Human Kind

 

The picture says:   Human Kind.  Be Both.

"We’re not meant to be vehicles of destruction, but rather the very embodiment of love & light and compassion, manifest."

I recently had an experience where people were not very kind to me or to each other.  I wondered why they were like that.  Then, I met their manager.  He was not nice to any one.  When people say that influence comes from the top, “people” were very correct in this case.  

What makes someone be unkind to those around him (or her)?  Is it their home life?  Is it that they think acting mean makes them powerful?  Or, is it that they don’t like people in general?  What ever the reason, I like to think that most people are kind and that most people want to help others.

Blessings,

Judy

Using Right Speech With Yourself

The Buddha saw that we are always engaged in relationships, starting with that most significant relationship: the one with ourselves. On the cushion we notice how we speak to ourselves—sometimes with compassion, sometimes with judgement or impatience. Our words are a powerful medium with which we can bring happiness or cause suffering.   - Allan Lokos, "Skillful Speech"

I was sitting at my laptop this morning, trying to send out emails to friends and family.  My email was acting strange, and stopping, not refreshing, or simply not sending out my outbound mail.  I started to get frustrated.  I started to watch myself talk to myself.  I saw that I was not upset with the email or with the computer.  I was upset with myself for not being able to FIX IT.  I realized that the words I was saying were unkind and not helpful.  I realized how unrealistic my actions were.  

Where did this come from?  Where did it send me?  I think that the words came from the shadow side of me that remembers the unkind things that people have said in the past – things about how I was unworthy, or stupid, or…..   Well, you get the picture.  I think that most of the time that words like that can send us down a dark current that moves us away from the light.  

I am now back on track.  This is a good day for you to get on track as well. 

Blessings, 

Judy

Compassion For All

The poster reads, “Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike, each has their suffering.” - Buddha

I am seeing more people go out of their way to help others.  Still, many people try to put down others, one-up the people around them, and compete with others.  These actions are not the way of love and compassion.

I wish for you to find tolerance for others, kindness for all, and compassion for those having trouble.

Blessings,

Judy

Humming Bird’s Sweetness

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

Feeling Pain Together

Direct Seeing -  With direct seeing, we know that we are not alone in our suffering and that no one need feel alone when in pain. Seeing our oneness is the beginning of our compassion, and it allows us to reach beyond aversion and separation.

-Sharon Salzberg, “A Quiver of the Heart” 

When I read this passage, I am reminded that not all of us see the same way.  I realize that many people judge others’ pain to be lesser than their own.  I wonder why we seem to feel aversion, or even jealousy, about other people’s pain.  A scene from the movie, “Grumpy Old Men” sticks in my mind.  Jack Lemmon’s and Walter Matthau’s character each competed to see who had the biggest hurt!  It was funny, and sad, at the same time.

I confess, when I see other people in pain, I most often seem to hurt for them.  It quickly goes away.  The pain lets me see/feel how they are feeling, and, I empathise with their pain.  I typically respond the same way to tears of grief or sadness.

I think most people are like that!

Many blessings,

Judy

Archangel Haniel

Archangel Haniel artwork by Virginnia www.starlightangel.co.uk

 

I was sitting and wondering what the blog should be about, and I felt an energy on my left side… behind my shoulder.  I heard “write angels speak” and then I asked who? I had some difficulty hearing, and finally heard “Haniel”.  

AA Haniel is often called the Angel of the Moon.  She also helps those with strong psychic or mystical gifts. 

Her message is…

Dear ones, as the Moon changes in relationship to your home, know that it is because of the different Earth shifts, as polarity shifts and your awareness rises.  The Moon will call you more now as she speaks of the ebb and flow of life force on Earth. Your life force is anchored in water, therefore you feel the pull of the Moon just as she pulls the waves of the Ocean.  The waves are. Whether they are large ones for surfing, or gentle ones that lull the sailors to sleep, the waves never question.  They simply exist.  If you will pardon the pun, they go with the flow.  

That, dear Ones, is exactly what you all need to do.  This is a time of letting go.  Attachments will be like cement blocks holding you back.  It is in not attaching significance to the changing monetary systems and the changing economies that the change will happen swiftly.  Healing will begin even as the changes are still completing. 

Do what you need to do, and do it with grace and joy.  Provide for one another. Share what you have. Do it with love and compassion. 

