Living With Your Heart

The poster reads:  

Surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good.  Love the people who treat you right.  Pray for the ones that don’t.  Life is too short to be anything but happy.  Falling down is part of life, getting back up is living.

***************************** 

Sometimes life just seems like chapters. Some good, some bad, but all come together to create the story of our lives. – Unknown

Today, find something to laugh at.  

Today, find time to share a laugh.

Then, find someone to enjoy a laugh with.

Find a way to flow with life.

It is good for your heart.

 

Blessings,

Judy

Find One Thing

 

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

Winter Hare in a Dream

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.

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

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.

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

Blessings,

Judy

Buddha Says Keep The Heart Pure

 

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

Angels Talk About the Time to be in Service

                                                           Picture from unknown source

 Dearest Beloveds… this is the time to be in service!  It is the time to help yourself, your family, and all the people that you know, to move beyond that place of fear.  Fear takes you back to the place of density.  Density takes you into a place of judgement, placing blame, resentment, and control.

When you are in service, that is, doing something kind for others with or without their knowledge, then life is good.  You are in a vibration that does not see or feel the fear.  Instead, you see the stories and how the stories were all created by another human.  The stories do not exist, otherwise.

If you are feeling that you are getting that “down” feeling, we suggest walking in Nature, and watching how Nature carries on, even with all the stories and fear that are around it.  Nature ignores.  Nature can do this because it is part of the Oneness.  To be part of this feeling or experience, simply go into meditation and let go of all you know.  The Oneness is a calmness where you have infinite wisdom available to you. 

If it feels right, try asking for help to walk apart from the fear.  And, you can ask for help to feel forgiveness for your self, for others, and to feel compassion for those who do not have the guidance to be without fear, and the needs of food, clothing, shelter, safety, and security.  

Your Earth Ancestors, long ago, were in that place of fear and need.  They found by working with Nature, and being fully in tune with it, they could satisfy all those needs and be at one with everything.  They saw themselves as caretakers.  We ask you to see your self as a caretaker for what is around you.  How can you do things to be more in harmony with all?

We, the Archangels of Understanding, wish you love.

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

Blessings,

Judy

Lightning strikes a Tree

“Lightning is good.  When Lightning strikes a tree, people say that tree has been blessed and they go to gather that wood for special purposes.”  -  Apache Tradition

Last week, lightning hit a tree on Poplar Island, an island in the Bow River, and part of Fish Creek Park.  The tree burned for a long time, for it was a large tree, and had lived a long time.

I began to think about the tree.  One of my thoughts was that the Elementals had decided that this tree was special, and that it should not suffer the fate of being chewed down by beavers, and then becoming part of the next beaver dam.  

Instead, the Elementals decided that this tree would be transformed from tree to charcoal.  It then becomes a wonderful instrument of cleaning and healing for all the animals that ingest it.  As it washes into the river, it becomes a natural filter.

It seems to me that this is how humans may transform – with one flash of great light they become less than they were before and then so much more.

I wish you a flash of inspiration!

Blessings,

Judy

Confucius Speaks — About Good People

“Good people live wisely and improve customs.” is the meaning that Confucius attributes to the 53rd meaning of the I Ching or Book of Change 

 

 

Picture of the 53rd cast of the I-Ching

The translation of this cast (shown below) comes from a translation by Wilhelm, both in English and French.

On the mountain, a tree: The image of DEVELOPMENT. 
Thus the superior man abides in dignity and virtue, 
In order to improve the mores. 

The tree on the mountain is visible from afar, and its development influences the landscape of the entire region. It does not shoot up like a swamp plant; its growth proceeds gradually. Thus also the work of influencing people can be only gradual. No sudden influence or awakening is of lasting effect. Progress must be quite gradual, and in order to obtain such progress in public opinion and in the mores of the people, it is necessary for the personality to acquire influence and weight. This comes about through careful and constant work on one's own moral development. 

I saw this cast of the I-Ching, and immediately realized that this is actually the journey of our lives. It takes well into our adult hood before we develop the credibility to have others look to us for answers, or for leadership.  The Mayans believed one was not truly a Master or a true teacher until the person reached 52 years of age.

The irony of this, is, that while many of us believe in the wisdom that comes from age, we have created “Masters” programs in our Universities and Business Schools that purport to give a twenty-two to twenty-six year old the same knowledge one has at fifty-two.  Does it work?  In most cases, no!  The other sad fact about this hypocrisy is that the twenty-something wants to earn the same as the fifty something, and feels it is “due” to them because they have the education. 

Blessings,

Judy

About Cheating

This is a funny time in the world.  When you watch the news, most of what is broadcast talks about people cheating on others, people in power cheating those without power by taking bribes and making decisions that are not for the highest good; and about cheating in sporting events.  

