This morning, the simplicity of truth came back to me again, as sometimes through the busy-ness of life the sight of it can get lost.  Love is the only real truth, and therefore, the rest is illusion.  This morning I said to myself that if I choose to see only love, I will see only truth with the knowing that we are created from Divine love.  Through that knowing comes the understanding that all else doesn’t truly exist except in our minds.  This is a strong theme in A Course In Miracles and the basis for most teachings handed down.  Every now and again, when I find myself in that place of knowing and feeling only love, nothing else matters - nothing.  What a world it would be if all we could see was love!  Not human love, but total, unconditional Divine Love.  The rest would melt through this perception until all there truly existed was love and oneness.  It is our choice, our perception in every moment to come to this illumination, this feeling of what I consider, bliss.

            The other thought I had is that we are so very gifted on this earth, and nothing brings that more to the heart than spring.  The renewal of life after a harsh winter is a miracle.  Green buds grow out of seemingly dead wood, hummingbirds travel thousands of miles and arrive at our feeders (many of the same ones at that!), the sun which set so much closer to the south now is setting again just about due west, and rising just about due east.  I can watch its path closely due to my open view of the mountains.  It widens and narrows through the year, rising in this notch to the southeast, then moving from notch to notch toward the east.  The same going from more southerly to due west as the days grow longer.  The Winter Triangle of the stars has moved off to the west and is almost below my horizon now.  But the Summer Triangle is making its way; Arcturus is high in the southeastern sky at night, along with Saturn and Spica in the south, and the constellation of Corvus, the Crow.  The changes are constant and consistent.  Nothing in this Universe is still.  All energy, and all motion in a circular pattern.

            I see all of these miracles of the seasons, especially spring, as a gift.  And as many gifts from Source, some of these, too, might be ignored.  I believe gifts are ignored for three primary reasons:  1) people are too busy living their un-real lives to see the truth of the reality of God around them; 2) people do not know how to receive gifts from God, or even other people for that matter; and 3) people do not perceive a gift as being just that – a gift.  Here are a few examples. 

1)  Many people see reality in the wrong places.  Our bodies are not our reality, our soul is.  Taking the time to feed the soul with the gifts of beauty all around us connects us with the truth of what we are.  The old saying, “Stop to smell the roses,” was coined for a deeper reason than merely telling you to slow down and relax.  See the miracle in the aroma of a flower, the smell of electricity during a thunderstorm, the return of far away birds.  Just stop for one minute and look and listen to the Source all around you and breathe it in.  Your soul will thank you for it.  It might make your day more joyful!

            2)  Many people don’t even know how to accept a compliment, let alone a gift from God!  Many do not feel worthy enough, but we’ve gone over that concept in more depth in a previous blog.  But that is the problem as I see it – people do not receive well due to self-worth issues, self-doubt, fear, whatever.  But remember, receiving allows you to give.

            3)  Due to perception, many do not see gifts for what they are.  Seeing something as a trying time can actually be an opportunity to learn.  Pushing past fear to try something new can give you the gift of freedom by jumping off the cliff and flying, realizing that there was nothing to fear in the first place.  Seeing a homeless person is giving you the gift of realizing your fortune and being in gratitude, learning that that person, too, has a purpose, for it allows others to give or feel from their heart.  All things have reason, and most always, what one might perceive of as bad fortune is a lesson in disguise, an opportunity to grow and to realize the importance of seeing things from all sides, not just one limited view.  These things are gifts if seen in the proper light.

            We are gifted every day in so many ways.  Just the air we breath, the water we and the earth drink, the fire of the sun that warms us, the earth supporting our feet upon her and growing our food with the synchronicity of the other elements.  All gifts.  Some are small, some are huge when considering the synchronicity it takes to have it all work together to create seasons, rain, sunlight, the movement of stars by which man has navigated around the globe, the growth of food or trees from a tiny seed.  Everything you see around you is a miracle.  Tomorrow morning when you wake up, before you get out of bed, sit for a moment and look out the window on the new day and say thank you for it; for the miracles it brings and for all the opportunities of the day to experience growth, love, giving and receiving.  People who make this a practice find their lives changing, for it puts them in a more peaceful and joyful mood, and changes their perception of events as they happen throughout the day.  If you don’t already do this, give it a try.  Anne Frank stated that she began her day by smiling at herself in the mirror, not unlike Louise Hay’s advice of looking in the mirror and telling yourself how much you love you!  Anne knew, as Louise does, that this small thanks for who you are to begin your day can change your world.