Blessings,

Judy

Earth Keepers In Munay-Ki

Picture from the video MELODIAS DE ANGELES on You Tube

I saw this picture, and it made me think of the Earth Keeper Rites in Munay-Ki.   

Earth Keepers are about:

-unconditional love

-holding the Earth in your heart

-seeing the galaxy as an integral part of the Earth

-holding each action that happens on the Earth in love and being with it without fear or anger.

-compassion.

-bigger than either masculine or feminine - it is about the combination, or neutrality of the opposite energies

-a place of PEACE

My wish for December is that all humans find a place to be without fear and anger, and that all find enough water and food to sustain them.  For if if the people are satisfied, they will then turn to looking after the Earth, for they see that to keep themselves fed and watered, the Earth Mother must be cared for.

Blessings,

Judy

Fox Play

 

Source of picture – unknown

Fox is now seen in towns and cities.  She has decided that since man is moving into her territory, she will use man’s space as a hunting ground.  She now births her pups in the wooded parks, and keeps them safe during their growing time.

Fox says:

• Fox knows how to adapt quickly to new environments. Humans, it seems, want to keep everything the same.  I say to you that change is now here and it will be rapid.  Look at the changing Nature around you.  Figure out how to adapt and enjoy the change.  Fighting against it will cause you to be ill.
• Going into another’s area or territory will give you a new perspective on life.  Simply sitting in your chair, in your territory, and criticizing what others do is not useful.  Go! Explore! And perhaps you will learn compassion along the way.  
• My pups are most precious and I will do anything to keep them safe. I teach them to read the land, and to listen to the animals.  I teach them to know what is good food and bad food.  I teach them to dig and to build a den.  I watch and listen to how your pups are treated.  You stick them in territories with fences around them and unnatural play things.  They do not know how to be in the woods or the grasslands.  They do not know how to fend for themselves and to be aware.  Are your children not precious to you?

Many blessings,

Judy

Let’s Talk About Compassion

Have you noticed that compassion seems to be lacking in the world today?  Yes, certain people have compassion.  In a wide sweep of the population on Earth, however, there seems to be little compassion for fellow humans.  We have more compassion and more energy for saving/rescuing/feeding animals.

This picture – compassion and caring – comes from www.proteuscoven.org

  

 

 

 

Lisa Beachy (www.lisabeachy.com) sent out her weekly angel message quite a while ago.  It was:

"Dearest friend, Living in compassion with those that you share this physical experience with is so key to your spiritual growth.  Compassion for their fear, compassion for the way they view certain issues and compassion for how they formed their beliefs in the first place. Compassion is needed from you for their decisions and the ability to give that compassion without judgement. Compassion for others, as well as YOURSELF will walk you further down your spiritual path quicker than any book or class.  - With Love, The Angels "

It was Lisa’s message that set me thinking about this issue of compassion and whether we feel it or not. At www.thefreedictionary.com, compassion is defined as “Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.”  Often, with people close to us, we do not see their suffering as truly suffering because we compare it to other things like a starving child in Africa, or being a street person at –30 C, or living in the slums of India.  What we are doing then, is making a judgement about the degree of suffering that the other person is doing.  If we do not think that they are really suffering, we have little compassion for them.  Sometimes we simply see them in the role of “victim”, and sometimes we have little patience for that. 

The Angels’ message is quite timely for me.  I have been wrestling with how to work with a friend who keeps expressing how much they are suffering, and yet I do not see it. I realise from Lisa’s message that I simply have to hold space for that person, and let them have their experience, whether it seems significant to me, or not.  And, in my compassion, I need to hold a space for my self, to let me work out my judgements around what I observe in others.

I am grateful for Lisa’s message.  I had an “aha” moment.  May you feel the truth of this message as well.

Blessings,

Judy

Angels Talk About Revenge

The information below is what I received in a channel quite a while ago.  I was going through some old writing and found this channel that seems as relevant today as it did back then.

Blessings,

Judy

Dearest Ones!  We delight in all that you do.  We see you take on tasks that seem to be impossible, and we see you make the world work.  We see that you have learned to fly higher and faster even though you do not have wings.  We see you have compassion for beings that cannot speak.

What we do not understand is your need to have “revenge”.  Revenge, from what we see is about inflicting punishment in return for some real or imagined injury or insult. Revenge is about “not love”.  Love does make the world go round.  Revenge is someone deciding to play Creator and change the course of another individual's life by deciding that they must “pay” for something.  

