Month: November 2023

When human cruelty and depravity depress me and fill me with hopelessness, I look to the mysteries of the Universe and feel awe, strength, and hope again.

This Sunday’s The New York Times Magazine features an issue all about Space—space junk, space exploration, space discoveries and miracles. Did you know that the Webb telescope discovered a 6,000-mile-long plume of water floating around in our solar system?

Water! In space! It’s the stuff of fantastic science fiction. You know what this means, right? That water—our human source of life—is out there, making long distance space travel plausible.

I read stuff like this and think of the destruction in Gaza—how Hamas attacked Israel, and now Israel seems bent on creating a holocaust of its own, and wonder: How can humans be capable of sublime creation and discovery of miracles, and in the same breath, be capable of the basest evil?

Because we are mirrors of the Divine—destruction and creation wrapped into one.

The Big Bang took place more than 13 billion years ago. This catastrophic event was the creation of all material existence. Earth was created by gas and dust forming round a young sun. Collisions of great violence of these masses created our planets. There was no intent; it just happened.

Is human violence of the same nature—a paradoxical act of creation? Except, we humans want to destroy. And therein lies the difference. We act with intent to smash the other into non-existence. So maybe in this way we do not mirror acts of divine creation.

A paradoxical act of creation?

What do we mirror then? How did we come to embody this hatefulness? Is our wish to destroy a desire for ultimate superiority? And once achieved, what would be the result? The ability to exist peaceably as one?

I doubt it. An “other” would arise from that sameness. Some individuals would think differently and evolve, attract followers, and become “other.” The cycle would repeat itself.

We are Sisyphus in our existence through and through.

Maybe God will let us destroy ourselves, but I think not. Not when we can be awed by the magnificence of wonder and mystery—the creation of the Universe.

And that is why, despite the bloodshed and inhumane acts of violence I witness every day in the news, I behold awe and wonder and hope in my heart. Existence is eternal, and we humans may yet evolve to comprehend our divinity and act accordingly.

My hope for us is not extinguished. Not yet. Maybe never.

Protection and strength, protection and strength, constancy, and miracles. These are the gifts bestowed on me by my four major spirit guides. They’re what I needed to survive my teenage years on the road without adult supervision.

And what I need today still. I consult my guides and they help me, support me, talk to me.

My other spirit guides (I have eight) provide balance and compassion, the blessing of sensual pleasure and rest, groundedness and reverence for Life on this ancient fertile Earth, and sacrifice through service to others.

Each quality comes into play at different times, comes to the fore as needed, though they hum along in the background at all times, ever ready.

Is there anything I need to accomplish?

Today in my meditation I received the message that my existence, my consciousness will never end, and if that is the case, how do I want to live on this Earth? What is it I want to accomplish? Is there anything I need to accomplish? The thought took the worry away over what I might do today—attend an online Zoom meeting with a human spiritual teacher and his followers, or make pancakes, clean up after myself, then dust and wipe the ceiling fan of grime that’s been an eyesore for weeks?

I did the later and feel spiritually fulfilled.

Now I’m out here on the patio on this magnificent Sunday morning in the cool breeze. Leaves scuttle across the yard and scratch the cement floor. My two black dogs are happily pacing. My husband is coughing up leaf dust in the driveway where he is raking and sweeping into yard bags. It is too hot to sit in the sun; not for me, but for my sensitive laptop.

It struck me today as I contemplated whether to join that spiritual session that people are so hungry for direction. We are hungry for answers about the mystery of us. Who am I? What am I? Am I doing the right thing? Am I on the right path? How could you not be because that’s where you are!

But what if you are stuck in a job you hate? What about that? Then that’s your path as well—an essential section of it. Perhaps there’s something you need to learn that you can only learn doing that job. Dig deep and see what is before you. Can you lean into it and discover what is at the heart of that experience? It will unfold for you, if not today, then maybe in the distant future when you will realize, finally, what that lesson was all about.

This moment is but a breath

You have Eternity to learn who you are. This moment is but a breath, a single star amongst trillions and trillions. Significant, important, meaningful. We all have meaningful lives. The Universe needs us, needs our tears and our questions, our angst and joy. Our love, our hatred—everything. We make this existence twirl in a lovely bath of creation that goes on and on and on.

Delight. That’s what life is, what creation is. Delight, joy, ecstasy, however it comes to us at this time. It is meaningful. You are meaningful and lovely and precious.

“I am free, playful and buoyant under Her tender glance and loving care.”