How could you reach the pearl by only looking at the sea? If you seek the pearl, be a diver: the diver needs several qualities: he must trust his rope and his life to the Friend's hand, he must stop breathing, and he must jump.
--Rumi
Friday, March 31, 2006
That Day, by Natalie Imbruglia
That day, that day
What a mess what a marvel
I walked into that cloud again
And I lost myself
And I’m sad, sad, sad
Small, alone, scared
Craving purity
A fragile mind and
A gentle spirit
That day, that day
What a marvelous mess
This is all that I can do
I’m done to be me
Sad, scared, small, alone, beautiful
It’s supposed to be like this
I accept everything
It’s supposed to be like this
That day, that day
I lay down beside myself
In this feeling of pain, sadness
Scared, small, climbing, crawling
Towards the light
And it’s all I see and
I’m tired and I’m right
And I’m wrong
And it’s beautiful
That day that day
What a mess
What a marvel
We’re all the same
And no one thinks so
And it’s okay
And I’m small
And I’m divine
And it’s beautiful
And it’s coming
But it’s already here
And it’s absolutely perfect
That day, that day
When everything was a mess
And everything was in place
And there’s too much hurt
Sad, small, scared, alone
And everyone’s a cynic
And it’s hard and it’s sweet
But it’s supposed
To be like this
That day, that day
When I sat in the sun
And I thought and I cried
’cause I’m sad, scared, small
Alone, strong
And I’m nothing
And I’m true
Only a brave man
Can break through
And it’s all okay
Yeah, it’s okay
That day, that day
I lay down beside myself
In this feeling of pain, sadness
Scared, small, climbing, crawling
Towards the light
And it’s all I see and
I’m tired and I’m right
And I’m wrong
And it’s beautiful
That day that day
What a mess
What a marvel
We’re all the same
And no one thinks so
And it’s okay
And I’m small
And I’m divine
And it’s beautiful
And it’s coming
But it’s already here
And it’s absolutely perfect
That day, that day
What a mess what a marvel
I walked into that cloud again
And I lost myself
And I’m sad, sad, sad
Small, alone, scared
Craving purity
A fragile mind and
A gentle spirit
That day, that day
What a marvelous mess
This is all that I can do
I’m done to be me
Sad, scared, small, alone, beautiful
It’s supposed to be like this
I accept everything
It’s supposed to be like this
That day, that day
I lay down beside myself
In this feeling of pain, sadness
Scared, small, climbing, crawling
Towards the light
And it’s all I see and
I’m tired and I’m right
And I’m wrong
And it’s beautiful
That day that day
What a mess
What a marvel
We’re all the same
And no one thinks so
And it’s okay
And I’m small
And I’m divine
And it’s beautiful
And it’s coming
But it’s already here
And it’s absolutely perfect
That day, that day
When everything was a mess
And everything was in place
And there’s too much hurt
Sad, small, scared, alone
And everyone’s a cynic
And it’s hard and it’s sweet
But it’s supposed
To be like this
That day, that day
When I sat in the sun
And I thought and I cried
’cause I’m sad, scared, small
Alone, strong
And I’m nothing
And I’m true
Only a brave man
Can break through
And it’s all okay
Yeah, it’s okay
That day, that day
I lay down beside myself
In this feeling of pain, sadness
Scared, small, climbing, crawling
Towards the light
And it’s all I see and
I’m tired and I’m right
And I’m wrong
And it’s beautiful
That day that day
What a mess
What a marvel
We’re all the same
And no one thinks so
And it’s okay
And I’m small
And I’m divine
And it’s beautiful
And it’s coming
But it’s already here
And it’s absolutely perfect
Byron Katie tells this story in her book 'loving what is':
Once, as I walked into the ladies'room at a restaurant near myhome, a woman came out of the single stall. We smiled at eachother, and, as I closed the door, she began to sing and wash herhands. "What a lovely voice!" I thought. Then, as I heard herleave, I noticed that the toilet seat was dripping wet. "How couldanyone be so rude?" I thought. "And how did she manage to peeall over the seat? Was she standing on it?" Then it came to me thatshe was a man-a transvestite, singing falsetto in the women'srestroom. It crossed my mind to go after her (him) and let him knowwhat a mess he'd made. As I cleaned the toilet seat, I thought abouteverything I'd say to him. Then I flushed the toilet. The water shotup out of the bowl and flooded the seat. And I just stood therelaughing.
In this case, the natural course of events was kind enough to exposemy story before it went any further....
Once, as I walked into the ladies'room at a restaurant near myhome, a woman came out of the single stall. We smiled at eachother, and, as I closed the door, she began to sing and wash herhands. "What a lovely voice!" I thought. Then, as I heard herleave, I noticed that the toilet seat was dripping wet. "How couldanyone be so rude?" I thought. "And how did she manage to peeall over the seat? Was she standing on it?" Then it came to me thatshe was a man-a transvestite, singing falsetto in the women'srestroom. It crossed my mind to go after her (him) and let him knowwhat a mess he'd made. As I cleaned the toilet seat, I thought abouteverything I'd say to him. Then I flushed the toilet. The water shotup out of the bowl and flooded the seat. And I just stood therelaughing.
In this case, the natural course of events was kind enough to exposemy story before it went any further....
Thursday, March 30, 2006
"Half of what you know today will be obsolete in five years. That prospect should fill you with excitement." -Vimala Blavatsky
Horoscopes for the week!
ARIES (March 21-April 19): It would be a great time to launch several new ventures all at once, even if it means abandoning an old project you've been working on for months. APRIL FOOL! Don't you dare do what I just suggested. The future won't thrive unless you lavish the past with the gift of your careful attention. Please please please put the finishing touches on a labor of love you've been working on for months--and *then* start new projects.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Does the curse "goddamn it" fly out of your mouth every time you stub your toe or misplace your keys? Do you know the brand names of ten different beers but have trouble remembering any of the Ten Commandments? Do you sometimes undress people in your imagination without their permission? If so, says the *Weekly World News,* you're going to hell when you die many years from now. There is, however, a tiny chance you can begin some atonement now that will cancel out the karma from the above-named sins and stave off eternal damnation. APRIL FOOL! The acts I named aren't sins, and besides, there's no such thing as hell. However, it's true that this is a good time to seek forgiveness and try to correct old mistakes.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The number 6714 has always been devoid of any cosmic significance for you. It has failed to be involved with a single stroke of good fortune. But now it has burst into your life to serve as your lucky number--an omen of abundance, grace, and success. Your assignment: Make prodigious use of 6714. APRIL FOOL! There is no such thing as a lucky number, except in the sense that all numbers are lucky numbers for those people who believe they are lucky. Your *real* assignment is this, Gemini: Find a way to believe in your heart that for you, all numbers are lucky.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Watch out for fake pizza-delivery drivers who're actually trying to issue you a subpoena. Be careful you don't see a blood red sky at dusk, in case it's a bad omen predicting the outbreak of tribulations. Beware of the possibility that a large bird carrying a turtle to its nest accidentally drops its prey on your head from a great height. APRIL FOOL! The truth is, my fellow Cancerian, this should be one of the most worry-free weeks in the history of your life. You're welcome, of course, to dream up a host of scary fantasies if you find that entertaining, but I can practically guarantee that they'll all be illusory.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I'm reasonably certain that a supermodel wearing antlers and clown face paint will soon offer you $10,000 for the right to spank you on national TV. It'll be that kind of week, Leo: a time when opportunities will come your way cloaked in seemingly absurd circumstances. You might also expect that a homeless person with the flu will offer to lead you to a dumpster in which there's a suitcase containing a priceless 2,500-year-old archaeological artifact. APRIL FOOL! It's true that this week will bring more opportunities than usual, and they'll probably all have some odd twist--but not quite *that* odd.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): This is a perfect astrological moment to recreate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel using Play-Doh as your raw material. It's also a good time to learn to play Mozart's *Magic Flute* on the kazoo, produce an abridged, 1,000-word version of James Joyce's *Ulysses,* or build a miniature model of the Sphinx using toothpicks and rubber bands. APRIL FOOL! Doing any of the things I just described would be a silly waste of time and energy. Please find projects that are truly worthy of your creativity, which is overflowing right now.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Astronomers estimate that about 8,500 stars are visible to the naked eye. Half of them are always below the horizon and therefore out of sight. Since most of us live amidst the light pollution of cities, the number of stars we can actually see is further reduced to about 2,500. Your assignment this week, Libra, is to go outside on a clear, moonless night and make a wish on 1,000 of those stars. It's the Wishing Season. Go wild. APRIL FOOL! While it's true that this is the Wishing Season, it would be a poor use of your energy to dilute your longing in such a scattershot manner. Instead, choose just one of the visible stars and beam your most important heart's desire in its direction.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Due to a special dispensation from the cosmic powers-that-be, you have been authorized to basically just sit around and do nothing this week. Are you ready to enjoy the pleasures of laziness and dissipation, Scorpio? Do you feel overdue for an extended phase of vegging out? You can do so without incurring even a pinch of karmic debt. APRIL FOOL! The truth is that you now have so much physical energy and emotional stamina that you can be three times as intense as you've ever been before. That's a good thing, since the universe will be working you three times as hard as usual.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): "I always advise people never to give advice," said P.G. Wodehouse. Having seen the wisdom of his counsel, I will from now on fill your horoscopes with poetic and philosophical ruminations about your destiny, but I will never again give advice. There are enough people in this world telling you what you should do. I pledge to make this space your sanctuary. APRIL FOOL! The truth is, dispensing advice is in my genes. For me to repress it would be like asking Howard Stern to stop being vulgar. Now here's my advice for you: Identify a natural talent that you were born to express. Then take one practical step to bring it into a fuller flowering.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The still, small voice within you usually just provides you vague platitudes about how to be a better citizen. But in the coming days, it will offer you truly useful information that could help you become richer, sexier, more popular, and more powerful. It may even give you the winning numbers of the lottery. Make damn sure you tune in. APRIL FOOL! The still, small voice within you does *not* just provide vague platitudes about how to be a better citizen. If you believe that, you're listening to the wrong still, small voice. In fact, the real one is always overflowing with extremely practical information about how to run your day-to-day life in a way that's fun and meaningful. Listen harder and faster than usual, please.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): This would be an excellent week to profit by spreading deception and misinformation, Aquarius. Your skills as a liar are at a peak. The more falsehoods you concoct, the more successful you will be. APRIL FOOL! It's true that you could achieve illusory progress with the help of deceit. But that progress would soon lead you into a morass that would sap your energy. Besides, the ironic fact of the matter is that you now have the capacity to tell the truth with more clarity and gusto than you ever have before. To take advantage of that potential will bring you surprising rewards in the long run, even if they may require short-term sacrifices.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): It's high time for you to spend more money, Pisces. You're lagging way behind in your purchase of the goods and services you desperately need. Not only that: You've been lax in getting yourself the profound healing that can only come from shopping therapy. Get out there and splurge! Your role model is the Pentagon, which shells out an average of $8,612 per second. APRIL FOOL! I was just kidding. The truth is that it makes sense for you to spend more money on only one thing: experiences that will help you get better at performing a beloved skill that will fuel many future adventures.
If you go to the site ( http://freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/ ) there are pictures and quotes to go with them.
Luf to YOU!
Horoscopes for the week!