We say to you, would you want someone making decisions like this for your life?  Do unto others!  Revenge is really about temper – anger.  It is about not getting your way.  It is about interfering with the path of others.  Yes, you can say that it is your path.  However, in this life, each of you has a choice to make.  This life is about choices.  If revenge is your ch(joy)oice, then you will be on this treadmill of life for a long time.  

Enjoy life and do not seek revenge.  It will create more karma for you, and it will interfere with the love vibration.  We the Archangels tell you that it is so.

On Being Happy

A picture of infinite possibilities taken from pull out on Highwood Trail

For the last several weeks, the quote below, on happiness, keeps popping up either in my email or on sites that I look at.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. - the Dalai Lama 

I decided that I really needed to look at my happiness and look at whether I was truly happy.  We know that happiness comes from inside you and not from external sources.  And yet, as I examined my life and my home and yard and all our friends and neighbours, I concluded that I am happy.  I love my life!  I love that we have beautiful flowers and a bountiful garden and herb garden. I love that we can sit and have coffee on the deck in the morning.  I love that I have time to meditate and to walk in Nature, and to sit on the Earth and feel the life that flows from it.

I then looked at my compassion.  The meaning of compassion as defined by the University of Berkeley in California is:

Compassion literally means “to suffer together

.” Among emotion researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another's suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related. - https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/compassion/definition#:~:text=Compassion%20literally%20means%20%E2%80%9Cto%20suffer,though%20the%20concepts%20are%20related.

Based on this definition, compassion is at the far end of my bar of happiness. I do not feel compelled to search out people that are suffering.  I realize that compassion is something that I need to work on.

May you all have much happiness in your days.

Many blessings,

Judy

 

Never Give Up!

                                         

Picture comes from an email and where it originated is unknown

Healing words from the Dali Lama:

Never Give up 
No matter what is going on 
Never Give up 
Develop the heart 
Too much energy is spent developing the mind 
instead of the heart 
Be compassionate 
Work for peace 
and I say again 
Never Give up 
No matter what is happening 
No matter what is going on around you 
Never Give up

One of the commonalities between many of the very old traditions, that is, before Christianity, is the spirit of perseverance.  What I am seeing as I meet people over the last six months is that sense of despair and of having given up.  

As I expand my sight to see what is really going on, I see that the despair is borne from the disparaging words from others – others who tell them that everything is awful, or that they’ll never get it right, or….

The picture that I see is that others around them cause the person’s sense of desperation and defeat.  Living to the words of others rather than what is in yourself is truly the way to losing your way.  

I love the words from the Dali Lama – Never Give Up, No matter what is going on around you.

Many blessings,

Judy

Archangel Uriel’s Chant

 Picture from Angel Speaks – Archangel Uriel

 When I took my Angel Therapy Training years ago, one of the Archangels that I have really come to enjoy working with is Archangel Uriel.  I love the feeling of joy and love that flows around me when I work with this angel.  Below is one of the chants that Archangel Uriel shared with me.  I hope that it helps you.

*****************************************

Dearest ones of light!  I greet you!  I, Uriel, am delighted that you are all now looking at the changes taking place in a kinder, more loving light.  I give to you this chant to use to move forward with grace.

Chant for Grace

I call on the Goodness in the heavens and on the earth

To bring me to forgiveness of myself and all souls.

I call on all souls to forgive me for my actions in all my lifetimes.

I offer love and compassion to all those that I have scorned.

I offer loving kindness to all those in need.

I surrender my need to clutter my life.

I choose my actions each day, and accept the responsibility of my choices.

I now choose actions of love, health, and happiness.

 ***************************************

Use this chant to help shift all the thoughts that go around in your head and make you unhappy.  

Have a blessed day!

Sending many blessings,

Judy

The Beauty of Silence

Picture from Markelt.wordpress.com

Have you ever felt over whelmed by all the noise in the world around you?  Whether you work in an office or in a mall, or even in your home, all kinds of noises grace your waking and sleeping moments.  WE are so accustomed to noise from our furnaces, air conditioners, children, vehicles, dogs, cats, pets, houses, and so on, that we really do not know what the sound of silence is like.

During this time, as our lives begin to change, and we must deal with our “stuff”, silence will be required.  When we hear noises, we allow our egos to distract us because we really do not want to do this work – it is hard and painful and rakes up stuff we would like to leave in the closet.  Yet, in the silence, we can pull out the images of our past and look at them objectively, without hearing that running commentary in our heads.  Yes, you can tell your Ego to go and sit on your left shoulder for the next one half hour as you quietly reconstruct sad or angry images into images that are positive, and present a level of growth that you have not remembered up to this time.

