Moving Forward

He who knows others is learned;

He who knows himself is wise.

~Lao-tzu

Tao te Ching

The time is quickly approaching for me to travel on a spiritual quest to North Carolina.  Last year my intention was to 'align my stars' while safely crossing the bridge to the other side.  The time spent traveling to and from this women's retreat was simply magical.  Being in the presence of heightened energy allowed one to travel in time or simply stand still.  I believe I experienced both.

"Why, if I had such a deep experience of self-discovery last year, am I feeling resistance to attend this year," is my on going question.  I am faced with my own rigid behaviors and false limitations.  I am discouraged by the appearance of ruffles and bows rather than seeing the simplicity of what could be.

Turning to contemplation, I used a favorite book for guidance.  While reading the well worn pages, I came across a paragraph encouraging me to travel with like minded people.  The writing reminded me that when energy is gathered we not only stimulate our selves, but also awaken the spiritual impulses of the earth.

Thinking of the bigger picture, perhaps it is not important for me to actually 'know' why I am attending.  Maybe I am not attending for a personal intention, but simply need to be present in the gathered energy. 

I am willing to trust there is a reason for my attendance even though it is currently hidden from me.  I can feel Spirit nudging me to move forward, so forward I will go.

 

Hanging by a Thread

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be."

Anne Frank

On a spiritual quest, I walked silently in a private wooded area.  I found myself surrounded by rustling leaves, singing birds, scampering animals, and the rich fragrance of nature.  My personal concerns seemed to evaporate in the hot rays of the sun. The gentle breeze cloaked me in solitude.

A passion for trees has been within me since childhood.  I really don't have a favorite tree as I am really quite drawn to the intricacies of sprawling branches or gnarly root systems.  So I was enthralled  wandering through the woods.

Eventually, I sat at the foot of a tree, leaning back against the age old bark of the trunk.  I placed my hands on the exposed roots and could feel myself blending energies with the tree and all of nature. 

Breathing in the magical elements of the enchanted woods, I happened to glance down to a spider that was seemingly suspended in mid air.  Impossible I thought, so I slid down to the rich earth for a closer look. 

Upon inspection, I could barely see a strand of gauze hanging from a leafy stalk, but delicately attached to the spider.   The illusion of the bug being totally disconnected, triggered deeper thoughts and lessons to be learned from nature.

We all experience times of extreme loneliness or despair thinking that we are invisible and unsupported.  I do not think this is true thinking.  I believe that the divine is always connected to us even though we may be unaware, like the spider hanging by a thread.  Like this bug, we may think that no one is caring for us nor learning from us.  The truth, however, is that divine is always looking over us, seen or unseen and others are always learning from us whether they voice it or not.

This lesson was given to me in the woods over 18 years ago, but it is one I carry close to my heart.  I know when isolation is seeping in, it is time for a walk in nature.  It is there I feel reconnected and walk in the presence of the divine.

 

Wisdom of the Windows ...

"...before we can be what we are meant to be,

we must accept what we are not."

THE BOOK OF AWAKENING

Mark Nepo

In my imagination, I see this building as being the resource of infinite wisdom, and as a seeker of truth, I am on the outside running up and down the fire escapes.  I peek inside a window and then move along if I don't like what I see.  I linger for awhile outside of other windows, pondering the meaning or intent of what I perceive. 

It doesn't seem to matter if I climb to the higher windows or remain on lower levels as there are lessons to be learned from every view.  What becomes very apparent, however, is the time I waste observing things that do not resonate with me, but appear to be attracting my ego.  Some opportunities can appear to be quite attractive dressed in worldly rewards that would make me feel important or powerful, but would only be distractions from the path that I have been called to follow. 

Mark Nepo states that "we must accept what we are not."  In order for me to know what I am not,  I must close the blinds on the windows no longer serving me.  When the windows reflect a blinding glare, I can pull the shades down to maintain clear vision.  Unfortunately, there are times when I can plainly see into an opportunity and it may be so overwhelming that I choose to flee down the escape until I grow strong enough to revisit the window.

The spiritual path frequently is based on an individual search or a personal quest requiring solitude and detachment from wordly attractions, and yet I must learn to walk my path in the midst of the world.  For me, I must interact with the world and not be cloistered away from it.

Eventually, I find myself raising the windows, finding entry into rooms with endless information, guides and teachers.   I may sit in a room for an hour or for days in suspended time.  Every piece of wisdom received, leads me back into my self where my true life path resides.  The wisdom within each of us can help transform us into the messenger we are called to be. 

We all have a message to bring into life.  All of us have a message for each other as it is part of our mission.  Once we can surrender to being authentic and know how to intuitively navigate through our daily life, faith and trust carry us deeper into the wisdom waiting behind the windows.  Sometimes we need to clean the dirt from the panes of glass in the windows before we can see what has been there all along.

"The Spirit is swifter than the mind," says Isa Upanished.  In other words, my inner spirit knows what I must do before I can congnitize my genuine life purpose.  Even when I become aware of the message I bring, I still may ignore the plan at high cost to my spiritual self.  Mark Nepo says that there is a difference between "innocent not knowing and a willful looking away."  There is risk in every challenge in life and the risk grows higher when fear is allowed to  over power faith. 

There is choice.  There is always choice as we are not victims.  But as Mark Nepo shares, "There is an inner knowing that can determine whether we will live like a dog  at the end of our leash (pulling and straining, painfully pretending we don't have answers) or whether we will run free through the grasses of life."

Creating New Stars On My Journey!

“Be careful what new (perceptual) markers you put into place, for these ideas and beliefs will be the stars in the new sky of your mind, and you shall navigate your way into these new times by the stars (thoughts and beliefs) that you have placed in the heavens of your own consciousness. So be wise when you go about creating new stars, our fellow navigators of the mystery.”

     © 2011 Tom Kenyon. All rights reserved www.tomkenyon.com

In the morning, I leave for a 5 day women's retreat outside of Asheville, North Carolina. There are about 12 women from this area traveling to this destination.  I am packed and ready to go! 

This is the sixth year for this retreat and I really do not have false expectations, but I do look forward to being in the presence of perhaps one hundred spiritual women.  I want to sit in the moment with vibrant energy pulsing around me, to open my heart for my highest good, and to place both of my feet firmly on to my spiritual path.

Wise sages will be present and there will be so much to learn from each other.  My intention is to focus on a new alignment of stars for my moon lit sky where I will navigate anew into the last years of my life.  I can feel the excitement from the prospect of clear perceptions that will replace the old ways and crystalize the new passage into the mystery of my sky.

The words of Tom Kenyon, "There are new stars in the sky and new worlds to discover. Be bold. And have a good journey," inspire me as I prepare for this spiritual quest.