ARIES (March 21-April 19): It would be a great time to launch several new ventures all at once, even if it means abandoning an old project you've been working on for months. APRIL FOOL! Don't you dare do what I just suggested. The future won't thrive unless you lavish the past with the gift of your careful attention. Please please please put the finishing touches on a labor of love you've been working on for months--and *then* start new projects.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Does the curse "goddamn it" fly out of your mouth every time you stub your toe or misplace your keys? Do you know the brand names of ten different beers but have trouble remembering any of the Ten Commandments? Do you sometimes undress people in your imagination without their permission? If so, says the *Weekly World News,* you're going to hell when you die many years from now. There is, however, a tiny chance you can begin some atonement now that will cancel out the karma from the above-named sins and stave off eternal damnation. APRIL FOOL! The acts I named aren't sins, and besides, there's no such thing as hell. However, it's true that this is a good time to seek forgiveness and try to correct old mistakes.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The number 6714 has always been devoid of any cosmic significance for you. It has failed to be involved with a single stroke of good fortune. But now it has burst into your life to serve as your lucky number--an omen of abundance, grace, and success. Your assignment: Make prodigious use of 6714. APRIL FOOL! There is no such thing as a lucky number, except in the sense that all numbers are lucky numbers for those people who believe they are lucky. Your *real* assignment is this, Gemini: Find a way to believe in your heart that for you, all numbers are lucky.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Watch out for fake pizza-delivery drivers who're actually trying to issue you a subpoena. Be careful you don't see a blood red sky at dusk, in case it's a bad omen predicting the outbreak of tribulations. Beware of the possibility that a large bird carrying a turtle to its nest accidentally drops its prey on your head from a great height. APRIL FOOL! The truth is, my fellow Cancerian, this should be one of the most worry-free weeks in the history of your life. You're welcome, of course, to dream up a host of scary fantasies if you find that entertaining, but I can practically guarantee that they'll all be illusory.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I'm reasonably certain that a supermodel wearing antlers and clown face paint will soon offer you $10,000 for the right to spank you on national TV. It'll be that kind of week, Leo: a time when opportunities will come your way cloaked in seemingly absurd circumstances. You might also expect that a homeless person with the flu will offer to lead you to a dumpster in which there's a suitcase containing a priceless 2,500-year-old archaeological artifact. APRIL FOOL! It's true that this week will bring more opportunities than usual, and they'll probably all have some odd twist--but not quite *that* odd.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): This is a perfect astrological moment to recreate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel using Play-Doh as your raw material. It's also a good time to learn to play Mozart's *Magic Flute* on the kazoo, produce an abridged, 1,000-word version of James Joyce's *Ulysses,* or build a miniature model of the Sphinx using toothpicks and rubber bands. APRIL FOOL! Doing any of the things I just described would be a silly waste of time and energy. Please find projects that are truly worthy of your creativity, which is overflowing right now.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Astronomers estimate that about 8,500 stars are visible to the naked eye. Half of them are always below the horizon and therefore out of sight. Since most of us live amidst the light pollution of cities, the number of stars we can actually see is further reduced to about 2,500. Your assignment this week, Libra, is to go outside on a clear, moonless night and make a wish on 1,000 of those stars. It's the Wishing Season. Go wild. APRIL FOOL! While it's true that this is the Wishing Season, it would be a poor use of your energy to dilute your longing in such a scattershot manner. Instead, choose just one of the visible stars and beam your most important heart's desire in its direction.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Due to a special dispensation from the cosmic powers-that-be, you have been authorized to basically just sit around and do nothing this week. Are you ready to enjoy the pleasures of laziness and dissipation, Scorpio? Do you feel overdue for an extended phase of vegging out? You can do so without incurring even a pinch of karmic debt. APRIL FOOL! The truth is that you now have so much physical energy and emotional stamina that you can be three times as intense as you've ever been before. That's a good thing, since the universe will be working you three times as hard as usual.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): "I always advise people never to give advice," said P.G. Wodehouse. Having seen the wisdom of his counsel, I will from now on fill your horoscopes with poetic and philosophical ruminations about your destiny, but I will never again give advice. There are enough people in this world telling you what you should do. I pledge to make this space your sanctuary. APRIL FOOL! The truth is, dispensing advice is in my genes. For me to repress it would be like asking Howard Stern to stop being vulgar. Now here's my advice for you: Identify a natural talent that you were born to express. Then take one practical step to bring it into a fuller flowering.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The still, small voice within you usually just provides you vague platitudes about how to be a better citizen. But in the coming days, it will offer you truly useful information that could help you become richer, sexier, more popular, and more powerful. It may even give you the winning numbers of the lottery. Make damn sure you tune in. APRIL FOOL! The still, small voice within you does *not* just provide vague platitudes about how to be a better citizen. If you believe that, you're listening to the wrong still, small voice. In fact, the real one is always overflowing with extremely practical information about how to run your day-to-day life in a way that's fun and meaningful. Listen harder and faster than usual, please.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): This would be an excellent week to profit by spreading deception and misinformation, Aquarius. Your skills as a liar are at a peak. The more falsehoods you concoct, the more successful you will be. APRIL FOOL! It's true that you could achieve illusory progress with the help of deceit. But that progress would soon lead you into a morass that would sap your energy. Besides, the ironic fact of the matter is that you now have the capacity to tell the truth with more clarity and gusto than you ever have before. To take advantage of that potential will bring you surprising rewards in the long run, even if they may require short-term sacrifices.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): It's high time for you to spend more money, Pisces. You're lagging way behind in your purchase of the goods and services you desperately need. Not only that: You've been lax in getting yourself the profound healing that can only come from shopping therapy. Get out there and splurge! Your role model is the Pentagon, which shells out an average of $8,612 per second. APRIL FOOL! I was just kidding. The truth is that it makes sense for you to spend more money on only one thing: experiences that will help you get better at performing a beloved skill that will fuel many future adventures.
If you go to the site ( http://freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/ ) there are pictures and quotes to go with them.
Luf to YOU!
A Time to Sing
La la la di da da dum di dum da di di daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I've been doing all these "A Time to..." posts lately, without meaning to name them in such a similar way. Just sort of happens. Pretty cool!
Sunday, March 26, 2006
"It is necessary...to realise, not that [one] should not judge, but that he cannot. In giving up judgement he is merely giving up what he did not have. He gives up an illusion; or better, he has an illusion of giving up. He has actually become merely more honest. Recognising that judgemnet was always impossible for him, he no longer attempts it. This is no sacrifice.
...
"the recognition that judgement in the usual sense is impossible. This is not an opinion but a fact. In order to judge anything rightly, one would have to be fuly aware of an incoceivably wide range of things; past, present and to come. One would have to recognise in advance all the effects of his judgements on everyone and anything involved in them in any way. And one would have to be certain there is no distortion in his perception, so that his judgemnet would be wholly fair to everyone on whom it rests now and in the future. Who is in a position to do this? Who except in grandiose fantasies would claim this for himself?
"Remember how many times you thought you knew all the 'facts' you needed for judgement, and how wrong you were! Is there anyone who has not had this experience? Would you know how many times you merely thought you were right, without ever realising you were wrong?
...
"Therefore lay judgemnt down, not with regret but with a sigh of gratitude. Now you are free of a burden so great the you could merely stagger and fall down beneath it. And it was illusion. Nothing more...[Now] where he came to judge, he comes to bless. Where now he laughs, he used to come to weep.
"It is not diffcult to relinquish judgement. But it is difficult indeed to try to keep it. [One] lays it down happily the instant he recognises its cost. All of the ugliness he sees about him is its outcome. All of the pain he looks upon is its result. All of the loneliness and sense of loss; of passing of time and growing hopelessness; of sickening despair and fear of death; all these have come of it. And now he knows that these things need not be. Not one is true. For he has given up their cause, and they, which never were but the effects of his mistaken choice, have fallen from him..."
--A Course in Miracles
...
"the recognition that judgement in the usual sense is impossible. This is not an opinion but a fact. In order to judge anything rightly, one would have to be fuly aware of an incoceivably wide range of things; past, present and to come. One would have to recognise in advance all the effects of his judgements on everyone and anything involved in them in any way. And one would have to be certain there is no distortion in his perception, so that his judgemnet would be wholly fair to everyone on whom it rests now and in the future. Who is in a position to do this? Who except in grandiose fantasies would claim this for himself?
"Remember how many times you thought you knew all the 'facts' you needed for judgement, and how wrong you were! Is there anyone who has not had this experience? Would you know how many times you merely thought you were right, without ever realising you were wrong?
...
"Therefore lay judgemnt down, not with regret but with a sigh of gratitude. Now you are free of a burden so great the you could merely stagger and fall down beneath it. And it was illusion. Nothing more...[Now] where he came to judge, he comes to bless. Where now he laughs, he used to come to weep.
"It is not diffcult to relinquish judgement. But it is difficult indeed to try to keep it. [One] lays it down happily the instant he recognises its cost. All of the ugliness he sees about him is its outcome. All of the pain he looks upon is its result. All of the loneliness and sense of loss; of passing of time and growing hopelessness; of sickening despair and fear of death; all these have come of it. And now he knows that these things need not be. Not one is true. For he has given up their cause, and they, which never were but the effects of his mistaken choice, have fallen from him..."
--A Course in Miracles
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Man is eyes, the rest is only flesh: But the true eyes are those that see the Friend; ... Merge the whole of yourself in your eyes, Go towards the vision, go towards the vision, go towards the vision. --Rumi
You+Me=Us
Happy Harmony Day!
AND!
Happy Mabon (autumn equinox) (or Ostara, the spring equinox, to you nothern hemisphere people)! Mabon is a time to remember, celebrate and be thankful for the abundance of life, when we remember that we reap what we sow, and perhaps even decide to sow seeds of joy love in the coming year. Although henceforth the days will shorten and the temperature will colden for a time, we remember that this is only temporary and that the earth will burst forth once more in full life after the darkness and cold of winter. In this, we can see symbolised the cycles of life itself on a number of levels. Internally, we can remember that even through the hard times there is hope, that we will emerge once more, blessed; therefore, rejoice! Also, we can perhaps remember that death is not the end; and that 'death' in a symbolic sense is neccessary for growth and renewal; endings are merely new beginnings. We remember the times that have been with joy, and strive forth ahead in hope and love.
Of course, some of you probably like winter better than summer, in which case you could consider things the other way around! Whatever works for you.
Nevertheless, I would like to take hold of this opportunity to express my gratitude for the eternal abundance of life. Thank you!!! May I sow seeds of love and joy in times to come, and may I remember and embrace the neccessary dying that is part of life.
Thank you again!
You+Me=Us
Happy Harmony Day!
AND!
Happy Mabon (autumn equinox) (or Ostara, the spring equinox, to you nothern hemisphere people)! Mabon is a time to remember, celebrate and be thankful for the abundance of life, when we remember that we reap what we sow, and perhaps even decide to sow seeds of joy love in the coming year. Although henceforth the days will shorten and the temperature will colden for a time, we remember that this is only temporary and that the earth will burst forth once more in full life after the darkness and cold of winter. In this, we can see symbolised the cycles of life itself on a number of levels. Internally, we can remember that even through the hard times there is hope, that we will emerge once more, blessed; therefore, rejoice! Also, we can perhaps remember that death is not the end; and that 'death' in a symbolic sense is neccessary for growth and renewal; endings are merely new beginnings. We remember the times that have been with joy, and strive forth ahead in hope and love.
Of course, some of you probably like winter better than summer, in which case you could consider things the other way around! Whatever works for you.
Nevertheless, I would like to take hold of this opportunity to express my gratitude for the eternal abundance of life. Thank you!!! May I sow seeds of love and joy in times to come, and may I remember and embrace the neccessary dying that is part of life.
Thank you again!
*
Once upon a time, Yukon miners found a ten thousand year old Lupine seed in frozen silt and they turned it over to scientists who grew from it a perfectly healthy bush.
*
Tarot cards for the day, randomly chosen form the pack:
- The Star: represents the refreshing of the mind and spirit after a period of darkness-through love, unselfish help, and encouragement-bringing hope and spiritual inspiration.
- The Five of Wands: Denotes the triumph of love over obstacles, or a determined struggle that overcomes material adversity-but with a warning that mental ability is needed to triumph, then a change for the better will follow
All seems beautifully, perfectly pertinent to the day! Let's all think about how cool life is for a while...