In the silence, you will hear the voice of the Angels, coaxing you along the discovery of the depths of wisdom and compassion that you were unaware of – compassion that comes from the heart and the mind.  You will have the realization that the person who seemed to cause you pain was totally unaware of their effect.  Even more surprising, in silence, you get a look at the person’s background, and you see that they are so uninformed and so uneducated that they simply had no other way of knowing how to act.  

In the silence, however, you realize that you can always choose your response to a situation.  You can choose to be angry or, as my young friend says, “conflictful”.  Or, you can choose a moment of silence to compose yourself, and to respond with silence, recognizing that all is well. 

Choose to experience silence today.

Many blessings,

Judy

The Kindness of The Mallard Ducks

 

 Picture taken by Judy Hirst in our yard in May 2023

I wrote about our Mallard Ducks in a previous blog.  You can check it out by clicking on the link below.

https://www.lightstationwisdom.com/2023/04/mallard-duck-visitors-spirit-animals.html

Today, I want to tell you a story about these ducks.  We call them Mama and Papa Duck.  They have been coming to our yard and our neighbourhood since 2021.  They show up about mid May and their last visit is usually early September.  Both ducks are very chill in our yard and they have an understanding with our dog so that he leaves them alone as they eat at the birdseed area.  They come about ten in the morning and about eight at night.  We can be out on the deck eating or reading, and they don’t care.  When they are not in our yard, they are at our neighbours’ places, doing the same thing.

One day, we observed the ducks fly into the yard in the morning, and, quite strangely, a third duck, a male mallard flew in with them.  Rather than going to eat right away as they normally do, the ducks walked the male mallard around the part of the yard that they hang out in and showed him different places they like to eat grass as well as the birdseed area.  The three of them munched together and then flew off.

Later that afternoon, the lone male mallard dropped into the yard.  He has been popping in about once a day, sometimes twice, and does not come when Mama and Papa Duck are here.  We realized that the Mallard couple were being kind to the lone male who seemed to be without a mate.  They brought him to their safe haven area where there was food and safety from coyotes or other predators.  The lone male eats with the doves and the blackbirds and seems quite content.  

I was impressed with the thoughtfulness and kindness of Mama and Papa Duck.  I am not aware of ducks showing this level of sympathy and empathy for another.  The compassion the couple showed was amazing.  Nature is often amazing.  I hope that very soon all humans show that much compassion for others.

Many blessings,

Judy

Smoke and Wild Fires

   Photo is from three days ago from the Toronto Globe and Mail

The last several days have been incredibly smoke filled and in some places, have caused poor visibility.  I went outside to have my coffee on the deck and came back in immediately because it was too smokey.  

The smoke made me think of smudging - the smudging that you do to clear yourself (and others) before ceremony or before meditating.  It made me think that perhaps Mother Earth is smudging all of us with these big fires.  Smudging is for clearing away issues, problems, negative energy and actions. It is a form of purification. It is a very unusual time as at the moment, 87 fires are burning, and 25 are out of control, while the rest are confined.

I say a silent prayer for all the animals that people have had to leave behind as they are rushed out of danger areas.  Blessings to the firemen that are going into abandoned areas and trying to feed the pets left behind.  

Strength and compassion to all the fire fire fighters that are working in Northern Alberta and BC to fight fires.

May the rains come to tame the fires and clear the smoke.

Many blessings,

Judy
 

Making Choices

 

Over the past year, have you noticed that you seem to need to make a big choice and a bunch of little choices each week?  While it may not seem like the choice is part of your spiritual journey, most of the time it does end up supporting one of truth, health, happiness, wisdom, love, kindness, and compassion.  

For quite a few people, the Covid pandemic caused them to make a choice to withdraw from daily life - work, friends and family, and making choices/decisions on a daily basis.  For many, it was the end of relationships. Choices were made taking in to account health, happiness, and love, especially self-love.

Many people like to judge the choices that others make, labelling the choice as right or wrong, good or bad.  It is impossible to know what the best choice or right choice is for another person because we can never know exactly what is going on in another person’s life.

My suggestion is that you make a choice not to judge, but to allow.  