I came across this story in my studies on Buddhism, and thought it was appropriate for the times.

A Man Named Wise 

Once upon a time, the Enlightenment Being was born in a merchants' family in Benares, in northern India. He was given the name Wise. When he grew up he began doing business with a man whose name just happened to be Verywise. 

It came to pass that Wise and Verywise took a caravan of 500 bullock carts into the countryside. After selling all their goods they returned to Benares with their handsome profits. 

When it came time to split their gains between them, Verywise said, "I should get twice as much profit as you." "How come?" asked Wise. "Because you are Wise and I am Verywise. It is obvious that Wise should get only half as much as Verywise." 

Then Wise asked, "Didn't we both invest equal amounts in this caravan trip? Why do you deserve twice as much profit as I?" Verywise replied, "Because of my quality of being Verywise." In this way their quarrel went on with no end in sight. 

Then Verywise thought, "I have a plan to win this argument." So he went to his father and asked him to hide inside a huge hollow tree. He said, "When my partner and I come by and ask how to share our profits, then you should say, 'Verywise deserves a double share."' 

Verywise returned to Wise and said, 'My friend, neither of us wants this quarrel. Let's go to the old sacred tree and ask the tree spirit to settle it." 

When they went to the tree Verywise said solemnly, "My lord tree spirit, we have a problem. Kindly solve it for us." Then his father, hidden inside the hollow tree, disguised his voice and asked, "What is your question?" The man's cheating son said, "My lord tree spirit, this man is Wise and I am Verywise. We have done business together. Tell us how to share the profits." Again disguising his voice, his father responded, "Wise deserves a single share and Verywise deserves a double share." 

Hearing this solution, Wise decided to find out if it really was a tree spirit speaking from inside the tree. So he threw some hay into it and set it on fire. Immediately Verywise's father grabbed onto a branch, jumped out of the flames and fell on the ground. He said in his own voice,, "Although his name is Verywise, my son is just a clever cheater. I'm lucky that the one named Wise really is so. and I've escaped only half toasted!" 

Then Wise and Verywise shared their profits equally. Eventually they both died and were reborn as they deserved.  The lesson, “A cheater may be clever but not wise.”

Blessings,

Judy

Trout Splashes Around

Picture from Wikipedia

I am fortunate because I live close to a provincial park and close to the Bow River.  The Bow is world wide known as a great place to catch trout.   The other day, I was out walking with a friend and we watched for trout in the shallows.  We did not see any.  Later, when I was doing my meditation, the following came up.

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

Rainbow trout swims into your life if you are feeling over run by emotions.  Right now, with all of the Earth energy moving around and realigning, we are feeling emotional and often slightly depressed.  

Trout tells us that life is good, and it is about swimming against the current to stay alive and keep the species going.  Trout goes on to say:

• Do something that allows you to come up into the sunlight every day.  Trout catches flies.
• Jumping loosens all of the tension in your body.  This is why you often see Trout jump at the end of the day.  When tension leaves your body, sleep happens more easily.
• When you are looking for food, find a place that you can find your food (prey), easily!  Trout will sink to the mud in water that is calmer, and wait for the current to carry food to Trout.  You do not need to hunt and make food gathering hard work that burns your energy.  Look at what you can do to make this process easier.
• Highs and lows are normal in life.  Everyone is looking for balance – the balance is to allow both, and not stay in one place or the other.  Two highs balance out two lows.  The warmth balances the coolness.  We all need both.

Many blessings,

Judy

Sea Gull is a Spirit Animal

Sea gulls live in seaports and around big water.  There are many gulls in Calgary as they follow the river system.

What do we know about gulls?  Well, many of us are fans of the book “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” because it was about following your heart and achieving as much as you could achieve.  It was inspirational and a heart warming story at the same time.  Yet, Sea Gull is often chased away and regarded as a nuisance bird.  Why is that? 

                                                           Picture is from unsplash.com

  

Sea gulls live in seaports and around big water.  There are many gulls in Calgary as they follow the river system.

What do we know about Sea Gull?  Sea Gull eats rubbish, pulls apart garbage bags if they smell good, eats dead fish as well as live ones, eats dead meat that washes onto shore or is road kill, eats vegetation, and makes messy nests out of whatever garbage it can find.  Sea Gull is noisy – she talks all the time to all those in the flock around her. There is a very loose social structure in the flock, and yet it is honoured.