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
A time to pray
I have been asked to say a prayer for you all right now. At the word "asked" I withdraw a little, thinking myself presumptuous. Could I really be "asked" to do something?
I pray...who shall I pray to? To whatever deity is yours, and to the essence that underlies them all, to the luminifluous, shimmelodious, revordial, freshervescent, thrivodious universe, to the sublime divine within and all around, but particularly to that within because it is all around.
I pray that you will all be showered with blessings at every moment of your existence, and that you will perceive this.
May find your truest, most heartfelt dreams and follow along their path forever and ever, and know that the hard times are just as much a gift as the good times.
May you thrive in love and grow to see.
Oh revordial luminifluoscity, help us to live in the light of love and truth. Help us to forgive ourselves, and to forgive others thereby forgiving ourselves, that we may let ourselves and everyone off the hook so we can move forward whole heartedly to a better way of being.
May you be blessed with all that is truely best for you, even if it is not what I think it is.
Amen. Blessed be. Namaste.
I pray...who shall I pray to? To whatever deity is yours, and to the essence that underlies them all, to the luminifluous, shimmelodious, revordial, freshervescent, thrivodious universe, to the sublime divine within and all around, but particularly to that within because it is all around.
I pray that you will all be showered with blessings at every moment of your existence, and that you will perceive this.
May find your truest, most heartfelt dreams and follow along their path forever and ever, and know that the hard times are just as much a gift as the good times.
May you thrive in love and grow to see.
Oh revordial luminifluoscity, help us to live in the light of love and truth. Help us to forgive ourselves, and to forgive others thereby forgiving ourselves, that we may let ourselves and everyone off the hook so we can move forward whole heartedly to a better way of being.
May you be blessed with all that is truely best for you, even if it is not what I think it is.
Amen. Blessed be. Namaste.
Because by The Beatles
Because the world is round it turns me on.
Because the world is round...ahhhhhhh...
Love is old, love is new,
Love is all, love is you.
Because the wind is high it blows my mind.
Because the wind is high...ahhhhhhh...
Love is old, love is new,
Love is all, love is you.
Because the sky is blue it makes me cry.
Because the sky is blue...ahhhhhh...
Love is old, love is new,
Love is all, love is you.
Because the world is round it turns me on.
Because the world is round...ahhhhhhh...
Love is old, love is new,
Love is all, love is you.
Because the wind is high it blows my mind.
Because the wind is high...ahhhhhhh...
Love is old, love is new,
Love is all, love is you.
Because the sky is blue it makes me cry.
Because the sky is blue...ahhhhhh...
Love is old, love is new,
Love is all, love is you.
A time for love
"There is no one in the world who does not deserve some respect. He who pays respect to another by so doing respects himself, for respect creates respect, while disrespect reechoes in disrespect. The greatest education that can be given to a child is that of respect, not only for his friends, parents, and relations, but also for the servants in the house. Once the Prophet Muhammad, hearing his grandson call a slave by his name, told him, "Call him Uncle, for he is advanced in years." If one wishes to respect someone, one will surely find something to respect in him; and if there is nothing at all to be found, then the very fact that he is a human being quite entitles him to respect." --From 'The Art of Being and Becoming' Hazrat Inayat Khan
And I have felt a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,
And the round ocean and the living air,
And the blue sky, and in the mind of man;
A motion and a spirit, that impels
All thinking things, all objects of all thoughts,
And rolls through all things.
-- Wordsworth
Monday, March 20, 2006
"Feminist writer Elizabeth Hilts redeemed the misogynist word “bitch” in her book Getting in Touch With Your Inner Bitch. Gays proudly appropriated the previously derogatory word “queer” to describe themselves, thereby celebrating their outré power. In this tradition, the Beauty and Truth Laboratory proposes to reclaim the curse, “Go fuck yourself,” turning it into a sincere wish that the person to whom it is addressed will indulge in life-affirming, self-administered pleasure to the point of rapture.
Now go fuck yourself."
--From Free Will Astrology
Now go fuck yourself."
--From Free Will Astrology
Friday, March 17, 2006
Documentation of delusional self-centredness (in the hope of overcoming, finding a more truthful [and joyful] way of being): today I was told to catch the train and ten to eight, which I thought was too early, why not eight o'clock? No, ten to eight from Hornsby, not Cheltenham.
My stop isn't the only one.
Oh, the mind is funny :)
My stop isn't the only one.
Oh, the mind is funny :)
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Siam's King Mongut had a harem of 9,000 women. On his deathbed, however, before succumbing to the ravages of syphilis, he confessed that he was truly in love with only 700 of his lovers--less than eight percent of the total. Why he didn't concentrate on that eight percent and forget the rest we'll never know. Don't make a similar mistake in the coming months, Cancerian. You will have the chance to indulge in a great variety of pleasurable adventures, but only a fraction will have the potential of nourishing your soul.
BLACK MADONNA RETURNS
by Andrew Harvey
The entire world is now going through a massive crucifixion on all levels. It's going through an environmental crucifixion. Hundreds of species are vanishing every month. It's going through a personal crucifixion. There are two billion people living on less than a dollar a day. It's going through a crucifixion of all the patriarchal systems. Look at Enron and what it has shown us about Corporate America. Look at the Catholic Church's scandals of pedophilia and what it shows us about authority. Look at the growing disillusionment with politicians of all kinds. All of the systems are being exposed as illusory and fantasy-ridden, as deeply corrupt and exploitative.
There's another kind of crucifixion going on: crucifixion of purpose and hope. Everybody is totally bewildered. They know that the world is potentially on the brink of total apocalypse. There's a tremendous danger that as people wake up to the horror of what is going on, they will run into political extremism or into fundamentalism of one kind or another.
So it's extremely important that the wisdom of the 'dark night of the soul' gets across, because if people understand the necessity for this crucifixion, and understand that it's preparing a resurrection and empowerment, then they will be prepared to go through it without too much fear, trusting in the logic of the divine transformation.
The Benedictine monk Bede Griffiths shared with me his experience of the dark night of the soul. He said he was sitting outside his hut one day when he felt as if a hand hit him on the right side of his being. He had suffered a massive heart attack that destroyed what he described as his patriarchal mind and gave him access to a much deeper elaboration of Oneness with all things. He said, "It's a very strange thing, but when I thought of surrendering to the Mother I of course thought of Mary--I often say the 'Hail Mary'--but it was Mary as the Black Madonna that came into my mind. She is the mother of the earth as well as heaven, of the body as well as the soul, the mother of the subconscious, the hidden, of all those powers that the 'masculine' mind represses; the Mother of the sacred darkness. In Her the Western Christian vision of the Divine Mother and the Eastern one merge and meet; you can think of her as both Mary and Kali, both preserver and destroyer. From that time on, I have turned to Her again and again. Invoking Her strength and grace, I find, makes the 'birth' go so much faster and more cleanly."
The power that is doing this to us is coming towards us simultaneously with terrifying destruction and extreme grace and prosperity. The destruction is, in fact, a form of that extreme grace. It's quite clear that humanity is now terminally ill, and can only be transfigured by a totally shocking revelation of its shadow side. And this is what we're living through, these shadow sides exploding in every direction because we have done nothing but betray the sacred in us.
We have lacerated the sacred in others. We have betrayed the sacred in an orgy of fundamentalism. We have brutalized the sacred in nature. We are now terminally destructive.
So only an almost terminal destruction that reveals to us the full extent of our responsibility in this destruction can wake us up. And that is what is happening, and it will get worse. It's bound to get worse. But it is only being done to us for our own redemption.
Those who turn to the Mother in total faith, those who turn to the Black Madonna in total admiration, those who realize the mercy behind the violence will be given extraordinary protection, strength, and revelation. They will be empowered in the core of themselves to become what everybody who has a heart and a mind must now become--a spiritual revolutionary devoting their entire life and all their resources to the preservation of the planet.
Finding the Black Madonna, in whatever form you want to find her, realizing the massive task that she's doing and turning to her for protection is now crucial to the preservation of the planet. It's extremely important that people really come to understand the feminine and turn towards it, because it's our betrayal of the feminine in ourselves and in the divine that has led to this crisis.
A little note: perhaps this can be personally analogous?
by Andrew Harvey
The entire world is now going through a massive crucifixion on all levels. It's going through an environmental crucifixion. Hundreds of species are vanishing every month. It's going through a personal crucifixion. There are two billion people living on less than a dollar a day. It's going through a crucifixion of all the patriarchal systems. Look at Enron and what it has shown us about Corporate America. Look at the Catholic Church's scandals of pedophilia and what it shows us about authority. Look at the growing disillusionment with politicians of all kinds. All of the systems are being exposed as illusory and fantasy-ridden, as deeply corrupt and exploitative.
There's another kind of crucifixion going on: crucifixion of purpose and hope. Everybody is totally bewildered. They know that the world is potentially on the brink of total apocalypse. There's a tremendous danger that as people wake up to the horror of what is going on, they will run into political extremism or into fundamentalism of one kind or another.
So it's extremely important that the wisdom of the 'dark night of the soul' gets across, because if people understand the necessity for this crucifixion, and understand that it's preparing a resurrection and empowerment, then they will be prepared to go through it without too much fear, trusting in the logic of the divine transformation.
The Benedictine monk Bede Griffiths shared with me his experience of the dark night of the soul. He said he was sitting outside his hut one day when he felt as if a hand hit him on the right side of his being. He had suffered a massive heart attack that destroyed what he described as his patriarchal mind and gave him access to a much deeper elaboration of Oneness with all things. He said, "It's a very strange thing, but when I thought of surrendering to the Mother I of course thought of Mary--I often say the 'Hail Mary'--but it was Mary as the Black Madonna that came into my mind. She is the mother of the earth as well as heaven, of the body as well as the soul, the mother of the subconscious, the hidden, of all those powers that the 'masculine' mind represses; the Mother of the sacred darkness. In Her the Western Christian vision of the Divine Mother and the Eastern one merge and meet; you can think of her as both Mary and Kali, both preserver and destroyer. From that time on, I have turned to Her again and again. Invoking Her strength and grace, I find, makes the 'birth' go so much faster and more cleanly."
The power that is doing this to us is coming towards us simultaneously with terrifying destruction and extreme grace and prosperity. The destruction is, in fact, a form of that extreme grace. It's quite clear that humanity is now terminally ill, and can only be transfigured by a totally shocking revelation of its shadow side. And this is what we're living through, these shadow sides exploding in every direction because we have done nothing but betray the sacred in us.
We have lacerated the sacred in others. We have betrayed the sacred in an orgy of fundamentalism. We have brutalized the sacred in nature. We are now terminally destructive.
So only an almost terminal destruction that reveals to us the full extent of our responsibility in this destruction can wake us up. And that is what is happening, and it will get worse. It's bound to get worse. But it is only being done to us for our own redemption.
Those who turn to the Mother in total faith, those who turn to the Black Madonna in total admiration, those who realize the mercy behind the violence will be given extraordinary protection, strength, and revelation. They will be empowered in the core of themselves to become what everybody who has a heart and a mind must now become--a spiritual revolutionary devoting their entire life and all their resources to the preservation of the planet.
Finding the Black Madonna, in whatever form you want to find her, realizing the massive task that she's doing and turning to her for protection is now crucial to the preservation of the planet. It's extremely important that people really come to understand the feminine and turn towards it, because it's our betrayal of the feminine in ourselves and in the divine that has led to this crisis.
A little note: perhaps this can be personally analogous?
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Documentation of delusional self-centredness (in the hope of overcoming, finding a more truthful [and joyful] way of being): today I was told to catch the train and ten to eight, which I thought was too early, why not eight o'clock? No, ten to eight from Hornsby, not Cheltenham.
My stop isn't the only one.
Oh, the mind is funny :)
My stop isn't the only one.
Oh, the mind is funny :)
The more you look, the more you see
I've never seen anything like this before
"The only unnatural sex act is one you cannot perform."--Alfred Kinsey
Goodnight :)
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
What if you slept?
