THIS is the way the light should be – brilliant! The light shines from each of you. When others try to turn your light out, then shine even more brilliantly. -- The Angels…
The last few days, there have been flashes of light in boardrooms, in plants and warehouses, and in department stores. It is a sign that we are flashing brilliant! Look inside. See how you are changing. Let it happen.
Blessings,
Judy
Find one thing that makes you feel good and put it into practice. It is through this kind of action that we learn to live in harmony. We can also change others in this way. I know that some people question whether the actions of a single individual can really affect others. But do not waste time worrying about that; just do what feels right to you.
- Nikkyo Niwano, "A Cheerful 'Good Morning'"
Each morning, we go out to work, whether it is to a job or to keep our household going with running kids or with grocery shopping. Each morning, we need to learn to do things with grace and ease for this makes the whole “getting out of bed” thing much easier on us.
This was the lesson that I was getting the past several weeks. The weather was getting colder. The client projects were getting more demanding, and the day more tiring. By the time I got home, I was finding it hard to have resources to work with through the evening. I wondered if I was going to survive the challenge.
Then, in meditation each evening, I would hear “find the beauty in the drive to work”. I struggled with that thought! How much beauty is there in the movement of thousands of cars down the highway, especially when three lanes try to squeeze into one to merge on to the highway? I simply got frustrated with all the drivers that were scared to merge or stopped on the highway, waiting for others to let them in. This action breaks the flow of traffic.
And then one morning, I began to see some humour in how people were driving. A few days after that, I began to see the drive to work as a great operatic dance, conducted by several novice conductors. I realized that I could be a conductor and ask for the traffic to flow with grace and ease. I soon distracted myself with this new view of traffic and my morning drive is now making me feel good as I drive to the office.
I have found one thing that can change my day. If you decide to try this, let me know what changes your day.
Many blessings this day,
Judy
Many blessings on your house upon this Christmas Day!
This is a time of peace and of fellowship and cheer.
The best that we can do, or so the Angels say
Is to love one another more compassionately this year.
We look around at all the things we have and feel
That we’ve been wronged because it doesn’t measure up
To the things that we see and have great appeal
To the need to consume and “fill ‘er on up”,
That the media created to get us to buy.
We humans are more than a consumable good.
We are marvellous and beautiful and kind.
We are laughing and joking and makers of food
That we share with our friends or anyone we find
Has need of some time to refresh and to heal.
We are the ones that see others and care
Whether they are cold or need a good meal.
That kind of need isn’t so rare
Now that the world is turning upside down.
Merry Christmas to one and all!
Blessings,
Judy
I am always amazed at the Spirit Animals that find their way into my meditations. They bring such wisdom and stories. We are all connected. Here is today’s lesson from the Spirit Animals.
Ant marched into my space in meditation. He said that humans have no idea, really, of what work is. He says that if daily, we walked every where we went, and travelled the miles that Ant needs to travel to provide food and stuffs for the nest, then we would work. If humans carried everything they needed at home with them on their back, then we would work at the same rate that Ant does. And, if we could hear the one Ant in the hive that was needing help, and if we paid attention, then we would be truly honourable in our work.
Ant’s words were indeed humbling.
Blessings,
Judy
The shortest day and the longest night – the time that our Ancestors called “mid-winter” is that time that tells us that Nature is still working. If the day remained short, and the night was long, then the rotation of the planet changed.
Our Ancestors had elaborate rituals to ensure that the planet kept turning, or, as they thought, that the Sun kept revolving around the Earth.
The diagram below shows the angle of the Sun in the north. Now, with all of the availability of science, we no longer look to the sky to see what will happen. We have dropped doing the rituals and doing the work to keep the Sun going.
Enjoy the Solstice.
Blessings,
Judy
The Fox was looking around the area as I finished my meditation. He stood still, and then spoke. His comments are appropriate for all of us.
In the balance between all living things, Blue Jay has wisdom to share with mankind. Blue Jay will lie low to see where food is and then see what she might like. She then will go and pick up a pine cone, fly it to the stash of food, and leave it as she picks up the sunflower seeds that she is really after. In her mind, a seed for a seed. The quantity, size, or effort involved, do not weigh into the equation of “this for that”.
Blue Jay says that if humans were more thoughtful about ensuring that something was left for something that was taken, then the karma for humans would be quite reduced. Since man does not understand balance, and seems to find joy in taking something for nothing, the consequences come in a larger size and last longer. These might be forest fires where trees have been taken by a company where no exchange was made. Or, it might be flooding where fishing without replenishment takes place.