So, if Sea Gull shows up in your life, what message is she bringing you?  It may be several messages or one message that will resonate with you.  Sea Gull shows up because:

1. She finds garbage around your house/yard and she is telling you to start recycling, reusing, and rethinking what you are eating and buying and throwing away.
2. She says you are eating out too much or eating too many packaged foods.  She eats what is immediately around her – the original 100 mile diet.  Are you eating healthily?  Sea Gull does – even if we consider it garbage.
3. Sea Gull flies around and soars and wheels and has fun.  She asks you to lighten up and go out and try new things – yell a little.  Making noise is good for your primal self.
4. Are you too quiet?  Do you need to find some friends?  Sea Gull has a lot of friends and is quite comfortable expressing herself.  Perhaps you need to take lessons about communicating and about relationship building from Sea Gull.
5. Sea Gull treats her flock members with fairness and respect. Situations like first come, first served are common and the others wait.  Are you too pushy?  Do you respect others, or do you consider yourself above the common Gull?

Enjoy the teachings of Sea Gull.  She does not usually show up often.

Blessings,

Judy

Coyote Healer In My Dream

As I was reading some of my old writings, I was struck by how often I have realtime or dream time interactions with Coyotes.  In this dream, the interaction is very positive.  My dog Magic has been gone several years now.  The dream that preceded this one was a situation where I was in a battle of good and evil. 

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

In my dream, I was on my knees.  I had been hurt, and was bleeding from two wounds, one to my left shoulder and one to my right thigh.  I hurt.  I was wondering if it was worth continuing trying to live.  I knew that I was bleeding out.  My head dropped forward, and I thought that I would soon die.  

And then I heard a yip of some sort.  I tried to see what was coming, but I could not.  I thought that I could not feel this tired without sleeping.  As I started to lean forward, I leaned into something very soft.  I looked up and saw a large, grey coyote in front of me.  He whined.  He leaned into me.  

I wrapped my fingers around his fur and I felt comfort – like when I was little and could hug my teddy bear.  I felt his fur absorb the blood that I was loosing.  I began to feel better.  I felt my strength return and I rocked back on my heals.  

As I started to say thank-you, he whined and licked my cheek, and then trotted off into the bushes.  I could just barely see him amongst the grey branches.  It seemed that he stopped to watch me, to see what would happen next. 

The next scene in the dream was that my dog, Magic, came running up to me, growling in the back of his throat as though he was giving me heck for getting out of his sight.  He dropped down in front of me, panting.  He sniffed the air.  And then he looked directly at the Coyote.  He barked once with what sounded like “Thanks”.  And then he nudged my hand, and got up, as though saying “ It is time to go home.”  I struggled to my feet, and wrapped my hands in the fur in Magic’s neck.  

The next thing I knew was that I was awake, and Magic was lying at the foot of the bed, pressed up against me.  And, I felt tired.

Many blessings,

Judy

The Power of Takkakaw Falls

 Over the years, a favourite place for us to go is to a place called Takkakaw Falls.  The setting for these magnificent Falls is in Yoho National Park.  The falls are only accessible between June and October.  The road to the falls can be daunting.  The place radiates energy and cleansing and healing.  The water is icy cold, always.

Some details: Height: 1248 feet  Width: 100 feet  The Daly Glacier which feeds Takkakaw Falls is 3152 m (10,345 ft).

The pictures below were taken by S. Roger Joyeux and all copyrights remain with him, and these pictures are used with his permission.

  

 

The power of the Falls is that it pulls down light frequencies and disburses them into frequencies that may be used by humans.  This is part of the awe that one feels at the foot of the falls.  You can take a hiking trail that leads you to the bottom of the falls and there you can be splashed with the spray and the extremely cold water. 

The power of the Falls makes you feel humble and pushes ego to the side.  Some people have said that it is like sitting at the feet of God and feeling his strength.  For me, it was feeling the power of the Earth and the Universe combined into one message.  That message is to recognize our own power, and to act for the greater good.  

The falls calls to our true, high light, pure love selves. Indigenous people have gone to the Falls on vision quests.  Couples have made their vows at the Falls.  The peace that exists even with the roaring of the water in the falls and in the river, makes the place feel unearthly.  

We have like to take pictures and do some ceremony at the Falls.  We sit on the rocks just below the falls and meditate. Each visit is intense and satisfying!

Many blessings,

Judy

What Do You Do With Your Days?

 

“Every day that we wake up is a good day. Every breath that we take is filled with hope for a better day. Every word that we speak is a chance to change what is bad into something good.”
Walter Mosley

“Every day is different, and some days are better than others, but no matter how challenging the day, I get up and live it.”
Muhammad Ali

 Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions. --Albert Einstein

We have our days generally planned out for the week.  We want to make our days matter and we want to make sure that certain tasks get done.  Since we love the mountains, we go as often as we can because the mountains inspire us, heal us, and show us animals and trees and birds in new ways.

Each of us gets to choose how we spend our time.  How are you choosing to spend your day?

