Spirit Talks About Catharsis

 

Catharsis is about being able to release pain – emotional pain – by watching someone else’s pain, and being able to recognize the pain and feel it in you, and then release it in yourself.  Many of us do this by crying at movies or even at commercials on TV.  The process, for some people, is quite embarrassing, that is, to be crying at a movie. 

However, Great Spirit and our Angels and Guides reassure us that this is a healing mechanism that humans have so that we do not overload on emotions that we store inside our bodies.  From the time that we are born, it is in our nature to laugh, cry, be sad, celebrate, and all the other emotions that exist.  If we cannot feel great sadness, then there is a good chance that we will not be able to feel great happiness.

Feeling emotional release based on someone else’s experience, real or performed in a movie, is a great confirmation that we are all connected; that there is Oneness.  What I mean is that if we were all separate, we would not feel that tug of pain in a nerve around our heart, or, we would not feel the fear in our solar plexus when we watch that scary movie.  Emotion is an energy that radiates outward until it is absorbed by “something”. Often that something is another being.

The nick name for emotional movies is “tear jerker”.  Literally, the nick name describes the process of the movie pulling the tears that have been locked away, out into the open.  Some spiritual teachers believe that a good tear jerker is as good as a meditation in helping a person release pent up emotion.  In either case, during the movie or during meditation, the person is so absorbed that they are completely in the present moment, and, in the present moment, there is no pain, so the body releases it as tears.

What a beautiful process!  Catharsis!

Blessings,

Judy

We Must Be Silent To Hear

“We must be silent before we can listen.
We must listen before we can learn.
We must learn before we can prepare.
We must prepare before we can serve.
We must serve before we can lead.”

- William Arthur Ward

Some days, I wonder about everything!  And, when I have great questions that seem too big for me to answer, I sit in meditation, and I ask Great Spirit, my Angels, my Guides, and any Ascended Masters that might want to help me out, if they will come in and speak with me.

What I have learned is that for me to hear any answers, I must be patient, and I must be very quiet and silent.  Therefore, when I saw the quote above, it resonated deeply through my heart as a great truth.  When we need to be in silence, we must close our mouths and our ego, so we can truly hear all that is around us.  We “see” more clearly when we are silent because we do not lay our critique of what is being said over the other’s words.

I acknowledge the wisdom of the relationship between learning, preparing, serving, and then leading.  This is a natural progression.  It is what Nature shows us.

Blessings,

Judy

A Message from The Angels

Picture from NASA library

Archangels and Angels have been a part of my life as long as I can remember.  I know that they have helped and guided me in some tough times, and that generally, they try to make my life smoother.  And, as we draw closer to Christmas, we sing about Angels and we decorate with them on our Christmas tree.  We may even use wrapping paper with angels on it as decorations.  Yet, most people do not see or hear the Angels.  The Angels have a message that I am sharing.

The Angels say:

“There are many things that you do not see, and even what you see is sometimes not what really is.  Humans have an interesting way of looking at things and deciding that it does not really exist.  Humans change the perspective, or the situation, to suit what they need to be true for them.  

This means that often most of you see us, the Angels and Guides and Ascended Masters, and that you refuse to believe what you are seeing.  We show you this picture.  You now see it courtesy of advanced technology on your planet.  You would never see this spiralling energy otherwise.  You would not know that it exists.  And yet, even if you don’t know about it, it does exist.  You think this only happens in outer space.  Well, your lack of seeing exists on Earth as well.  There are many animals, plants, insects, reptiles, and fish and birds that exist on Earth that you know nothing about. 

And, although you know nothing about them, all of these forms are connected to you, and you to them.  Look at the picture.  All of the small dots are connected to you and to each other.  Vastness has nothing to do with lack of connection.  You are not separate, and, you are not alone.  Aloneness is something that you create in you head.  Your body has an awareness of all things.  Notice how it reacts to objects around it, even when you are not aware of movement, or interest from some other being/object.

Pay attention to what is going on around you.  Do not let governments or corporations or teachers, lead you around by telling you that they do what is best for you.  All have their own agenda.

This is the beginning of a new year on your calendar.  Decide to act for yourself.

Many blessings,

Judy 

Celebrating Winter Solstice On Dec 10 2023

 

Picture credit to my brother.