The idea that we need to balance with Nature, when we walk out in Nature, or take from Nature, was a common theme in the lives of our Ancestors. The last four centuries of people in the western world moved away from this. It is time to bring the balance back.
Blessings,
Judy
On the weekend… I was shopping - groceries and running errands, and the traffic was so incredibly slow. Folks were doing 30 and 40 on the freeway and it was plus 8. I was musing and pulled out my journal from several years ago. As you have seen from past posts that I do, I sometimes pull something out of an old journal to share with you. Here is a reflection on driving the long road.
Tonight, the traffic was very slow for my 25 kilometer drive home. It took me an hour! This kind of traffic makes my tired and frustrated.
I asked why I had to endure this – a total waste of time.
The answer was – you do not have to endure. Choose not to do the drive. Or choose not to work out there. Or choose a different way home.
All the answers were about choice – we can choose the long road, or not.
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Blessings,
Judy
Gorilla walked into my meditation space and sat down. She flashed me a picture of her two offspring, and said, “I want to talk.”
She continued on. “When raising children, one needs to remember that we parents are preparing them for life. We need to teach them kindness, independence, and how to think things through. We need to teach them how to feed themselves, fend for themselves, and how to fend for others if required. It is a sacred job that the One Spirit has given us. We must do it well.”
And then she got up and walked away.
You can see more wisdom from Gorilla here.
https://www.lightstationwisdom.com/2023/05/gorilla-on-strength-spirit-animal.html
Blessings,
Judy
Mink, a spirit animal, says that water is very important to all of us. Creator has made us all – all animals – mostly water to remind us that we are all fluid – that is our spirit, our energy, is able to move with the flow. There is no reason not to move fluidly, whether we dance, sing, run or walk. We are meant to flow on the easiest path.
Mink observes that especially in winter, humans do not flow. Mink thinks this is because that humans do not move close enough to water. Instead, they sit in buildings and other dry places. Even drinking lots of water does not ease the burden of loss of fluidity.
Minks like to live near water and are seldom found far from riverbanks, lakes and marshes. Even when roaming, they tend to follow streams and ditches. Sometimes they leave the water altogether for a few hundred metres. This is the example that humans should follow.
Blessings,
Judy
If we go out into the natural world and just talk about the same things we talk about all the time, we may as well have stayed at home. When we visit nature we should put down everyday small talk, subjective mental activity, judging and discrimination, and just open up and observe nature.
Starting from the time of the Buddha, it was almost always the custom for those who had left home life to spend some time practicing in the mountains. Generally the hut they lived in was made so that it could be put up and dismantled very quickly, so that the person could move on to another place. The purpose was to live a life that would not foster a group mentality, but rather cultivate a holistic attitude where one would feel at one with all lives and the universe. — Master Sheng Yen, "As Spacious as Nature"
Blessings,
Judy
Sometimes, you just get surprised by what happens in a meditation. My surprise was this beautiful little hummingbird that buzzed into my sacred space inside my sacred space. Only those energies that are for the greatest and highest good are allowed to move through this space.
This little lady came in to share some thoughts with me. One of the guardians of my north direction is the hummingbird. She said that I was not invoking all of the sweetness that it could bring to my life.
Little Lady Hummingbird said that the hummingbird’s gift was that it can transform sweetness into courage, and courage to sweetness; that sometimes people need to understand that sweetness enhances courage and strength because with sweetness, one feels sorrow. And, she flew off.
I have been mulling over her words. I think that I understand that sweetness is like compassion. If you don’t have compassion, then your love is self serving. I think she might be saying that courage without sweetness can also be self serving.
What do you think?
Blessings,
Judy
Last night, in my dream, there were two mountain goats standing in the snow, watching me. I asked them what was going on, and they replied that they were waiting to see what will happen next. They indicated that there are many people who drift up to the mountains on their dream time, it seems, looking for answers. Most people are quite disappointed when they find only mountain goats.
Mountain Goat says that their wisdom is not appreciated by humans – humans look for the easy road and the fast fix. Being in the mountains is about being cautious and a risk taker at the same time. Travelling in the mountains is about finding the easiest and safest route, which means that sometimes you may have to jump from cliff to cliff or jump over a crevice. Easy is not without its challenges.
Blessings,
Judy
Picture from an email from a friend.
I had the strangest dream the other night. I guess the dream happened because it is getting close to Christmas which is my favorite part of the year. Here is the dream.
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Roger and I got home from my Christmas party about midnight. The moon was shining brightly. And there, sitting at the end of our driveway, just like one of our dogs, waiting for us, was a very large, white hare, or rabbit, as she is often called.