And what if,
In your sleep
You dreamed?
And what if,
In your dream,
You went to heaven
And there plucked
A strange and
Beautiful flower?
And what if,
When you awoke,
You had the flower
In your hand?
--Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began
Now far ahead the road has gone
And I have to follow, if I can
Pursuing it with eager feet
until it meets some larger way
where many paths and errands meet
and wither then? I cannot say
--J.R.R. Tolkien
Darest thou now, O Soul,
Walk out with me toward the Unknown Region,
Where neither ground is for the feet, nor any path to follow?
No map, there, nor guide,
Nor voice sounding, nor touch of human hand,
Nor face with blooming flesh, nor lips, nor eyes, are in that land.
I know it not, O Soul;
Nor dost thou...all is a blank before us;
All waits, undream'd of, in that region...that inaccessible land.
Till, when the ties loosen,
All but the ties eternal, Time and Space,
Nor darkness, gravitation, sense, nor any bounds, bound us.
Then we burst forth...we float,
In Time and Space, O Soul...prepared for them;
Equal, equipt at last...(O joy! O fruit of all!) them to fulfil, O Soul.
--Walt Whitman
The aim of a book may be to instruct, Yet you can also use it as a pillow; Although its object is to give knowledge, direction, profit.
As waves upon my head the circling curl, So in the sacred dance weave ye and whirl. Dance then, O heart, a whirling circle be. Burn in this flame - is not the candle He?
Dance when you are broken open, Dance when you have torn the bandages off, Dance in the middle of the fighting, Dance in your blood, Dance when you are perfectly free.
Only Love. Only the holder the flag fits into, and wind. No Flag.
If thou wilt be observant and vigilant, thou wilt see at every moment the response to thy action. Be observant if thou wouldst have a pure heart, for something is born to thee in consequence of every action.
--Rumi
As waves upon my head the circling curl, So in the sacred dance weave ye and whirl. Dance then, O heart, a whirling circle be. Burn in this flame - is not the candle He?
Dance when you are broken open, Dance when you have torn the bandages off, Dance in the middle of the fighting, Dance in your blood, Dance when you are perfectly free.
Only Love. Only the holder the flag fits into, and wind. No Flag.
If thou wilt be observant and vigilant, thou wilt see at every moment the response to thy action. Be observant if thou wouldst have a pure heart, for something is born to thee in consequence of every action.
Stay in the company of lovers.
Those other kinds of people, they each
want to show you something.
A crow will lead you to an empty barn,
A parrot to sugar.
--Rumi
Monday, March 13, 2006
Monday, March 06, 2006
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Saturday, March 04, 2006
10000 maniacs - Trouble Me (vocals: Natalie Merchant)
Trouble me, disturb me with all your cares and your worries.
Trouble me on the days when you feel spent.
Why let your shoulders bend underneath this burden when my back
is sturdy and strong?
Trouble me.
Speak to me, don't mislead me,
the calm I feel means a storm is
swelling;
there's no telling where it starts or how it ends.
Speak to me, why are you building this thick brick wall to
defend me when your silence is my greatest fear?
Why let your shoulders bend underneath this burden when my back
is sturdy and strong?
Speak to me.
Let me have a look inside these eyes while I'm learning.
Please don't hide them just because of tears.
Let me send you off to sleep with a "There, there, now stop
your turning and tossing."
Let me know where the hurt is and how to heal.
Spare me? Don't spare me anything troubling.
Trouble me, disturb me with all your cares and you worries.
Speak to me and let our words build a shelter from the storm.
Lastly, let me know what I can mend.
There's more, honestly, than my sweet friend, you can see.
Trust is what I'm offering if you trouble me.
Trouble me, disturb me with all your cares and your worries.
Trouble me on the days when you feel spent.
Why let your shoulders bend underneath this burden when my back
is sturdy and strong?
Trouble me.
Speak to me, don't mislead me,
the calm I feel means a storm is
swelling;
there's no telling where it starts or how it ends.
Speak to me, why are you building this thick brick wall to
defend me when your silence is my greatest fear?
Why let your shoulders bend underneath this burden when my back
is sturdy and strong?
Speak to me.
Let me have a look inside these eyes while I'm learning.
Please don't hide them just because of tears.
Let me send you off to sleep with a "There, there, now stop
your turning and tossing."
Let me know where the hurt is and how to heal.
Spare me? Don't spare me anything troubling.
Trouble me, disturb me with all your cares and you worries.
Speak to me and let our words build a shelter from the storm.
Lastly, let me know what I can mend.
There's more, honestly, than my sweet friend, you can see.
Trust is what I'm offering if you trouble me.
Rock n Roll Blues -- Phil Lesh
Sunshine pouring all over the place
Lighting up the smile on your sweet face
All I'm asking is a little bit more
Shaking that river like there aint no shore
I was born about an hour ago
Seems like forever but I don't know
Give it up for love so I've been told
It seldom gets younger but it never gets old.
Whatever you need is whatever you got
Twenty to life or another shot
Eviction notice or a permanent pass
Where the rolling sky meets the mountain grass
Rusty roses and the lilies are red
Dust bugs hanging out under the bed
Gods in his heaven, it's like I said
Without our love we might as well be dead
Most of the time finds me hanging around
Like an unwanted object in the lost and found
A long lost stranger on the middle ground
A CC rider on the outward bound
Rock-n-roll blues, Rock-n-roll blues
Slapping your face, and kicking the bruise
Breaking your arm, shaking your hand
Like some poor devil in a rock-and-roll band
Sweating the small stuff or painting it large
You got to give value for what you charge
You might be skating on mighty thin ice
But I didn't come here to give you advice
I come to whistle and to strum my guitar
Sing for my supper and to drive my car
To love my woman for all I'm worth
To give full measure for my days on earth
Celebration -- Phil Lesh
Celebration in the wind
Open the doors, let the show begin
Come like lightning, come like rain
Come on the double with your ball and chain
Come with your trouble, your sweat and strain
Check 'em all at the door with your grief and pain
Celebration, like days of old
When everything was solid gold
Silver, diamonds, pearls and wine
Blood and roses, both yours and mine
Sunlight shining on a midnight line
That opens and closes like a holy shrine
Let a fresh wind tear through your soul
Swallow your sorrow and deliver you whole
Give you reason to believe again
But finish that prayer before you say Amen
Celebration, one on one
Hold your judgement till it's done
Until the last wheel is spun and still
The final sunbeam sets on the hill
The curtain not only fallen but burned
The very last lesson studied and learned
Celebration, the ball's in play
There was never no yesterday
Just one time the spirit moves
Proving whatever the spirit proves
Nothing to win and nothing to lose
Stepping on nobody's blue suede shoes
Let a fresh wind tear through your soul
Swallow your sorrow and deliver you whole
Give you reason to believe again
But finish that prayer before you say Amen
You say there's nothing left to celebrate
Just stolen elections, corruption and hate
Come come on let the good times roll
It means more now than you'll ever know
Begin again, don't you ever give up
Tryin' to fit the ocean in a six ounce cup
Begin again as though the world will hear
Speak your truth both loud and clear
Speak it like a beast howling in the wind
Speak it from the heart like an innocent child
Speak it from the mountain, speak it from the plain
Speak it like the whistle on a northbound train
Speak it with honor, speak it with pride
Speak it from the meadow by the riverside
Speak it from experience, speak it from fame
Speak it from the gutter with an unknown name
Speak it from the rooftops of the town
Speak it from the tenements tumbling down
Speak it from the podium, speak it from the stage
Speak it from the prison in tones of rage
Speak it in the tongues of gods and men
Say it, say it, say it, say it again
Speak it from the pits or from heaven above
In celebration, baby, speak it with love
Celebration, you know it's true
There was no one until there was you
You say where, I'll say when, we'll
Get it together and begin again
Like recognition of lovers and friends
In celebration that never ends
Celebration - in full sweet swing
Of everyone and everything
That causes hopes and dreams to rise
Bringing love light to your eyes
Bringing laughter to your heart
Celebration, let it start
Let a fresh wind tear through your soul
Swallow your sorrow and deliver you whole
Like a breath of summer in a winter land
Blowing rhythm so simple, hearts can easily understand
Sunshine pouring all over the place
Lighting up the smile on your sweet face
All I'm asking is a little bit more
Shaking that river like there aint no shore
I was born about an hour ago
Seems like forever but I don't know
Give it up for love so I've been told
It seldom gets younger but it never gets old.
Whatever you need is whatever you got
Twenty to life or another shot
Eviction notice or a permanent pass
Where the rolling sky meets the mountain grass
Rusty roses and the lilies are red
Dust bugs hanging out under the bed
Gods in his heaven, it's like I said
Without our love we might as well be dead
Most of the time finds me hanging around
Like an unwanted object in the lost and found
A long lost stranger on the middle ground
A CC rider on the outward bound
Rock-n-roll blues, Rock-n-roll blues
Slapping your face, and kicking the bruise
Breaking your arm, shaking your hand
Like some poor devil in a rock-and-roll band
Sweating the small stuff or painting it large
You got to give value for what you charge
You might be skating on mighty thin ice
But I didn't come here to give you advice
I come to whistle and to strum my guitar
Sing for my supper and to drive my car
To love my woman for all I'm worth
To give full measure for my days on earth
Celebration -- Phil Lesh
Celebration in the wind
Open the doors, let the show begin
Come like lightning, come like rain
Come on the double with your ball and chain
Come with your trouble, your sweat and strain
Check 'em all at the door with your grief and pain
Celebration, like days of old
When everything was solid gold
Silver, diamonds, pearls and wine
Blood and roses, both yours and mine
Sunlight shining on a midnight line
That opens and closes like a holy shrine
Let a fresh wind tear through your soul
Swallow your sorrow and deliver you whole
Give you reason to believe again
But finish that prayer before you say Amen
Celebration, one on one
Hold your judgement till it's done
Until the last wheel is spun and still
The final sunbeam sets on the hill
The curtain not only fallen but burned
The very last lesson studied and learned
Celebration, the ball's in play
There was never no yesterday
Just one time the spirit moves
Proving whatever the spirit proves
Nothing to win and nothing to lose
Stepping on nobody's blue suede shoes
Let a fresh wind tear through your soul
Swallow your sorrow and deliver you whole
Give you reason to believe again
But finish that prayer before you say Amen
You say there's nothing left to celebrate
Just stolen elections, corruption and hate
Come come on let the good times roll
It means more now than you'll ever know
Begin again, don't you ever give up
Tryin' to fit the ocean in a six ounce cup
Begin again as though the world will hear
Speak your truth both loud and clear
Speak it like a beast howling in the wind
Speak it from the heart like an innocent child
Speak it from the mountain, speak it from the plain
Speak it like the whistle on a northbound train
Speak it with honor, speak it with pride
Speak it from the meadow by the riverside
Speak it from experience, speak it from fame
Speak it from the gutter with an unknown name
Speak it from the rooftops of the town
Speak it from the tenements tumbling down
Speak it from the podium, speak it from the stage
Speak it from the prison in tones of rage
Speak it in the tongues of gods and men
Say it, say it, say it, say it again
Speak it from the pits or from heaven above
In celebration, baby, speak it with love
Celebration, you know it's true
There was no one until there was you
You say where, I'll say when, we'll
Get it together and begin again
Like recognition of lovers and friends
In celebration that never ends
Celebration - in full sweet swing
Of everyone and everything
That causes hopes and dreams to rise
Bringing love light to your eyes
Bringing laughter to your heart
Celebration, let it start
Let a fresh wind tear through your soul
Swallow your sorrow and deliver you whole
Like a breath of summer in a winter land
Blowing rhythm so simple, hearts can easily understand
Friday, March 03, 2006
The following is from a mailing list that Paulo Coelho writes. If you want more go to www.warriorofthelight.com
Enjoy!