Some folks have asked how we celebrate Winter Solstice.  Each year it is slightly different.  This year, I was guided to have our celebration early because of the weather ahead so we scheduled for the 10th of December.  Winter Solstice is about the shortest day and the longest night.  By having our celebration on the Sunday, 11 days early, we had a bit more daylight and we started early…at 4 PM. 

We have a group - our tribe - that comes to our meditations and celebrations.  Including my husband and me, we had 17 people in front of the fire.  Yes, we have a fire to light the way and to carry away all that we throw to it.

Our steps for the evening included:

1. Smudging everyone
2. Drumming
3. Welcome and quick overview of what will be happening
4. Opening Sacred Space
5. The theme
6. Breathing exercise to support the theme
7. Meeting the guides for this evening
8. Several quick meditations
9. Sharing Circle
10. Closing Sacred Space

The experiences that folks had were amazing!  It was fun for all of us.  The evening helped to wipe out some anxiety and restore balance.  The energy was so high!  It all felt right.

Blessings,

Judy

Pelican as a Spirit Messenger

"Pelican flock on the Bow River".    Copyright 2022 Judith Hirst

Calgary is unusual in that we do not have a large lake close to us and yet, every spring, a flock of pelicans (about forty of them) fly here at the beginning of May and stay until fall.  The flock is usually at the Bow River near where I live early morning or into the evening.

Pelicans are dedicated fishermen, and seem to have an unerring sense of where the fish are and how long they will be in that area.  When the fish have moved on, the pelican group will rise into the air in a flurry of white, and soar up the river (or down, as the case may be) looking for the next pocket of fish.

For several days now, I have been seeing the pelican on my walks or when I am driving to go shopping.  I have learned that this means Great Spirit has a message for me via the pelican.  Pelican is a Spirit Animal that is acting as a messenger.  Some days I think a phone call would be much simpler!  However, now that my attention is focused, Great Spirit knows that I will look for the guidance.  

At first, the message is not clear.  Black and white - all about mystery and magic.  Got that!  The black tips are on the wings - that is about flying into mystery and accepting the magic that appears in life.  As the pelican flies upwards, the black wing tips ground it even though it goes ever higher as depicted by the white representing the white lotus flower and the eighth chakra.  Part of the message then is to get in touch with my higher self, and sooner than later.  

The pelican has orange legs and an orange bill.  The legs are in the water which represents emotion.  The orange colour relates to the sacral chakra - the chakra of creativity and manifestation, relationships, and control.  Some of the issues that I often see connected with this chakra are about control, money, sexual issues, power, guilt and blame, and the duality of grace and joy along with fear and anger.  I remembered that black and white is also about duality. 

The thought that popped up was that I needed to wade into the emotions that I have been holding in my sacral around anger that I have around all the folks that are relinquishing their dogs, cats, and other animals to Calgary Humane and to SPCA.  I know that many are sacrificing because they can no longer afford them because of high cost of utilities here, the high gas prices, and the increasing property tax and insurance amounts.  The cost of food has risen ridiculously in the last year.  I am frustrated with our local and provincial government as well as the Federal government for raising gasoline taxes, not increasing pensions to seniors at the rate of inflation, paying out extraordinary amounts to countries outside of Canada without dealing with the high cost of housing and the increasing homelessness…. I am sure you can add to my list.  I am also frustrated because my writing and creating teachable modules of the work that I do is going so slowly.

The other part of the message was that  I needed to let go of "controlling so tightly" what the modules would look like.  I needed to let Spirit (the white is spirit) wade in and help me.  The orange bill indicates that I (we) will receive abundance, and like the pelican, I will always know where to look for it because I have that creative ability. 

When I finished translating the message, I felt pretty humble.  A phone call would not have been half as effective!

May Great Spirit fly a message your way,

Many Blessings,

Judy    

Listening To The Guidance

  

One of my teachers said to our group that when we pray, we are talking to God (or the Universe or Great Spirit, or whatever you want to call the Energy that you talk to. And, when we meditate, God talks to us.  I find that my guidance comes through meditation, through Nature, through random messages from different people, or, from very specific words that seem to just show up.  However, there have been times where the Angels or Guides had to go through different people to get to me because I was not listening.  Sometimes, we get so caught up in doing that we forget to listen.