We drove up and stopped because she did not move. She looked at us, and seemed to thump her back foot. Suddenly, we were engulfed in this very warm feeling, a feeling of peace. I saw a picture of a Christmas from about five years ago when all of my family was together, sitting a a huge long table for twenty-two people, laughing and eating, and of course, telling stories. The picture faded. I saw a tall white lady, who waved her arm, and disappeared. I knew we were being taken care of.
Roger said, “Did you feel that? The warmth and the magic?”
I said yes… and our rabbit hopped away.
I woke up knowing that life is good.
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Blessings,
Judy
"Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion." -Dalai Lama
This is a time for being kind! There are many changes happening on the Earth. Great floods are reclaiming the lands that have once been stolen from the oceans. People are isolated by governments. Life is not political unless someone makes it so. Life is about developing a system of cooperation that provides the best solution for the band, tribe, pack, or flock. This means that the greatest good is the best solution; the agenda of the individual politicians only serves self and not the community.
Blessings to all,
Creator
Now is the time of community. In community we show kindness to others. We offer food, with kindness. We heal others and instead of allowing ego to rise in us, we show humility. We acknowledge that there are huge changes taking place that will forever change the landscape of the Earth and the pedigree of humans. We see the abundance and know that it is meant for everyone, not just those with power or who can create fear in others. We are changing. And, we are grateful!
Thankfully,
The People
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Blessings,
Judy
To my friends and blog readers in the United States, “Happy Thanksgiving!”. These are my wishes for you on this day.
On this special day, I wish to each of you,
All the best of everything!
May each of you have much abundance in your life.
May each of you feel laughter and have fun.
May each of you connect with all your loved ones.
And, may each of you find the time to say a prayer
for all those who do not have anything.
May Great Spirit smile upon each of you today.
Blessings,
Judy
Not to commit evil, but to practice all good, and to keep the heart pure: This is the teaching of the Buddha.
“To keep the heart pure” means to try to keep the mind uncluttered. It does not mean that we are saintly. It means that we are reasonably aware, reasonably caring, open to ourselves and to others, and not influenced by hatred, greed, or delusion. – Martine Batchelor, "The Precepts: A Special Practice Section"
I read this passage the other day, and I was struck by the simplicity of living that this bit of wisdom crafts for us. I wonder how this teaching, now nearly 5000 years old, could be replaced by a belief in Christianity and Muslim, which seem to cause great violence to other humans.
I wondered how these faiths only in existence for about 2000 years, could arise. As I was sitting in meditation, the simple answer came to me – they arose because the true teachings which supported the teachings of Buddha for different geographical regions, were pushed aside because of the individual’s need for power and to support their hatred and greed. This thought was so powerful that I nearly fell off my meditation cushion. And, it made me sad – very sad.
May we all find that place in ourselves to be kind and carrying, and beyond the passions of hatred, and greed. May delusion be released as we shed our ego.
Blessings,
Judy
It is soon time to begin looking at Christmas trees. The Elementals shake with frustration when their beloved trees are mistakenly identified as pine, when they should be fir, or as spruce when they should be pine. So, the Elementals asked me to give a brief lesson in how to tell the trees apart. And, yes, they are all EVERGREENS, remember, however, that calling a tree an evergreen is like calling you a human instead of using your name.
Look for the number of needles that come out of the same spot on a twig. If a twig bears needles in groups of two, three, or five, you can safely call it a pine.
Pine Tree Branch
If the twig carries its needles singly, it’s a good bet you’ve got a fir or a spruce. If the needle has four sides and, thus, rolls easily between your fingers, it’s a spruce.
Spruce Tree Branch
Pull off a needle, and roll it between your fingers. If it feels flat and doesn’t roll easily, it’s a fir.
Note: This information on the trees comes from www.finegardening.com. I am grateful for their informative site.
Blessings,
Judy
Coyote has many personas in many belief systems. In North America, Coyote is seen as a trickster. In other places, Coyote is the messenger from the gods. Still others think that Coyote is a special guide that warns you when trouble is coming, and tells you to beware.
Coyote comes in today to tell everyone to play more. Her observation is that humans are too serious and that humans miss all the possibilities to increase their productivity and creativity.
Her message is that you do not need to play for a long period of time; you just need to play to relax your focus so that you can let go of the tunnel vision that plagues many people.
Coyote says that by looking at things with a fresh eye, you can tell whether you need to be in service to the situation, or to offer a prayer for the situation, or, even whether you should be doing some soul searching around the situation. Nature creates events to allow us to grow.