The languages that God speaks
A Spanish missionary was visiting an island when he came across three Aztec priests. “How do you pray?” asked the priest. “We have only one prayer, “ answered one of the Aztecs. “We say: “God, You are three, we are three. Have mercy on us.” “Beautiful prayer,” said the missionary. “But it is not exactly the prayer that God hears. I shall teach you a much better one.” The priest taught them a Catholic prayer and went on his way to spread the Gospel among others. Years later, on the ship taking him back to Spain, he stopped at that island once more. From the deck he saw the three holy men on the beach – and waved farewell to them. At that moment the three began to walk on the water towards him. “Father! Father!” shouted one of them, approaching the ship. “Teach us again the prayer that God hears, because we can’t remember it!” “It doesn’t matter,” said the missionary, seeing the miracle. And he asked God to forgive him for not understanding before that He spoke all languages.
Below are some of those prayers:
Dhammapada (attributed to Buddha)
Instead of a thousand words,
Better just one,
One that brings peace.
Instead of a thousand verses,
Better just one,
One that shows beauty.
Instead of a thousand songs,
Better just one,
One that spreads joy.
Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, 13th century
Out there, besides what is right and what is wrong, there is an enormous field.
That is where we will meet.
Prophet Mohammed, 7th century
Oh Allah! I come to you because you know all, even what is hidden.
If what I am doing is good for me and my religion, for my life now and later, then let the task be easy and blessed.
If what I am doing now is bad for me and my religion, for my life now and later, then keep me far from this task.
Jesus of Nazareth, Matthew 7;7-8
Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek and you shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asks receives;
and he that seeks finds:
And to him that knocks,
it shall be opened.
Jewish prayer for peace
We shall go the mountain of the Lord, where we shall walk with Him. We shall change our swords into plows and our spears into baskets for harvesting fruit.
Let no nation raise its sword against another, and let us never learn the art of war.
And no-one should fear his neighbor, because thus spoke the Lord.
Lao Tsu, China – 6th century B.C.
For there to be peace in the world, the nations must live in peace.
For there to be peace among nations, cities must not rise up against one another.
For there to be peace in the cities, neighbors must get on well with one another.
For there to be peace among neighbors, harmony must reign in the home.
For there to be harmony at home, it must be found in your own heart.
Enjoy!
The languages that God speaks
A Spanish missionary was visiting an island when he came across three Aztec priests. “How do you pray?” asked the priest. “We have only one prayer, “ answered one of the Aztecs. “We say: “God, You are three, we are three. Have mercy on us.” “Beautiful prayer,” said the missionary. “But it is not exactly the prayer that God hears. I shall teach you a much better one.” The priest taught them a Catholic prayer and went on his way to spread the Gospel among others. Years later, on the ship taking him back to Spain, he stopped at that island once more. From the deck he saw the three holy men on the beach – and waved farewell to them. At that moment the three began to walk on the water towards him. “Father! Father!” shouted one of them, approaching the ship. “Teach us again the prayer that God hears, because we can’t remember it!” “It doesn’t matter,” said the missionary, seeing the miracle. And he asked God to forgive him for not understanding before that He spoke all languages.
Below are some of those prayers:
Dhammapada (attributed to Buddha)
Instead of a thousand words,
Better just one,
One that brings peace.
Instead of a thousand verses,
Better just one,
One that shows beauty.
Instead of a thousand songs,
Better just one,
One that spreads joy.
Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, 13th century
Out there, besides what is right and what is wrong, there is an enormous field.
That is where we will meet.
Prophet Mohammed, 7th century
Oh Allah! I come to you because you know all, even what is hidden.
If what I am doing is good for me and my religion, for my life now and later, then let the task be easy and blessed.
If what I am doing now is bad for me and my religion, for my life now and later, then keep me far from this task.
Jesus of Nazareth, Matthew 7;7-8
Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek and you shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asks receives;
and he that seeks finds:
And to him that knocks,
it shall be opened.
Jewish prayer for peace
We shall go the mountain of the Lord, where we shall walk with Him. We shall change our swords into plows and our spears into baskets for harvesting fruit.
Let no nation raise its sword against another, and let us never learn the art of war.
And no-one should fear his neighbor, because thus spoke the Lord.
Lao Tsu, China – 6th century B.C.
For there to be peace in the world, the nations must live in peace.
For there to be peace among nations, cities must not rise up against one another.
For there to be peace in the cities, neighbors must get on well with one another.
For there to be peace among neighbors, harmony must reign in the home.
For there to be harmony at home, it must be found in your own heart.
| You Are 28% Evil |
 |
How'>http://www.blogthings.com/howevilareyouquiz/">How Evil Are You?
Yes, I am stealing a lot of stuff from this site the last couple of days. I should acknowledge it: www.freewillastrology.com
So here's something else from it.
Prayer for You
I'm happy to announce that this is a perfect moment. It's a perfect moment for many reasons, but especially because I have been inspired to say a gigantic prayer for all of you. I've been roused to unleash a divinely greedy, apocalyptically healing prayer for each and every one of you -- even those of you who don't believe in the power of prayer.
And so I am starting to pray right now to the God of Gods ... the God beyond all Gods ... the Girlfriend of God ... the Teacher of God ... the Goddess who invented God.
Dear Goddess, You who never kill but only change:
I pray that my exuberant, suave and accidental words will move you to shower ferocious blessings down on everyone who reads this benediction.
I pray that you will give them what they don't even know they want -- not just the boons they think they need but everything they've always been afraid to even imagine or ask for.
Dear Goddess, You wealthy anarchist burning heaven to the ground:
Many of the divine chameleons out there don't even know that their souls will live forever. So please use your blinding magic to help them see that they are all wildly creative geniuses too big for their own personalities.
Guide them to realize that they are all completely different from what they think they are and more exciting than they can possibly imagine.
Make it illegal, immoral, irrelevant, unpatriotic and totally tasteless for them to be in love with anyone or anything that's no good for them.
O Goddess, You who give us so much love and pain mixed together that our morality is always on the verge of collapsing:
I beg you to cast a boisterous love spell that will nullify all the dumb ideas, bad decisions and nasty conditioning that have ever cursed the wise and sexy virtuosos out there.
Remove, banish, annihilate and laugh into oblivion any jinx that has clung to them, no matter how long they've suffered from it, and even if they've become accustomed or addicted to its ugly companionship.
And please conjure an aura of protection around them so that they will receive an early warning if they are ever about to act in such a way as to bring another hex or plague or voodoo into their lives in the future.
Dear Goddess, sweet Goddess, You sly universal virus with no fucking opinion:
I pray that you will help all the personal growth addicts out there become disciplined enough to go crazy in the name of creation, not destruction.
I pray that you will teach them the difference between oppressive self-control and liberating self-control, awaken in them the power to do the half-right thing when it is impossible to do the totally right thing.
Arouse the Wild Woman within them -- even if they're men.
And please give them bigger, better, more original sins and wilder, wetter, more interesting problems.
Dear Goddess, You pregnant slut who scorns all mediocre longing:
I pray that you will inspire all the compassionate rascals communing with this prayer to love their enemies just in case their friends turn out to be jerks.
Provoke them to throw away or give away all the things they own that encourage them to believe that they are better than anyone else.
Show them how much fun it is to brag about what they cannot do and do not have.
Most of all, Goddess, brainwash them with your freedom so that they never love their own pain more than anyone else's pain.
Dear Goddess, You psychedelic mushroom cloud at the center of all our brains:
The curiously divine human beings reading this prayer deserve everything they are yearning for and much, much more.
So please bless them with lucid dreams while they are wide awake and solar-energy-operated sex toys that work even in the dark and vacuum cleaners for their magic carpets and a knack for avoiding other people's hells and their very own 900 number so that everyone has to pay to talk to them and a secret admirer who is not a psychotic stalker.
Dear Goddess, You fiercely tender, hauntingly reassuring, orgiastically sacred feeling that is even now running through all of our soft, warm animal bodies:
I pray that you provide everyone out there with a license to bend and even break all rules, laws and traditions that keep them apart from the things they love.
Show them how to purge the wishy-washy wishes that distract them from their daring, dramatic, divine desires.
And teach them that they can have anything they want if they'll only ask for it in an unselfish way.
And now dear God of Gods, God beyond all Gods, Girlfriend of God, Teacher of God, Goddess who invented God, I bring this prayer to a close, trusting that in these mysterious moments you have begun to change everyone out there in the exact way they've needed to change in order to express their soul's code.
Amen. Awomen. And glory halle-fucking-lujah.
And now for a song!
So here's something else from it.
Prayer for You
I'm happy to announce that this is a perfect moment. It's a perfect moment for many reasons, but especially because I have been inspired to say a gigantic prayer for all of you. I've been roused to unleash a divinely greedy, apocalyptically healing prayer for each and every one of you -- even those of you who don't believe in the power of prayer.
And so I am starting to pray right now to the God of Gods ... the God beyond all Gods ... the Girlfriend of God ... the Teacher of God ... the Goddess who invented God.
Dear Goddess, You who never kill but only change:
I pray that my exuberant, suave and accidental words will move you to shower ferocious blessings down on everyone who reads this benediction.
I pray that you will give them what they don't even know they want -- not just the boons they think they need but everything they've always been afraid to even imagine or ask for.
Dear Goddess, You wealthy anarchist burning heaven to the ground:
Many of the divine chameleons out there don't even know that their souls will live forever. So please use your blinding magic to help them see that they are all wildly creative geniuses too big for their own personalities.
Guide them to realize that they are all completely different from what they think they are and more exciting than they can possibly imagine.
Make it illegal, immoral, irrelevant, unpatriotic and totally tasteless for them to be in love with anyone or anything that's no good for them.
O Goddess, You who give us so much love and pain mixed together that our morality is always on the verge of collapsing:
I beg you to cast a boisterous love spell that will nullify all the dumb ideas, bad decisions and nasty conditioning that have ever cursed the wise and sexy virtuosos out there.
Remove, banish, annihilate and laugh into oblivion any jinx that has clung to them, no matter how long they've suffered from it, and even if they've become accustomed or addicted to its ugly companionship.
And please conjure an aura of protection around them so that they will receive an early warning if they are ever about to act in such a way as to bring another hex or plague or voodoo into their lives in the future.
Dear Goddess, sweet Goddess, You sly universal virus with no fucking opinion:
I pray that you will help all the personal growth addicts out there become disciplined enough to go crazy in the name of creation, not destruction.
I pray that you will teach them the difference between oppressive self-control and liberating self-control, awaken in them the power to do the half-right thing when it is impossible to do the totally right thing.
Arouse the Wild Woman within them -- even if they're men.
And please give them bigger, better, more original sins and wilder, wetter, more interesting problems.
Dear Goddess, You pregnant slut who scorns all mediocre longing:
I pray that you will inspire all the compassionate rascals communing with this prayer to love their enemies just in case their friends turn out to be jerks.
Provoke them to throw away or give away all the things they own that encourage them to believe that they are better than anyone else.
Show them how much fun it is to brag about what they cannot do and do not have.
Most of all, Goddess, brainwash them with your freedom so that they never love their own pain more than anyone else's pain.
Dear Goddess, You psychedelic mushroom cloud at the center of all our brains:
The curiously divine human beings reading this prayer deserve everything they are yearning for and much, much more.
So please bless them with lucid dreams while they are wide awake and solar-energy-operated sex toys that work even in the dark and vacuum cleaners for their magic carpets and a knack for avoiding other people's hells and their very own 900 number so that everyone has to pay to talk to them and a secret admirer who is not a psychotic stalker.
Dear Goddess, You fiercely tender, hauntingly reassuring, orgiastically sacred feeling that is even now running through all of our soft, warm animal bodies:
I pray that you provide everyone out there with a license to bend and even break all rules, laws and traditions that keep them apart from the things they love.
Show them how to purge the wishy-washy wishes that distract them from their daring, dramatic, divine desires.