Blessings,

Judy

Gorilla on Strength -Spirit Animal

Teachers tell us that when animals appear in our dreams, visions, and through pictures in our daily lives, that the animal has a message or wisdom to share.

Gorilla has been showing up to give remarkable demonstrations on strength.  Some of her thoughts are:

• Strength must be both physical and mental.  To achieve your strongest physical capability, you must practice (workout). To achieve your clearest mental state, you must take on challenges.
• Your personality must be clearly defined with a strong sense of goodness and fairness.  Bullies and nasty actions are not accepted.
• Make either your hearing or your sight one of your strongest traits.  Hearing will let you hear those that plan to harm you.
• Strength lies in the loyalty of the tribe to one another and to finding food for the good of all

Gorilla tells us to evaluate where we stand with family, with friends, and with our colleagues at work.  She asks us to measure the worth of sticking with them.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Creating Sacred Space

 Over the years, I have been taught that sacred space is to be created in very specific ways.  If you look up "creating sacred space", you will find long articles on creating an alter with specifics on what needs to be on the altar.  As well, there may be some long chants for creating the space and keeping it secure.  

I do have an altar.  It holds the items that are important to me.  I am not saying that an altar is not needed.  What I am saying is that you can carry sacred space to any place that you wish to be... to meditate, to be part of an activity, even to work.  

When I need to create a safe, sacred space, then I call in the angels... in my case, the Archangels that I work with, asking them to create a safe, sacred space all around me and above and below me that will keep out all energies and entities that are not for my greatest and highest good.  

This process has worked well for me when I am walking in an area that is unfamiliar. I have used it at work to help keep out the negative energies that some people may carry into my office.  I love using this when I am out in nature, by a pond, meditating.  

I want to say again that there is a place for a formal alter and there is a place for formal ceremony to create sacred space.  This is usually required for gatherings of more than three people.  There are lovely ceremonies to use for gatherings and even for a solitary practice.  Explore them.  Use them.  Know that there are alternatives.

You can figure out what method works for you and practice it in different places.

Blessings.

Judy

Who is Saint Germain?

 

Picture from intuitivefred888.blogspot.com

A while ago, a reader asked, "Who is Saint Germain?".  This blog is to talk about Saint Germain.

Who?

Saint Germain is an ascended master or spirit energy that existed on earth long before the birth of Christ.  Some belief systems relate Saint Germain to an individual person, such a a Count in the time of the rise of Theosophy, or as a supporter of the Catholic Church in the early rise of the church. He is an energy that reincarnates from time to time through out history.  For those gifted with seeing the unseen, he is described as mid forties, surrounded by purple light or flame, and appears very much like the picture above.  Some refer to Saint Germain as a part of the Age of Aquarius. However, as he has been around a long time, he is part of many ages.  Many writers associate Saint Germain as part of the age of justice, freedom, and mercy.

Where?

Saint Germain appears at gatherings of spiritual people to help them, as a sponsor, to work on understanding the vibration of higher light and existence.  You may hear him named as "The Violet Flame" or "Keeper of the Seventh Ray".  He appears to individuals in mediation to guide the person to good works, acts of compassion, and subtle healing.  

    

Why Call On Saint Germain?

There are many reasons to call on Saint Germain.  Call on him for any of the following instances:

• When you want a higher consciousness to lead you through a meditation
• If you have questions about whether something that you are required to do is good or bad or for the greatest and highest good
• If you need some spiritual healing
• When you are looking for answers about next steps in your life, making changes in your life, or, if you are having a crisis of some sort

Saint Germain energy is a gentleness that has been around planet Earth for a very very long time.  Call on him in a meditation to see whether you want to work with him.

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

I hope this answers the questions about Saint Germain.  Please email me with any other questions.

Many blessings,

Judy

lightstationwisdom@gmail.com

Some Thoughts About Karma

 

A while ago, a reader asked me to write more about karma.  Here are some quotes about karma that come from Buddhism.

I started learning and practicing Buddhism several decades ago.  And, I am still learning as there are so many nuances to the Buddhism way of life.

The online Dictionary.com defines karma as:

kar·ma

NOUN

1. (in Hinduism and Buddhism) the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existence.

   
   

I translate this as meaning that how you manage yourself in your past lives will determine how you are treated and regarded in this lifetime.  Many think that karma is only about past evil deeds coming back to haunt them in this life.  However, past life kindnesses and closing of loops of bonds with people are also part of the clearing of karma.  More about this in a later post.

Some thoughts:

"I am the owner of my karma. 

I inherit my karma. I am born of my karma. I am related to my karma.  
I live supported by my karma. 

Whatever karma I create, whether good or evil, that I shall inherit."

The Buddha, Anguttara Nikaya V.57 - Upajjhatthana Sutta

Many blessings,

Judy