Blessings,
Judy
A while ago, we had friends over for a pot luck gathering. I made several things. However one of the favourite “eats” was this wild rice soup. Several people said that they would serve it for Christmas, if I would share the recipe. Some of us plan our Christmas menu ahead of time, and like to test the results before the big day. Here is the Wild Rice Soup recipe.
Wild Rice Soup
8-10 Servings
Wild rice was, for hundreds of years, one of the -main food sources for the Indians of Minnesota. It is a large reed-like grass and grows in three to four feet of water. This grass, with its long sweeping flower cluster on top, sometimes grows eight to ten feet tall.
Ingrediants
1/2 cup wild rice ( I used ¾ of a cup of wild rice)
1 pound bacon (I left out all the bacon and drippings and added 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil.)
3 tablespoons bacon drippings (Leave out for vegetarian soup)
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped onion
¾ cup finely chopped red pepper
2 141/2-ounce cans (ready to serve) chicken broth (I used 7 cups of distilled water and a 2 vegetarian broth cubes)
2 white potatoes, cubed
2 103/4-ounce cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
Variations:
Add grated carrot, or green onions, or finely chopped leek, or finely chopped mushrooms.
Wash wild rice. Boil rice for 15 minutes and drain; set aside. If you use the bacon, fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and discard all but 3 tablespoons bacon drippings. Sauté celery, onion and green pepper or whatever veggies that you use either in the drippings, or in olive oil, until onion is transparent. Put in a large kettle and add rice, broth, mushrooms, soup and diced bacon. Cook on low heat for 1 to 3 hours. (I find that 3 hours gives it the best flavour.) Do not add salt.
Blessings,
Judy
The word of the day is “PLAY”. Play with friends. Play an instrument. Jump, walk, bike, run, jog, or play with the dog. Let yourself go and be relaxed. You are now off duty. In playing, you learn about yourself. It is time to do more learning.
Things to ask yourself:
The Poster says: Responsibility — No single drop of water thinks it is responsible for the flood. —Author Unknown
In this time, we all have work that we must do. Creator is urging everyone to now take responsibility for their own lives.
It is difficult for the mind to come to the right diet, difficult for the mind to stay in the middle. It is just like a clock's pendulum. The pendulum goes to the right, then it moves to the left, then again to the right, and again to the left; the clock's working depends on this movement.
If the pendulum stays in the middle, the clock stops. And when the pendulum moves to the right, you think it is only going to the right, but at the same time it is gathering momentum to go to the left. The more it moves to the right, the more energy it gathers to move to the left, and vice versa. - Osho
Many blessings,
Judy
White Tiger entered my space and announced that it was here to walk with me for a while. I was startled. A white animal usually means that something big, in a spiritual sort of way, is going to happen to you, and generally, it involves a confrontation of some kind. This was not good news!
White Tiger said slowly and quietly, “There is nothing to fear. Now, you need a teacher to walk with you. I have asked to come to do this thing. You and other humans are interesting to me.”
With that comment, White Tiger sent me some thoughts to share with others.
This poster says:
For those who leave never to return.
For those who return but are never the same.
We remember.
Yesterday, when I went out to my vehicle, there were three prairie chickens in the middle of the cove, pecking away at seeds. They scurried away when I walked too close to them. Then, today, when the I took my dog walking in the park, at the exit, there was a small flock of six prairie chickens. This time, they flew away instead of scurrying, I think, because of my dog.
It is apparent to me, that Prairie Chicken has a message for me because it is appearing two days in a row, and the number of critters is multiplied by two. This really illustrates how message totem animals work.
“A Message Animal Totem usually is bringing you a self growth, spiritual message, or a cautionary warning. It is often a wake up call or slap in the face. It will usually be a very unusual experience making it very powerful at that time and very impartial. A Message Totem is a brief period of time, a day, a week, and occasionally as much as a couple of months but can be immediate for just a few hours.”
Now, it is up to me to figure out what the message is because the animals did not stay around to give the message to me directly. Prairie Chickens, and many chickens and quail, and even grouse, are about community, about feeding or nourishment, and about protection – especially fleeing at the first sign of danger. This means that chicken is also about being ultra aware of one’s surroundings.
The message that resonated for me as I meditated on Prairie Chicken and the chickens’ actions is:
Blessings,
Judy
I was looking at some of the speeches from different politicians in different parts of the world. It made me think of this lesson from Buddha.
When we look for the mind, we can't find any shape, or color, or form. This mind that we identify as the self, which we could call ego-mind, controls everything we do. Yet it can't actually be found—which is somewhat spooky, as if a ghost were managing our home. The house seems to be empty, but all the housework has been done. The bed has been made, our shoes have been polished, the tea has been poured, and the breakfast has been cooked. The funny thing is that we never question this. We just assume that someone or something is there. But all this time, our life has been managed by a ghost, and it's time to put a stop to it. On one hand, ego-mind has served us—but it hasn't served us well. – Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, "Searching for Self"
Blessings,
Judy
The message from Creator and the Angels today, is about creating happiness for yourself. Think of all the great monuments in the world, and that they were built by architects, engineers, and willing builders.