           

            I am finding of late that even with more hours of light during the day, I feel the days are shorter due to all the busy-ness at my day job (a large nursery full of plants and people buying them), more need to travel, people and groups I wish to visit with, workshops I wish to hold, that a weekly blog is one thing that puts a bit more pressure on than I need.  So instead of forcing it with a weekly routine, I am choosing to honor myself and the realm that works with me.  I will not try to write a blog from that place of pressure, but to work with the blog when it feels right, in order be in that enlightened space, so that meaningful words can come from that place.  I will email you when a new blog is posted so you don’t have to wonder about when it is happening.  I thank you all for your continued support and feedback.  We are a tribe of seekers and the best way for all to find the destination is to share the map.

            This is a thought from my higher being about tonight’s new moon and annular eclipse, along with the transit of Venus across the face of the Sun on June 5^th.  It is a metaphor, which is how I receive things from that other part of me.

            “As the moon crosses in front of the sun this night, creating a coverage except for the outer edges, it is also pulling in the light of the sun, absorbing energy, becoming one with that energy as it overlays the sun’s brightness.  This is a metaphor –as above, so below- for we, too, are taking in the energy, the light, to add to our own brightness.  This may sound rather poetic, but as you know, we are the poet, and that language holds truth for it is a transcendent language.  It, too, is a language of metaphor in which there is great power.  The moon and sun create a shift of power this night, as the darkness of the moon covers the brightness of the sun, and then both bring again, their own light.  It might seem the darkness holds more power, but just for a moment.  So too, any darkness that shadowed the light within, will be illuminated and overtaken by the light returning moments later.  Do you see this?  And then the new moon, the renewed journey begins - this time with more stamina, more clarity, more heightened awareness and intuitive knowing.  It has essentially touched the sun and takes with it the illumination of that energy.  So, too, with this soul we share.  With all souls if they have the awareness to allow it. 

It also is the pairing of the negative (moon) with the positive (sun) – the yin and the yang coming together as one.  So much symbolism in all of this!  And when the moon becomes new shortly before this event (EDT), it moves forward with more balance having gained from the sun, and the sun having been touched by the moon, as it were.  It is like watching a sacred union.  Though this form (in NH) will not be able to see it, as the sun will have moved below the horizon, it will be felt.   The fact that Venus is involved in all this, you can see where it is headed – more illumination on the one truth – Love.  It will transit across the sun on June 5^th and will be visible as a speck moving across the brightness.  This concludes the eight-year cycle of Venus in this transit begun in 2004.  With this culmination begins a new journey – the harvest of what has been planted will begin to make itself manifest.”

             With that, until next time, love and blessings.

            You have no doubt, read someplace in some book, or heard someone say, that you are your story.  Have you stopped to think about how you create your story, and therefore, create your life to fulfill that story?

            It is given we are all energy and put out a frequency that the Universe answers at the exact same frequency.  So what is your story?  What frequency does it carry?  The story you need to be telling is the one that holds the vision of your dreams, the image you wish to be, the joyfulness of your life, the perfect health of your body, and the loving relationships you share with others, including yourself. 

            As has been said in this blog more than once, your feelings, thoughts, words, and actions create your life.  Your belief in who and what you are creates your destiny, as Gandhi so rightly said.  Do you think about what you say to people in conversation?  It can start with someone asking how you are.  What is your response?  “Fine.”  Are you just fine or are you terrific?  How you answer is part of your story.  Personally, I’d rather be terrific than just fine.  Then the conversation begins.  It could be about family, work, neighbors, or the world situation.  What do you say?  Is it the conditioned response of how bad the economy is, how you wish your spouse would (whatever fits into this slot), how you hate your job, or that you feel underpaid?  How you see all these things becomes your story.  Is it a happy story, the story you would like to be living, or is it a pat answer?  “The economy is terrible and so many people are in debt, including me.”  I wish my husband/wife would (again – whatever you are wishing they would be or do).”  “My boss is a jerk and never appreciates what I do for the small wage I earn.”  What do you say when someone asks how you are?  Do you begin the list of maladies afflicting you?

Everyone knows someone, or more than one someone, whose identity is their illness or problems.  The sad truth of this is, once you allow an illness or problems to become your identity, it is truly what is given to you.  People who feel that they are their illness, and it is most of what they discuss, will continue to have that illness, for it is what they believe about themselves.  The same is true for those who “wish” their spouse was different in some way.  They will keep on wishing.  Or complaining about how your boss treats you is allowing him/her to continue to treat you that way.