And teach them that they can have anything they want if they'll only ask for it in an unselfish way.
And now dear God of Gods, God beyond all Gods, Girlfriend of God, Teacher of God, Goddess who invented God, I bring this prayer to a close, trusting that in these mysterious moments you have begun to change everyone out there in the exact way they've needed to change in order to express their soul's code.
Amen. Awomen. And glory halle-fucking-lujah.
And now for a song!
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) by The Arcade Fire
And if the snow buries my...
My neighborhood
And if my parents are crying,
Then I'll dig a tunnel from my window to yours
Yeah, a tunnel from my window to yours
You climb out the chinmey
And meet me in the middle
The middle of the town
And since there's no one else around,
We let our hair grow long and forget all we used to know
Then our skin gets thicker from living out in the cold
You change all the lead sleeping in my head
As the day grows dim, I hear you sing a golden hymn...
Then, we tried to name our babies
But we forgot all the names that,
The names we used to know
But sometimes,
We remember our bedrooms and our parent's bedrooms and the bedrooms of our friends
Then we think of our parents...
Well, whatever happened to them?!
You change all the lead sleeping in my head to gold
As the day grows dim, I hear you sing a golden hymn
It's the song I've been trying to sing...
Purify the colors, purify my mind
Purify the colors, purify my mind
And spread the ashes of the colors over this heart of mine!
Some horoscopes! I reckon they have some nice things to say. If nothing else, they're at least a bit of fun.
Free Will Astrology
horoscopes for week of March 2, 2006
The grand saying for the week is:
Free Will Astrology
horoscopes for week of March 2, 2006
The grand saying for the week is:
Give Everything
Aries (March 21-April 19)
After viewing Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1662, diarist Samuel Pepys called it "the most stupid, ridiculous play I ever saw in my life." French philosopher Voltaire had an equally dim view of Shakespeare's Hamlet. "One would imagine this piece to be the work of a drunken savage," he wrote in 1768. Pepys' and Voltaire's opinions of the Bard ultimately became a minority view, of course. Many modern analysts regard his work as among the best in English literature. In the coming months, I predict there will be a similar evolution in the consensus about certain events of your own past. Both you and others will come to think highly of things once considered worthless or aberrant. Redemption begins now.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
To celebrate this royal phase of your astrological cycle, I would love to create a "Master of the Universe" crown for you to wear, at least in your imagination. Since I'd like it to conform to your exact needs and specifications, I'm soliciting your input. Please visualize in great detail the kind of regal headpiece you want, then communicate a vision of it to me telepathically. When it's done, I will set it on your head in a dream, and ask you to not take it off for five days and five nights.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
I advise you not to take any of the following actions in the coming week: getting a vanity license plate that says 2GD4U or SUX2BU; pretending you know stuff you don't; doing anything that will later require you to tell someone, "I can explain everything"; getting cosmetic surgery that makes you resemble your favorite celebrity; cleverly mocking people who haven't had the same luck and privileges you've had. On the other hand, I do recommend that you engage in actions like the following: giving theater tickets to a homeless vagabond; doing a day-long impersonation of the person you want to become; tapping into your talent for healing mischief as you comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable; buying yourself a gift that will compel you to stretch your capacities; doing a storytelling performance for the people at an old folks' home; climbing a tree and singing songs that inspire you to move more rapidly toward the future.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
It's official. The National Climatic Data Center has confirmed that the weather went crazy in the U.S. last year. From Fresno's 21 consecutive days of 100-degree temperatures to record rainfall in Las Vegas, Wichita, and Pensacola, extreme conditions became commonplace. For you, Cancerian, the coming weeks will have a certain metaphorical resemblance to last year's profusion of weather anomalies. For instance, you can expect events that are akin to hailstorms from sunny skies and triple rainbows at dawn. But that won't be a problem as long as you vow to be intrigued and entertained, not thrown off course, by the interesting outbreaks of wild phenomena.
Leo (July 23-August 22)
"Human beings are often unable to receive because we do not know what to ask for," writes Malidoma Some in his book Of Water and the Spirit. "We sometimes can't get what we need because we do not know what we want." Your task in the coming week, Leo, is to make sure you don't fit his description. How? Devote yourself to the glorious quest of decoding your most fundamental riddle: What is it you want more than anything else? Once you know, take a pledge to put that desire at the center of your life.
Virgo (August 23-September 22)
It will be a rather animalistic week, Virgo--or at least it should be. I suggest that you learn to feel more trust in your primal instincts; find out more about the part of you that doesn't use words. If you've got the luxury to experiment, see what it's like when you give your inner beast permission to express all of its creativity. The coming days will also be prime time to befriend lone wolves, horse around with wise old owls, welcome back lost sheep, play possum with jackasses, and flirt with sacred cows.
Libra (September 23-October 22)
Indian director T. Rajeevnath is in the early stages of planning his 11th film. It will be a story about Nobel Peace Prize-winner Mother Teresa. Among the small group of actresses he's considering to play the title role is none other than the American celebrity Paris Hilton. Apparently Rajeevnath can sense something in Hilton that is invisible to many of the rest of us. I urge you to be like him in the coming days. Be on the lookout to find value in things that no one else esteems. Find the hidden beauty that everybody has missed. Hunt for riches in the least likely places.
Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
I swear the strange woman standing near me at L.A.'s Getty Museum was having an erotic experience as she gazed upon van Gogh's Irises. She wasn't touching herself, nor was anyone else. But she was apparently experiencing waves of convulsive delight, as suggested by her rapid breathing, shivering muscles, fluttering eyelids, and sweaty forehead. Fifteen minutes later, I saw her again in front of Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Fountain of Love. She was only slightly more composed. In a friendly voice, I said, "This stuff really moves you, doesn't it?" "Oh, yeah," she replied, "I've not only learned how to make love with actual flowers and clouds and fountains, I can even make love with paintings of them." Your assignment in the coming weeks, Scorpio, is to take a page from this woman's Kama Sutra: Figure out how to achieve rapturous communion with absolutely everything.
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
"They say a thing is holy if it makes you hold your tongue," muses a character in John Crowley's fantasy novel Engine Summer, speaking of the difference between his culture and another. "But we say a thing is holy if it makes you laugh." Let this be a seed thought as you re-evaluate and take inventory of what constitutes holiness for you, Sagittarius. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you will thrive if you spend quality time in sacred space seeking out uncanny experiences that kindle feelings of adoration and awe and amusement.
Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
You will soon experience an upsurge in brainpower--perhaps as much as a 10-point increase in your IQ. I believe the events that heighten your intelligence will involve you doing something brave and resourceful. It's possible, for instance, that you'll dive into a frigid river to save a drowning child or race into a burning building to rescue a beloved animal. Or perhaps your courage will be more subtly expressed: You will offer forgiveness to someone who has wronged or you will speak the difficult but necessary words that everyone has been afraid to articulate.
Aquarius (January 20- February 18)
I'm not necessarily advising you to vent your frustrations by going out after midnight and filling up random strangers' mailboxes with ice cream. Nor do I suggest that you express any of your itchy, inarticulate emotions by using felt-tip markers to scrawl "The people in this place eat kittens" on the wall of an institution that messed with you. Both of those actions might get you arrested, and the proper way to channel your angst is not to do something that sabotages you but rather that elevates and enlightens you. So please figure out an ingenious, constructive way to get your dark yayas out.
Pisces (February 19-March 20)
Of all the arguments made in favor of getting regular exercise, I rarely hear the one that's most important to me: Do it because it strengthens and tones the power of your will. When you get used to rousing yourself out of your physical inertia, the habit carries over into the mental and spiritual sphere. You find it easier to force yourself out of your comfort zones and push toward the next frontier. You're less likely to procrastinate and accept mediocrity, and you actually enjoy challenging yourself with worthy goals that require strenuous effort. It's now the will-building season for you, Pisces. You know what to do.
God bless :)
Aries (March 21-April 19)
After viewing Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1662, diarist Samuel Pepys called it "the most stupid, ridiculous play I ever saw in my life." French philosopher Voltaire had an equally dim view of Shakespeare's Hamlet. "One would imagine this piece to be the work of a drunken savage," he wrote in 1768. Pepys' and Voltaire's opinions of the Bard ultimately became a minority view, of course. Many modern analysts regard his work as among the best in English literature. In the coming months, I predict there will be a similar evolution in the consensus about certain events of your own past. Both you and others will come to think highly of things once considered worthless or aberrant. Redemption begins now.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
To celebrate this royal phase of your astrological cycle, I would love to create a "Master of the Universe" crown for you to wear, at least in your imagination. Since I'd like it to conform to your exact needs and specifications, I'm soliciting your input. Please visualize in great detail the kind of regal headpiece you want, then communicate a vision of it to me telepathically. When it's done, I will set it on your head in a dream, and ask you to not take it off for five days and five nights.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
I advise you not to take any of the following actions in the coming week: getting a vanity license plate that says 2GD4U or SUX2BU; pretending you know stuff you don't; doing anything that will later require you to tell someone, "I can explain everything"; getting cosmetic surgery that makes you resemble your favorite celebrity; cleverly mocking people who haven't had the same luck and privileges you've had. On the other hand, I do recommend that you engage in actions like the following: giving theater tickets to a homeless vagabond; doing a day-long impersonation of the person you want to become; tapping into your talent for healing mischief as you comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable; buying yourself a gift that will compel you to stretch your capacities; doing a storytelling performance for the people at an old folks' home; climbing a tree and singing songs that inspire you to move more rapidly toward the future.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
It's official. The National Climatic Data Center has confirmed that the weather went crazy in the U.S. last year. From Fresno's 21 consecutive days of 100-degree temperatures to record rainfall in Las Vegas, Wichita, and Pensacola, extreme conditions became commonplace. For you, Cancerian, the coming weeks will have a certain metaphorical resemblance to last year's profusion of weather anomalies. For instance, you can expect events that are akin to hailstorms from sunny skies and triple rainbows at dawn. But that won't be a problem as long as you vow to be intrigued and entertained, not thrown off course, by the interesting outbreaks of wild phenomena.
Leo (July 23-August 22)
"Human beings are often unable to receive because we do not know what to ask for," writes Malidoma Some in his book Of Water and the Spirit. "We sometimes can't get what we need because we do not know what we want." Your task in the coming week, Leo, is to make sure you don't fit his description. How? Devote yourself to the glorious quest of decoding your most fundamental riddle: What is it you want more than anything else? Once you know, take a pledge to put that desire at the center of your life.
Virgo (August 23-September 22)
It will be a rather animalistic week, Virgo--or at least it should be. I suggest that you learn to feel more trust in your primal instincts; find out more about the part of you that doesn't use words. If you've got the luxury to experiment, see what it's like when you give your inner beast permission to express all of its creativity. The coming days will also be prime time to befriend lone wolves, horse around with wise old owls, welcome back lost sheep, play possum with jackasses, and flirt with sacred cows.
Libra (September 23-October 22)
Indian director T. Rajeevnath is in the early stages of planning his 11th film. It will be a story about Nobel Peace Prize-winner Mother Teresa. Among the small group of actresses he's considering to play the title role is none other than the American celebrity Paris Hilton. Apparently Rajeevnath can sense something in Hilton that is invisible to many of the rest of us. I urge you to be like him in the coming days. Be on the lookout to find value in things that no one else esteems. Find the hidden beauty that everybody has missed. Hunt for riches in the least likely places.
Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
I swear the strange woman standing near me at L.A.'s Getty Museum was having an erotic experience as she gazed upon van Gogh's Irises. She wasn't touching herself, nor was anyone else. But she was apparently experiencing waves of convulsive delight, as suggested by her rapid breathing, shivering muscles, fluttering eyelids, and sweaty forehead. Fifteen minutes later, I saw her again in front of Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Fountain of Love. She was only slightly more composed. In a friendly voice, I said, "This stuff really moves you, doesn't it?" "Oh, yeah," she replied, "I've not only learned how to make love with actual flowers and clouds and fountains, I can even make love with paintings of them." Your assignment in the coming weeks, Scorpio, is to take a page from this woman's Kama Sutra: Figure out how to achieve rapturous communion with absolutely everything.