Many blessings,

Judy

Our Spring Equinox Gathering

 

The other day a Reader asked me what I do for Spring Equinox.  What a great question!

This year for Spring Equinox, we had a gathering of fourteen people, all friends that have been coming to our gatherings for years.  Since we did not have any gatherings through COVID, the day was so fun for our tribe to get together. 

After everyone exchanged hellos and hugs, and got tea or water, I hustled the group into the family room where we had a roaring fire going in the fireplace.  First item is to get everyone smudged and cleansed for the ceremony that we have.  Each person either brings a drum or rattle or takes one of our instruments.  As we wait for the smudging to finish, we begin drumming and rattling, clearing the energy in the room.

After the smudging, I open sacred space in the tradition of the Shaman of the Andes.  We open the four directions and above and below.  Then I give a brief overview of what we will cover during the session and advise who our Spirit Guide will be for the session.  In this session, it was Quan Yin. 

We do a quick around the circle introducing ourselves and why we are glad to be present today. Next, I sent around a jar filled with words. Each person drew out a word for this is the trait or issue that they will work on for the next three months.  For example, some of the words were - Forgiveness, Compassion, Leadership, etc.

 My husband then handed out crystals and provided a beautiful meditation on breathing into who we are. I led a meditation with Quan Yin as our guide that took us around the world.

We ended with a sharing circle where each person talked about what was on their mind.  Some talked about their meditation experience.  Some talked about what was going on for them at work or in encounters with different people.  Each experience was blessed.

The last part of the ceremony is that I closed sacred space.  Folks return the crystals and instruments and move to the dining room for refreshments and visiting.

The whole ceremony took place in one hour and ten minutes.  Remember, when we are in sacred space, time moves differently.

The energy in the house is incredibly fresh and gentle after a gathering.  Folks talk about feeling peace and calmness, and being happy.

A gathering does not need to be large.  We have done gatherings with four of us.  If you are feeling the urge to gather with like minded people, go for it!  The experience is always unique.  Each person grows with the experience.

Many blessings,

Judy

Cow - A Spirit Animal

 

- picture from Clipart....

The cow is being given a bad reputation these days in the way that scientists and environmentalists are blaming the cow for releasing methane gas that is causing the green house effect.

The cow, however, is a very powerful Spirit Animal. When Cow appears to you in dreams, visions, or on your path to work or play, remember some of these strengths about the Cow.

1. Fertility, Nurturing - Cows are linked traditionally with the Goddess of Fertility such as Aphrodite (Greek Goddess), Bastet (Egyptian Goddess), Freya (Norse Goddess), Arianrhod (Welsh Goddess), Diana (Roman Goddess). The Cow is associated with motherhood and nurturing since it provides food for mankind. It also provides calves which may become food. Therefore, the Cow represents fertility through sacrifice. A Cow will always try to do what is best for itself and others, however, the herd needs are paramount. Drive by a pasture in the spring and see the Nursemaid Cows who watch over the new calves while the Mothers and other herd members graze.

2. Steadfast – The Cow is known as being able to stand its ground through weather and predator. Cow medicine is about standing one’s truth and not being influenced. It is also about mastering challenges.

3. Perception – As part of the food chain for large predators, the Cow is very alert and intelligent. Lead cows have led herds from pasture to pasture to avoid droughts and danger. Cows work with a sixth sense about danger and opportunity. Those with Cows as guides will be strongly perceptive, and the Cow will appear to tell you to pay attention.

4. Compassion – Cows have large eyes that see all. The stare may be hypnotic and will tear down one’s walls to find the soul. The Cow’s eyes are full of compassion since they are an animal of continuous sacrifice. Cow has learned to put the herd before self, to put the calf before self, and to move in a way for the highest good of the herd. Cows that are jumpers or rogues always end up on the other side of the fence and away from the herd. They become isolated.

The cow is a powerful totem and shows us how to nurture ourselves and honor others.  Those with this totem are usually service oriented and put other peoples needs before their own

Happy Valentine’s Day for 2023

 

  Poster from a collection of images from timesnownews.com

Valentine’s Day!  The day that we are encouraged, especially commercially, to express our feelings of love to our family, friends, and special someone.

My wish for you this Valentine’s Day is to find time to live life and find love where ever you can.  I wish that you find time to be kind, to be filled with loving kindness, and express love/compassion for someone who needs a show of kindness.  May your spirit be loving every day!

Many Blessings.

Judy