The way you look at things, your very own perception and how you broadcast this out to the Universe through friends and family, is exactly how the Universe will allow your life to be.  You get what you believe, focus upon, put a vibration out upon, and perceive things as being.  How would you like to feel about your health?  Do you want to continue to become your illness, if that is how you see yourself?  Wouldn’t you rather be strong, healthy, vibrant, and have a zest for life?  If so, then see yourself that way.  When someone asks how you are, tell them you are well, you feel great!  Or take smaller steps.  Begin by saying you feel better!  You may not believe what you are saying at first, but over time things will turn in that direction.  It is Law.

How would you like to see the world?  Stop believing all the media tells you, or the politicians tell you.  Everyone has his or her own agenda to manipulate the collective consciousness.  If you want the world to be a better place, begin to see it that way and stop watching all the hype.  See it as you would like to see it - a heaven on earth, a place where there is total trust and friendship around the globe, everyone having all they need.  When you begin to see your own desire for this world, you drop the collective consciousness perspective, and stop being the sheep.  Be the leader.  If people talk about how bad things are, turn it around and reach for something that is right with it all.  There is much right with things – the media just doesn’t talk about it – it doesn’t sell news.  There are heroes in this world; there are some wonderful things happening around the globe, but no one focuses upon those so they are lost to the collective.  Look for the good.

What you speak becomes your truth and your life.  What kind of life do you wish to have?  Begin to tell that story instead of the story about the life you do not like, which most people speak of as a rote thing, out of habit.  The Universe loves stories; and if you want a more joyful life, healthier life, prosperous life, or more love in your life, begin to tell that story and the Universe will create things for you in alignment with that new energy you are putting out.  It is Law.

I am going to use an example of something I recently experienced to describe how this can work for you as well.  It has to do with how I chose to perceive what appeared to be a crisis, in order to tell the best feeling story I could muster.  My home flooded a few days ago, which was the first drop of any water in this house, ever.  Water was coming into three sides of my basement apartment at an alarming rate.  I called for help in dealing with it from my landlady’s friend, who showed up with a wet vac, along with the one I had.  We stemmed the tides all day.  He had to leave eventually, so I was on my own through the night.  Twenty-seven straight hours of wet vacuuming and carrying heavy gallons outside to dump.  Yes, I cursed a few times after my back was aching from carrying all that water.  But I knew there was a lesson in this, so what I focused on was what it meant through each moment; what I could learn, what opportunity for growth there was.  Water means going with the flow.  When a man resolved the issue with an excavator, finding a clogged drain pipe, I had to ask what I had been blocking that finally purged.  This was the reflective perception I needed to understand the metaphor.  Because I saw it as an opportunity to grow, I found the stamina to deal with vacuuming for 27 hours. 

I came to know it was a test of initiation, which happens when you desire and choose to walk a path of enlightenment.  I know that when something happens in the physical, something is also happening at a higher level where true reality lies, like a reflection.  I wondered what it was I was supposed to be seeing in this reflection.  I discovered it was surrender and trust that all is truly well on an even deeper level than I had worked to get to.  And the tests of initiation come from the Universal Law of Relativity, which deals with how we manage thoughts as we face problems.  We can go through self-pity, or see them as opportunities.  We have a choice in every moment as to how to perceive things.

Seeing this as an opportunity allowed me to tell my story, not from self-pity, but with a wondering, an excitement of what I was to learn through it all.  I maintained neutrality (Law of Polarity) and was able to smile through much of it, for the anticipation of learning was foremost to me.  When it finally came to a conclusion, I had learned a deep lesson of trust, a deep peace that I was totally taken care of by my own higher being and the higher realm.  It all came from a choice in perception and the more positive story I told family and friends. 

This is true for all stories, not just mine.  When crisis arrives in one form or another, look upon it as an opportunity and gratefulness (seems crazy I know), but if you can see the lesson in the metaphor, tell the story with a smile, think positively before you speak, and see a chance to grow, your stories can also have a happy ending if you tell them in a positive way.  It IS the Law of the Universe.  

            Many people who have had a near death experience have come back telling those around them that they were greeted by their family dog, or cat, or other animal that had been part of the family.  Many people believe that animals have souls.  There are those, however, that do not.

            I remember working with a young woman long ago, who was a self-proclaimed born again Christian and believed that animals do not have souls.  I asked her if she believed that God was all around her, in all things, as God created all things.  She agreed that God created all things, but wasn’t too sure about God being in all things.  What it came down to for her was that only people were God-like and the rest was put here for us to enjoy - that animals were here to serve us.  I felt badly for her, for she was not seeing God all around her, everywhere she cast her gaze, and to me, missing a great deal.

            She also said that is why she thought Native Americans were pagan because they prayed to everything, and therefore believed in more than one God.  I told her that Native Americans believe in one God, but saw God in all things, and therefore could pray to all things, but there is only one Wakan Tanka, or Great Spirit.  Having lived with and studied Native ceremonies and teachings for many years, I felt I had a bit more knowledge on this than she did. 