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
"They say a thing is holy if it makes you hold your tongue," muses a character in John Crowley's fantasy novel Engine Summer, speaking of the difference between his culture and another. "But we say a thing is holy if it makes you laugh." Let this be a seed thought as you re-evaluate and take inventory of what constitutes holiness for you, Sagittarius. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you will thrive if you spend quality time in sacred space seeking out uncanny experiences that kindle feelings of adoration and awe and amusement.
Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
You will soon experience an upsurge in brainpower--perhaps as much as a 10-point increase in your IQ. I believe the events that heighten your intelligence will involve you doing something brave and resourceful. It's possible, for instance, that you'll dive into a frigid river to save a drowning child or race into a burning building to rescue a beloved animal. Or perhaps your courage will be more subtly expressed: You will offer forgiveness to someone who has wronged or you will speak the difficult but necessary words that everyone has been afraid to articulate.
Aquarius (January 20- February 18)
I'm not necessarily advising you to vent your frustrations by going out after midnight and filling up random strangers' mailboxes with ice cream. Nor do I suggest that you express any of your itchy, inarticulate emotions by using felt-tip markers to scrawl "The people in this place eat kittens" on the wall of an institution that messed with you. Both of those actions might get you arrested, and the proper way to channel your angst is not to do something that sabotages you but rather that elevates and enlightens you. So please figure out an ingenious, constructive way to get your dark yayas out.
Pisces (February 19-March 20)
Of all the arguments made in favor of getting regular exercise, I rarely hear the one that's most important to me: Do it because it strengthens and tones the power of your will. When you get used to rousing yourself out of your physical inertia, the habit carries over into the mental and spiritual sphere. You find it easier to force yourself out of your comfort zones and push toward the next frontier. You're less likely to procrastinate and accept mediocrity, and you actually enjoy challenging yourself with worthy goals that require strenuous effort. It's now the will-building season for you, Pisces. You know what to do.
God bless :)
Thursday, March 02, 2006
May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung
Cat Stevens - Can't Keep It In
Oh I can't keep it in,
I can't keep it in, I've gotta let it out.
I've got to show the world, world's got to see,
see all the love love that's in me.
I said, why walk alone,
why worry when it's warm over here.
You've got so much to say, say what you mean,
mean what you're thinking, and think anything.
Oh why, why must you waste you're life away,
you've got to live for today, then let it go
Lover, I want to spend this time with you,
there's nothing I wouldn't do, If you let me know.
And I can't keep it in,
I can't hide it and I can't lock it away.
I'm up for your love, love heats my blood,
blood spins my head, and my head falls in love, oh.
No, I can't keep it in,
I can't keep it in, I've gotta let it out.
I've gotta show the world, world's got to know,
know of the love, love that lies low, so
Why can't you say,
If you know, then why can't you say.
You've got too much deceit, deceit kills the light,
light needs to shine, I said shine light , shine light.
Love, That's no way to live your life,
you allow too much to go by, and that won't do.
No-o-o. Lover, I want to have you here by my side
Now don't you run, don't you hide, while I'm with you.
'N I can't keep it in,
I can't keep it in, I've gotta let it out.
I've got to show the world, world's got to see,
see all the love love that's in me.
I said, why walk alone,
why worry when it's warm over here.
You've got so much to say, say what you mean,
mean what you're thinking, and think anything. Why not?
Now why why why not?
Keeping the faith.
G'night
I'd just like to point out that life is amazing.
I mean, really amazing. Ineffably mind-blowingly crazily amazingly amazing.
Everyhting works out so well, always.
For example (although no amount of putting it into words in and of itself will do it justice) I glanced over to the links list on a blog, which I never look at because I don't expect it to be updated, and it was updated, so I looked through them, ended up on a particular one, and in the meantime wen to write this, to say how things work out so cooly and everything interrelates. Then, upon glancing back at the page, scrolling along, I noticed it mentioned the movie Amelie, which was cool enough in itself, because that speaks to me personally, as do a few other things I saw. Then I scrolled down further and saw something written there that really encapsulated what I wanted to say!
So here are those words, whatever they mean to you.
Glory in the Highest
from the book PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings [hahaha conspiring; damn life, always conspiring, hehe]
*
"Thousands of things go right for you every day, beginning the moment you wake up. Through some magic you don't fully understand, you're still breathing and your heart is beating, even though you've been unconscious for many hours. The air is a mix of gases that's just right for your body's needs, as it was before you fell asleep.
"You can see! Light of many colors floods into your eyes, registered by nerves that took God or evolution or some process millions of years to perfect. The interesting gift of these vivid hues comes to you courtesy of an unimaginably immense globe of fire, the sun, which continually detonates nuclear reactions in order to convert its body into light and heat and energy for your personal use.
Did you know that the sun is located at the precise distance from you to be of perfect service? If it were any closer, you'd fry, and if it were any further away, you'd freeze. Here's another one of the sun's benedictions: It appears to rise over the eastern horizon right on schedule every day, as it has since long before you were born.
"Do you remember when you were born, by the way? It was a difficult miracle that involved many people who worked hard on your behalf. No less miraculous is the fact that you have continued to grow since then, with millions of new cells being born inside you to replace the old ones that die. All of this happens whether or not you ever think about it.
"On this day, like almost every other, you have awoken inside a temperature-controlled shelter. You have a home! Your bed and pillow are soft and you're covered by comfortable blankets. The electricity is turned on, as usual. Somehow, in ways you're barely aware of, a massive power plant at an unknown distance from your home is transforming fuel into currents of electricity that reach you through mostly hidden conduits in the exact amounts you need, and all you have to do to control the flow is flick small switches with your fingers.
"You can walk! Your legs work wonderfully well. Your heart circulates your blood all the way down to replenish the energy of the muscles in your feet and calves and thighs, and when the blood is depleted it finds its way back to your heart to be refreshed. This blessing recurs over and over again without stopping every hour of your life.
"Your home is perhaps not a million-dollar palace, but it's sturdy and gigantic compared to the typical domicile in every culture that has preceded you. The floors aren't crumbling, and the walls and ceilings are holding up well, too. Doors open and close without trouble, and so do the windows. What skillful geniuses built this sanctuary for you? How and where did they learn their craft?
In your bathroom, the toilet is functioning perfectly, as are several other convenient devices. You have at your disposal soaps, creams, razors, clippers, tooth-cleaning accessories: a host of products that enhance your hygiene and appearance. You trust that unidentified scientists somewhere tested them to be sure they're safe for you to use.
"Amazingly, the water you need so much of comes out of your faucets in an even flow, with the volume you want, and either cold or hot as you desire. It's pure and clean; you're confident no parasites are lurking in it. There is someone somewhere making sure these boons will continue to arrive for you without interruption for as long as you require them.Look at your hands. They're astounding creations that allow you to carry out hundreds of tasks with great force and intricate grace. They relish the pleasure and privilege of touching thousands of different textures, and they're beautiful.
"In your closet are many clothes you like to wear. Who gathered the materials to make the fabrics they're made of? Who imbued them with colors, and how did they do it? Who sewed them for you? In your kitchen, appetizing food in secure packaging is waiting for you. Many people you've never met worked hard to grow it, process it, and get it to the store where you bought it. The bounty of tasty nourishment you get to choose from is unprecedented in the history of the world.Your many appliances are working flawlessly. Despite the fact that they feed on electricity, which could kill you instantly if you touched it directly, you feel no fear that you're in danger. Why? Your faith in the people who invented, designed, and produced these machines is impressive.
"It's as if there's a benevolent conspiracy of unknown people that is tirelessly creating hundreds of useful things you like and need.
"There's more. Gravity is working exactly the way it always has, neither pulling on you with too much or too little force. How did that marvel ever come to be? By some prodigious, long-running accident? It doesn't really matter, since it will continue to function with astounding efficiency whether or not you understand it. Meanwhile, a trillion other elements of nature's miraculous design are expressing themselves perfectly. Plants are growing, rivers are flowing, clouds are drifting, winds are blowing, animals are reproducing. The weather is an interesting blend of elements you've never before experienced in quite this combination. Though you may take it for granted, you relish the ever-shifting sensations of light and temperature as they interact with your body.
"There's more. You can smell odors and hear sounds and taste tastes, many of which are quite pleasing. You can think! You're in possession of the extraordinary gift of self-awareness. You can feel feelings! Do you realize how improbably stupendous it is for you to have been blessed with that mysterious capacity? And get this: You can visualize an inexhaustible array of images, some of which represent things that don't actually exist. How did you acquire this magical talent?
"By some improbable series of coincidences or long-term divine plan, language has come into existence. Millions of people have collaborated for many centuries to cultivate a system for communication that you understand well. Speaking and reading give you great pleasure and a tremendous sense of power.
"Do you want to go someplace that's at a distance? You have a number of choices about what machines to use in order to get there. Whatever you decide, car, plane, bus, train, subway, ship, helicopter, or biken you have confidence that it will work efficiently. Multitudes of people who are now dead devoted themselves to perfecting these modes of travel. Multitudes who are still alive devote themselves to ensuring that these benefits keep serving you.
"Maybe you're one of the hundreds of millions of people in the world who has the extraordinary privilege of owning a car. It's a brilliant invention made by highly competent workers. Other skilled laborers put in long hours to extract oil from the ground or sea and turn it into fuel so you can use your car conveniently. The roads are drivable. Who paved them for you? The bridges you cross are potent feats of engineering. Do you realize how hard it was to fabricate them from scratch? You're aware that in the future shrinking oil reserves and global warming may impose limitations on your ability to use cars and planes and other machines to travel. But you also know that many smart and idealistic people are diligently striving to develop alternative fuels and protect the environment. And compared to how slow societies have been to understand their macrocosmic problems in the past, your culture is moving with unprecedented speed to recognize and respond to the crises spawned by its technologies.
"As you travel, you might listen to music. Maybe you've got an MP3 player, a fantastic invention that has dramatically enhanced your ability to hear a stunning variety of engaging sounds at a low cost. Or maybe you have a radio. Through a process you can't fathom, music and voices that originate at a distance from you have been converted into invisible waves that bounce off the ionosphere and down into your little machine, where they are transformed back into music and voices for you to enjoy.
"Let's say it's 9:30 a.m. You've been awake for two hours [at least us hard working, non bludging people have been :p], and a hundred things have already gone right for you. If three of those hundred things had not gone right - your toaster was broken, the hot water wasn't hot enough, there was a stain on the pants you wanted to wear - you might feel that today the universe is against you, that your luck is bad, that nothing's going right. And yet the fact is that the vast majority of everything is working with breathtaking efficiency and consistency. You would clearly be deluded to imagine that life is primarily an ordeal."
YAY!
YAY!
Hmmm, I juts saw some more from that same book. I'll put it here, at the risk of people maybe thinking whatever it is they think.
*
"DEFINITION: Pronoia is the antidote for paranoia. It's the understanding that the universe is fundamentally friendly. It's a mode of training your senses and intellect so you're able to perceive the fact that life always gives you exactly what you need, exactly when you need it.
"HYPOTHESES: Evil is boring. Cynicism is idiotic. Fear is a bad habit. Despair is lazy. Joy is fascinating. Love is an act of heroic genius. Pleasure is our birthright.
"PROCEDURE: Act as if the universe is a prodigious miracle created for your amusement and illumination. Assume that secret helpers are working behind the scenes to assist you in turning into the gorgeous masterpiece you were born to be. Join the conspiracy to shower all of creation with blessings.
