of the Spiral

“The interwoven spheres and vines ran along the bottom. I'd done some research, and I'd found this motif everywhere. These overlapping circles were ancient, tracing back to Pythagorean geometry--geometry, a measure of the world. In more mystical terms, the shape had always evoked tghe place where world overlap: dreaming with waking, death with life, the visible with the unseen.”

Kim Edwards

THE LAKE OF DREAMS 

Although a triangle is my most favorite symbol, life seems to present it self repeatedly in the symbol of spirals.  Circles have been used as symbols since the beginning of time.  The most common way I envision the navigation of life is in the form of a labyrinth. 

This morning I have been browsing through JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS by my friend, Judith Corvin-Blackburn.  It is such a user friendly resource and I find my self returning to it time and again.  I can hear my inner self saying, "I know this.  I have learned this before!"  And yet, here I am again, learning in a deeper way.  When will I ever be finished?  When will I ever maintain the sense of wholeness? 

In her book, JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS, Judith Corvin-Blackburn states:  "Our multi-layered mind demands a lot of examining.  Because of its many contradictory and hidden parts, uncovering our self-limiting beliefs takes time, unshakable honesty, and creativity.  We have been taught to hide from ourselves, and now we must unlearn this."

My life unfolds in a continuous spiral, repeating lesson after lesson.  I advance, being pulled forward, but still in the spin of the spiral.  Round and round I go, filling with vision, color, and sound.  It is a challenge at times to decipher if I am actually climbing upward or lapsing into a downward  fall.  Movement:  it reminds me that I continue to stretch and grow; it  mesmerizes my very soul; brings dance to the hum of the world; the brush of angel wings; the flight of the butterfly; and the whispering breath of Spirit. Without the spin of the spiral, I would be no where at all.

Life Form Again

“If you live in the dark a long time and the sun comes out, you do not cross into it whistling. There's an initial uprush of relief at first, then-for me, anyway- a profound dislocation. My old assumptions about how the world works are buried, yet my new ones aren't yet operational. There's been a death of sorts, but without a few days in hell, no resurrection is possible.”

Mary Karr
Lit: A Memoir


Jesus proclaimed we could do anything He did and some things we could do better.  It is my personal belief that Jesus the Christ died and rose from the dead, creating a symbol or cycle all humans experience.  I believe we  shed old parts of our self (dying), struggle for rebalance (hell), and then stretch into a more defined sense of self (rebirth).  I must admit it often seems as though hell appears before death more so than prior to the rebalance.

Challenge comes to us and having free will, we have the option to master the opportunity.  In order to do so, we at times need to detach from ego or material attachments creating fear of the future.  It can be hell not knowing what will be remaining once we have given up so much.  Our resistance and denial can also add a few flames to the fire.  The death of the old can be painful, but it also can bring relief.

The period after the death of old patterns can be uncomfortable as we are released of dragging old baggage around.  There may be a sense of freedom, but it can be followed by a loss of connection.  We know what we do not want any more, but we do not know what to welcome in or what will be brought to us next.  There can be great discomfort in this suspension. 

Eventually, the void created by the death of the old, begins to balance with a new definition of the self.  We begin to gather in a greater sense of compassion and acceptance building a new strong foundation.  Our creative expression may exceed, our original gifts may flourish, and our authentic self grows stronger.  Clarity forms with deeper understanding, our hearts and minds become more expansive, and our spiritual connection strengthens.

Easter and/or Spring  is the very reminder of new birth or rebirth.  It is inspiring to watch seeds develop and sprouts struggle up through the earth.  Displayed on healthy stems, flowers display the vibrant colors of life.  And so  Spirit and Divine Energy takes life form again.

 

Heart of My Soul

Some persons are very decisive

when it comes to avoiding decisions.

Brendan Francis

My mind has been a muddle for several weeks now.  I have been longing for new insight, for spiritual stimulation, and for ancient wisdom to unfold.  My search has taken me to a dead end without resolution.   I have been frustrated and discouraged as my expectations go unmet.

Then it is as though an unseen mentor pulls a heavy curtain to the side and I see with new eyes a passage way overlooked before.  The hallway is filled with warmth, light, and understanding.  It seems to embrace me in such a way that I realize I am being led down a path into the heart of my soul.

Sitting ...  being ...  in solitude,  I find company with myself once again.  I pull in all of my energy being wasted on outward searches and let it rekindle my own truth.  I open my heart to trust in the spiritual process, knowing that soon I will be led.

Within hours, I receive Mark Nepo's wonderful new book, SEVEN THOUSAND WAYS TO LISTEN.  I skim through it excitedly and as I go to put it on the bookshelf, I discover a writing of Gary Zukav. THE MIND OF THE SOUL resonated within me and thankfully my favorite parts are  heavily highlighted!  Returning to my computer, a particular DAILY OM is waiting for me about The Start of Change.  And so it all falls together.

I feel alive again, empowered and ready to cartwheel down this corridor which had been temporarily hidden from me.  In my own small thinking, I have been avoiding my own self-worth.  Doors kept closing of course, until I was safely corralled back into the heart of my soul.  I have yet again learned another lesson and it is good to be me!

Running ... Physcial, Emotional, and Spiritual



The miracle isn't that I finished.

The miracle is that I had the courage to start.

John Bingham

NO NEED FOR SPEED: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE

TO THE JOY OF RUNNING

In a very weak moment, I agreed with my best friend to run every morning after the school bus picked up our kids.  She had a passion for running and felt more certain she would maintain a routine if she had a running buddy.  I dearly loved my friend, and wanted to support her.

Let me begin by saying, "I hate to run!"  The only good thing about running is that you get to stop!  I would walk from my home to meet her half way and the entire time I would be questioning my motivations.  We were successful in maintaining our commitment to run, and I remained amazed at the personal courage it required of me.

In another place in time, I became aware that I practiced a mental form of running.  I discovered that emotionally, I would simply run away when life became overwhelming.  I could emotionally feel myself withdrawing and at times could hear my foot steps racing down the hallways of my mind.

Physical running can be good for the body, mentally running away is not so good.  Once aware of this poor mental health coping skill, I learned to hear my foot steps and gently tell myself, "Stop!"  When that was mastered, I then learned to make myself stand still in the moment.  This took great courage, but I learned a healthier way of facing problems.

Being spiritually inclined, I monitor myself and my inward patterns quite regularly.  Through these observations, I discovered that a person can run away physically, mentally, and spiritually.  A delightful little book entitled, THE HOUND OF HEAVEN displays how God is forever with us and calling to us, but we simply keep running through life, not listening.  Opportunity after opportunity presents itself to us to enhance our spiritual calling, but life simply gets in the way.

We are all traveling our unique spiritual path.  We each have our destination with built in rest areas.  It is when we stop to rest, when we pause from running, that our soul begins to awaken to the voice within.  We learn as we travel our path to embrace Spirit in small increments.  With growing awareness, we realize we are incredibly connected one to the other and that Spirit travels with us every step of our way.

Slow down.  Heighten awareness.  Find the courage to allow a spiritual pathway to unfold into a personal union with the Divine, rather than a reckless speeding super highway.