            I find it odd that some truly believe that the earth was created only for man.  What kind of privileged thinking does that belong to?  I believe, and also have been told by higher authority, that God (call that force what you will) is made manifest in all things (as the Native Americans believe).  And so, animals have souls.  I never doubted that for an instant.

            Animals treat their young as humans do, with touch, love, affection, and raising them just as thoughtfully, giving them the skills they need to survive.  They are mostly social creatures, and if treated kindly, the wildest beasts can become friends with man.  I have a book that I bring to read to the residents at the nursing home where I volunteer.  It is titled Unlikely Friendships, by Jennifer S. Holland.  The stories are two to three pages long with remarkable photos about oddball relationships between different species; how one will take another under their wing, sort to speak, and become best friends.  Birds with monkeys, lizards with cats, dogs and cats together with baby ducks and chicks, leopards with cows.  The list is striking.  It truly shows the need and willingness for love in all species, and how far animals are willing to go to give and receive love. 

            Animal love is unconditional.  Anyone who owns a dog certainly knows that.  What they are teaching us is how to also achieve that unconditional love.  They set an example for us in how to be more loving, no matter what.  Love comes from the heart and soul, not the brain.  Animals have put themselves at risk over and over again to save lives.  So how is it if they behave this way, willing to give their own lives for a human, they do not have a soul?  And these are not trained rescue animals I’m speaking of.  These are creatures who seem to have it in their DNA.  There are so many stories, especially of dogs and dolphins, who have gone out of their way to save a life.

            I believe the deeper meaning to all this is that Source is in all things, for Source is energy, and all things, especially souls, are manifested from this energy.  Therefore all things hold the energy of Source. 

            Those saying that animals are here to serve might be correct if they take that one step further and say, “Man is also here to serve - serve each other and all things on this planet for the highest good.”  Animals seem to know that when they are born.  They are here for a purpose, live that purpose and then go on.  Look deeply into the eyes of an animal and you will see more soul reflected there than in most people’s eyes.  They are born loving unconditionally, whether the family dog, or the gorilla in the wild.  They love their own as we do, and our domesticated animals love us as their own, (especially cats who do think they own us).

            I have received an email a few times about a very young boy’s thoughts on the death of the family dog.  He said people live longer than animals because it takes people longer to learn how to love.  Animals are born knowing, so they don’t have to be here so long.  How astute!

            Both Ariel and Sandalphon have come forth to bring some thoughts to this.

            “We see much interaction between souls in the form of man and souls in the form of animals; some so very loving, some so very harsh.  However, animals do choose and make contracts prior to being born as well.  As cruel as someone might treat an animal, that animal’s soul knows why it is here and how it is serving the very person that might abuse it.  We do not say abuse is therefore okay, for there needs to be only love.  What we are saying is there should be no judgment, for anyone judging does not understand or know the contract between the soul of the human and the soul of the animal.  And the animal, in taking on this task is serving its own soul, to perhaps rise to a higher or better level of being. 

            “Serving does not mean they are slaves, anymore than serving God makes slaves of mankind.  It is all done with love.  Even the animals that are slaughtered to be eaten know their path.  They have a survival instinct and will run if possible, but their souls know they were put here to serve in that way and choose to do so gladly, believe it or not.  Again, it helps their souls to grow.  But if you do eat of an animal, do so with respect, mindfulness, and gratitude.  This is how many of your tribes from early man, and still within many cultures, see it and act upon it.  They will slay a deer for food for their family, but do so with thanks, ceremony, and offerings.  This is the respectful way – being present with what the animal has gifted you with – it’s body.  But it, too, is just a body, as the soul has gone on.

            “Also know that animals know when you grieve them, as humans also do when they cross into another dimension.  None of them want you to grieve, for they, being in the other dimension, better understand what is illusion and what is reality.  Animals certainly do not want you to grieve them, as they are closer to Source in understanding this cycle than many humans are, for they do not have the ego to contend with.  They know they go on, return, etc.  They still watch over you, as any loved one would, for not all of their soul is in their form either.  So even if that soul is born back, there is a part of it that is still in the higher realm and will greet you when you arrive.  It is rather like when they greeted you when you came home from work.  No different, just in another place.

            “All is God – animals, trees, insects, air, water – ALL things.  Treat all things as you would treat God – with deep love and respect.  Know that for the survival of species there is sacrifice of the body, one to the other, but the soul goes on, and if that sacrifice is done with respect, there is no trauma whatsoever.  The soul has done what it came to do and is thankful.”

Love and blessings,

Magdrael