"DISCLAIMER: The material in PRONOIA may be too intense and controversial for some readers. It contains graphic scenes of peace, love, joy, passion, reverence, splendor, and understanding. You should therefore proceed with caution if you are a jaded hipster who is suspicious of feeling healthy and happy. Ask yourself: am I ready to stop equating cynicism with insight? Do I dare take the risk that exposing myself to uplifting entertainment might dull my intelligence??If you doubt your ability to handle relaxing breakthroughs, you should stop reading now."
"We're not looking for starry-eyed optimism and repressed boosterism," Brezsny said. "Pronoia is not boosterism for empty-brained people. I think the media tend to emphasize that part of human experience that doesn't work. There are a lot of people who don't identify that as their primary state of existence."
There you have it. Take it for what you will, but remember I give it to you in love, even if you don't agree. It's just an aspect of my limited point of view, after all.
I tell you now that my life is working out better and better each and every day, with so many amazing 'coincidences' happening left right and centre and every event that can be perceived as bad turning out to be far form it. I believe the same is possible for you, and so I want to share my path with all so you can expereince life as wonderfully (and more wonderfully) as I am.
So yeah, that may all sound a bit preachy. However, I think it points to my purest intentions, but you may not. Beleive what you will, I cannot prove otherwise.
And here's my horoscope for the week, hehe (hey, just because something may be from an iffy type source doesn't mean it can't have something meaningful to tell you!) (I'm a Capricorn, by the way, in case any of you are too; but I think it can be relevant to everyone):
"The language we use has a tremendous power to shape our experience. This is especially true for you right now. The words you choose to describe your feelings and adventures will tip the balance of your energy toward delight and vigor or else toward discouragement and apathy. The fewer negative perspectives you formulate, the better your health will be. To spur yourself in the right direction, make frequent use of beautiful words like the following (or create your own list): mellifluous, thrive, melody, luminous, undulate, freshening, reverence, primordial, shimmer."
Ah, brilliant words.
I have to go now!
Have a good one, all :)
I mean, really amazing. Ineffably mind-blowingly crazily amazingly amazing.
Everyhting works out so well, always.
For example (although no amount of putting it into words in and of itself will do it justice) I glanced over to the links list on a blog, which I never look at because I don't expect it to be updated, and it was updated, so I looked through them, ended up on a particular one, and in the meantime wen to write this, to say how things work out so cooly and everything interrelates. Then, upon glancing back at the page, scrolling along, I noticed it mentioned the movie Amelie, which was cool enough in itself, because that speaks to me personally, as do a few other things I saw. Then I scrolled down further and saw something written there that really encapsulated what I wanted to say!
So here are those words, whatever they mean to you.
Glory in the Highest
from the book PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings [hahaha conspiring; damn life, always conspiring, hehe]
*
"Thousands of things go right for you every day, beginning the moment you wake up. Through some magic you don't fully understand, you're still breathing and your heart is beating, even though you've been unconscious for many hours. The air is a mix of gases that's just right for your body's needs, as it was before you fell asleep.
"You can see! Light of many colors floods into your eyes, registered by nerves that took God or evolution or some process millions of years to perfect. The interesting gift of these vivid hues comes to you courtesy of an unimaginably immense globe of fire, the sun, which continually detonates nuclear reactions in order to convert its body into light and heat and energy for your personal use.
Did you know that the sun is located at the precise distance from you to be of perfect service? If it were any closer, you'd fry, and if it were any further away, you'd freeze. Here's another one of the sun's benedictions: It appears to rise over the eastern horizon right on schedule every day, as it has since long before you were born.
"Do you remember when you were born, by the way? It was a difficult miracle that involved many people who worked hard on your behalf. No less miraculous is the fact that you have continued to grow since then, with millions of new cells being born inside you to replace the old ones that die. All of this happens whether or not you ever think about it.
"On this day, like almost every other, you have awoken inside a temperature-controlled shelter. You have a home! Your bed and pillow are soft and you're covered by comfortable blankets. The electricity is turned on, as usual. Somehow, in ways you're barely aware of, a massive power plant at an unknown distance from your home is transforming fuel into currents of electricity that reach you through mostly hidden conduits in the exact amounts you need, and all you have to do to control the flow is flick small switches with your fingers.
"You can walk! Your legs work wonderfully well. Your heart circulates your blood all the way down to replenish the energy of the muscles in your feet and calves and thighs, and when the blood is depleted it finds its way back to your heart to be refreshed. This blessing recurs over and over again without stopping every hour of your life.
"Your home is perhaps not a million-dollar palace, but it's sturdy and gigantic compared to the typical domicile in every culture that has preceded you. The floors aren't crumbling, and the walls and ceilings are holding up well, too. Doors open and close without trouble, and so do the windows. What skillful geniuses built this sanctuary for you? How and where did they learn their craft?
In your bathroom, the toilet is functioning perfectly, as are several other convenient devices. You have at your disposal soaps, creams, razors, clippers, tooth-cleaning accessories: a host of products that enhance your hygiene and appearance. You trust that unidentified scientists somewhere tested them to be sure they're safe for you to use.
"Amazingly, the water you need so much of comes out of your faucets in an even flow, with the volume you want, and either cold or hot as you desire. It's pure and clean; you're confident no parasites are lurking in it. There is someone somewhere making sure these boons will continue to arrive for you without interruption for as long as you require them.Look at your hands. They're astounding creations that allow you to carry out hundreds of tasks with great force and intricate grace. They relish the pleasure and privilege of touching thousands of different textures, and they're beautiful.
"In your closet are many clothes you like to wear. Who gathered the materials to make the fabrics they're made of? Who imbued them with colors, and how did they do it? Who sewed them for you? In your kitchen, appetizing food in secure packaging is waiting for you. Many people you've never met worked hard to grow it, process it, and get it to the store where you bought it. The bounty of tasty nourishment you get to choose from is unprecedented in the history of the world.Your many appliances are working flawlessly. Despite the fact that they feed on electricity, which could kill you instantly if you touched it directly, you feel no fear that you're in danger. Why? Your faith in the people who invented, designed, and produced these machines is impressive.
"It's as if there's a benevolent conspiracy of unknown people that is tirelessly creating hundreds of useful things you like and need.
"There's more. Gravity is working exactly the way it always has, neither pulling on you with too much or too little force. How did that marvel ever come to be? By some prodigious, long-running accident? It doesn't really matter, since it will continue to function with astounding efficiency whether or not you understand it. Meanwhile, a trillion other elements of nature's miraculous design are expressing themselves perfectly. Plants are growing, rivers are flowing, clouds are drifting, winds are blowing, animals are reproducing. The weather is an interesting blend of elements you've never before experienced in quite this combination. Though you may take it for granted, you relish the ever-shifting sensations of light and temperature as they interact with your body.
"There's more. You can smell odors and hear sounds and taste tastes, many of which are quite pleasing. You can think! You're in possession of the extraordinary gift of self-awareness. You can feel feelings! Do you realize how improbably stupendous it is for you to have been blessed with that mysterious capacity? And get this: You can visualize an inexhaustible array of images, some of which represent things that don't actually exist. How did you acquire this magical talent?
"By some improbable series of coincidences or long-term divine plan, language has come into existence. Millions of people have collaborated for many centuries to cultivate a system for communication that you understand well. Speaking and reading give you great pleasure and a tremendous sense of power.
"Do you want to go someplace that's at a distance? You have a number of choices about what machines to use in order to get there. Whatever you decide, car, plane, bus, train, subway, ship, helicopter, or biken you have confidence that it will work efficiently. Multitudes of people who are now dead devoted themselves to perfecting these modes of travel. Multitudes who are still alive devote themselves to ensuring that these benefits keep serving you.
"Maybe you're one of the hundreds of millions of people in the world who has the extraordinary privilege of owning a car. It's a brilliant invention made by highly competent workers. Other skilled laborers put in long hours to extract oil from the ground or sea and turn it into fuel so you can use your car conveniently. The roads are drivable. Who paved them for you? The bridges you cross are potent feats of engineering. Do you realize how hard it was to fabricate them from scratch? You're aware that in the future shrinking oil reserves and global warming may impose limitations on your ability to use cars and planes and other machines to travel. But you also know that many smart and idealistic people are diligently striving to develop alternative fuels and protect the environment. And compared to how slow societies have been to understand their macrocosmic problems in the past, your culture is moving with unprecedented speed to recognize and respond to the crises spawned by its technologies.
"As you travel, you might listen to music. Maybe you've got an MP3 player, a fantastic invention that has dramatically enhanced your ability to hear a stunning variety of engaging sounds at a low cost. Or maybe you have a radio. Through a process you can't fathom, music and voices that originate at a distance from you have been converted into invisible waves that bounce off the ionosphere and down into your little machine, where they are transformed back into music and voices for you to enjoy.
"Let's say it's 9:30 a.m. You've been awake for two hours [at least us hard working, non bludging people have been :p], and a hundred things have already gone right for you. If three of those hundred things had not gone right - your toaster was broken, the hot water wasn't hot enough, there was a stain on the pants you wanted to wear - you might feel that today the universe is against you, that your luck is bad, that nothing's going right. And yet the fact is that the vast majority of everything is working with breathtaking efficiency and consistency. You would clearly be deluded to imagine that life is primarily an ordeal."
YAY!
YAY!
Hmmm, I juts saw some more from that same book. I'll put it here, at the risk of people maybe thinking whatever it is they think.
*
"DEFINITION: Pronoia is the antidote for paranoia. It's the understanding that the universe is fundamentally friendly. It's a mode of training your senses and intellect so you're able to perceive the fact that life always gives you exactly what you need, exactly when you need it.
"HYPOTHESES: Evil is boring. Cynicism is idiotic. Fear is a bad habit. Despair is lazy. Joy is fascinating. Love is an act of heroic genius. Pleasure is our birthright.
"PROCEDURE: Act as if the universe is a prodigious miracle created for your amusement and illumination. Assume that secret helpers are working behind the scenes to assist you in turning into the gorgeous masterpiece you were born to be. Join the conspiracy to shower all of creation with blessings.
"DISCLAIMER: The material in PRONOIA may be too intense and controversial for some readers. It contains graphic scenes of peace, love, joy, passion, reverence, splendor, and understanding. You should therefore proceed with caution if you are a jaded hipster who is suspicious of feeling healthy and happy. Ask yourself: am I ready to stop equating cynicism with insight? Do I dare take the risk that exposing myself to uplifting entertainment might dull my intelligence??If you doubt your ability to handle relaxing breakthroughs, you should stop reading now."
"We're not looking for starry-eyed optimism and repressed boosterism," Brezsny said. "Pronoia is not boosterism for empty-brained people. I think the media tend to emphasize that part of human experience that doesn't work. There are a lot of people who don't identify that as their primary state of existence."
There you have it. Take it for what you will, but remember I give it to you in love, even if you don't agree. It's just an aspect of my limited point of view, after all.
I tell you now that my life is working out better and better each and every day, with so many amazing 'coincidences' happening left right and centre and every event that can be perceived as bad turning out to be far form it. I believe the same is possible for you, and so I want to share my path with all so you can expereince life as wonderfully (and more wonderfully) as I am.
So yeah, that may all sound a bit preachy. However, I think it points to my purest intentions, but you may not. Beleive what you will, I cannot prove otherwise.
And here's my horoscope for the week, hehe (hey, just because something may be from an iffy type source doesn't mean it can't have something meaningful to tell you!) (I'm a Capricorn, by the way, in case any of you are too; but I think it can be relevant to everyone):
"The language we use has a tremendous power to shape our experience. This is especially true for you right now. The words you choose to describe your feelings and adventures will tip the balance of your energy toward delight and vigor or else toward discouragement and apathy. The fewer negative perspectives you formulate, the better your health will be. To spur yourself in the right direction, make frequent use of beautiful words like the following (or create your own list): mellifluous, thrive, melody, luminous, undulate, freshening, reverence, primordial, shimmer."
Ah, brilliant words.
I have to go now!
Have a good one, all :)
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