Each day, you can be the architect of your day, and plan happiness. Each day, you can be the engineer that makes happiness happen by looking at all the things that are in your life – the abundance, the home, the family, the friends, and even the dog, and seeing that everything, not just ONE thing, does contribute to happiness. All of the components are the willing builders that work with you to build happiness, if you allow them to be part of your life. This means that you do not control them, but, you can suggest to them all the things that build happiness.
Blessings,
Judy
Now is the time to celebrate. Feel your heartbeat and the rhythm of life. In movement and flow, everything has cycles and rhythms. Feel and know your part of this rhythm through to the core of your being. Get in touch with your inner self.
Do no let disharmony interrupt your rhythm and flow, bud dance your dance and sing your song with joy, and others will be infected with the delight of it.
– Treasures from Tikashi
As we move through the changes of time and space, find a place in your heart that is filled with joy. Let this be one of your sanctuaries. When you feel down or out, go to this place, to your reserve of joy, and let all things flow.
Blessings,
Judy
November waltzes in on the heels of All Hallows‘ Eve or Halloween. In Celtic and Nordic tradition, this was a time to celebrate the end of the harvest and to put some seeds and grain out at the shrine for those members of the family that have died.
This leads to November 1 which is the traditional time of “Feast of the Dead”. Although we tend to attribute this festival to the Mexican people, many other countries and belief systems honour their dead at this time.
I love the tradition of the Huron people, in days gone by. Whenever a large village shifted location, about every 10-15 years, the Huron celebrated a “Feast of the Dead”. Since the ancestors could not be moved conveniently with the tribe, a special ceremony was held to offer the ancestors a final resting place and to give the ancestors peace. The bodies were removed from their temporary cave graves and buried in a deep pit lined with furs such as beaver and mink. The ceremony showed the reverence and gratitude that all Huron have for their dead. This grand ceremony was the final release of the souls, and the responsibility that the ancestors had to the tribe. Those souls now released could walk the path up to the sky, to hunt with the Gods, and live a life of abundance.
I also love the description that Marcelina at www.mysticalmind.comwrites of the preparing of the cemetery for “The Feast Of The Dead”. She writes:
The day before the feast, the younger people would have to tidy up the cemetery. The wooden crosses had to be straightened upright, faded, painted headstones had to be touched up, and the weeds needed to be pulled out. Dried leaves and twigs were placed in a pile to make into a bonfire. The whole surroundings must be swept with a broom to clear the spirits’ path who would be attending the feast. Some of the younger women had to plant flowers and herbs, and others needed to set up the altar on the round, flat rock in the cemetery which had been dedicated for this event. Pictures of the departed, fruits, flowers and candles were carefully placed around the altar while a big cross of Jesus Christ stood at the center.
Westerners, in the past, have a tendency to ignore their ancestors. That behaviour seems to be changing, and more people, even if they do not set up a shrine, are saying prayers for their ancestors. And that, I think, is a good thing!
Blessings,
Judy
When we think of Halloween, we think of spooks, ghosts, monsters, and witches. We think of skeletons, and candy, and being scared, and that bad things might happen. Witch costumes are abundant on Halloween. Here is how Shakespeare showed witches in his play, Macbeth.
The Witches’ Spell
Act IV, Scene 1 from Macbeth (1606) by William Shakespeare
Enter the three Witches.
1 WITCH. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew’d.
2 WITCH. Thrice and once, the hedge-pig whin’d.
3 WITCH. Harpier cries:—’tis time! ’tis time!
1 WITCH. Round about the caldron go;
In the poison’d entrails throw.—
Toad, that under cold stone,
Days and nights has thirty-one;
Swelter’d venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot!
ALL. Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
2 WITCH. Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg, and owlet’s wing,—
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
ALL. Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
3 WITCH. Scale of dragon; tooth of wolf;
Witches’ mummy; maw and gulf
Of the ravin’d salt-sea shark;
Root of hemlock digg’d i the dark;
Liver of blaspheming Jew;
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Sliver’d in the moon’s eclipse;
Nose of Turk, and Tartar’s lips;
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver’d by a drab,—
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron,
For the ingrediants of our caldron.
ALL. Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
2 WITCH. Cool it with a baboon’s blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
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Blessings,
Judy