Quite a while ago, I was caught up in my own little drama of work and getting things done, and, I was not listening or meditating or really doing much spiritually.  One day I got a phone call from a lady.  She identified herself and then told me that I did not know her.  However, my Guides were not able to get through to me with a message so they asked her to deliver it.  The message was that it was time for me to pick up the book that my friend Ruth gave me about a year earlier.  I was to read the book, cover to cover, and then act on it.  The message included a notice that I really needed to start meditating for at least 15 minutes a day. 

I was stunned!  This lady could not know about my friend Ruth, or the book, and that I hadn’t read it.  I thanked the caller, went and found the book, and read it.  The reading of the book and practising what it said set me on a new path of spiritual work.  I am grateful for that day.

Blessings.

Judy

A Prayer-Meditation For Community

         Churning waters at Elbow Falls in September 2022.  Taken by J Hirst.

This past week, for me, has been full of activities about our community...our neighbourhood community, our volunteer community, and our Fish Creek Park & dog walking community.  The days have consumed hours and been quite fun!  I feel blessed that we have these connections.

As you know, there are not any coincidences.  So when I received an email from one of the spiritual thought leaders that I follow - Nick Polizzi - I felt that his message was very supportive of being in community. You can follow Nick and his generous sharing of information at thesacredscience.com.  

In his latest email to his tribe, he talked about the Bodhisattva Prayer for Humanity.  It felt so perfect to me that I am sharing from his email both his comments and the prayer.  

It is said that His Holiness the Dalai Lama considers this text to be THE source for developing altruism in your character and the "Spirit of Awakening." It is also said that His Holiness the Dalai Lama recites this prayer every morning as part of his waking rituals. So, if you give it a try, you are in good company!

Bodhisattva Prayer for Humanity

"May I be a guard for those who need protection

A guide for those on the path

A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood

May I be a lamp in the darkness

A resting place for the weary

A healing medicine for all who are sick

A vase of plenty, a tree of miracles

And for the boundless multitudes of living beings

May I bring sustenance and awakening

Enduring like the earth and sky

Until all beings are freed from sorrow

And all are awakened."

Now, exhale and be still for a brief moment.

What speaks loudly in this prayer is that we are all in this together. We are alive thanks to our ancestors and by helping the people, plants, animals, and life in our environment, we show appreciation for existing in this world.

This prayer is perfect for using in one's daily meditation practice and being thankful for community.

Blessings

Judy

Spirit Animal - Rooster

                       

                                Picture from www.nashvillescene.com

I often dream about animals and many times, the animals talk to me in the dreams.  The Shaman believes that all animals speak and that animals bring us messages.  These spirit animals may also act as guides or as guardians for us both in the dream world and in this world.  As a side note, one of the meanings of the word - Shaman - is to identify the person as one who walks between worlds or walks between the daylight world and the night time world.

My dream the other night was about several things although the prominent figure in the dream was a Rooster.  Rooster had a lot to say.

A rooster is a symbol of male domination, not only of the chickens, but of the farmyard.  Several sports teams have Rooster as an emblem or totem, on their team sweaters.  Roosters have been used in betting circles to stage “cock fights” and to proclaim mastery at fighting.

Rooster, however, is not happy with Man, and Man’s attempt to subvert Rooster’s natural protective  tendencies to become a fighter without any other job and therefore be a source of entertainment and profit.  Rooster has this to say about life.

• I like to work with farmers and keep the barnyard safe by alerting the farmer to potential threats from predators.  I do not like that Man has made me a predator in the ring.  I tell everyone that being made to do something against your will is a form of slavery. Fight against it.
• I crow as a warning to other roosters, and to foxes and wolves, and other eaters of chickens, that I am on the job.  I tell them to beware.  I see people move through life without doing any crowing.  You need to have the confidence to say, “I am great at what I do.”  Moving through life with your head up and in an alert state will protect you.
• Roosters scratch in the dirt for food.  In this way, we stay grounded, and stay in touch with Mother Earth.  More people should ground themselves in the here and now instead of allowing their lives to drift away by fantasizing about what will not be because they have not taken action.

Many blessings,

Judy

101 Wishes for New Years Day 2023

 Picture of a lit candle from Microsoft Clip Art.....

 

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however. " - quote by Richard Bach

Years ago, after taking a sales training course, I started the year off with making a list of 101 wishes that I had for the coming year.   I still do this!  On New Year's Day, I will sit down and write out my 101 wishes, and as I achieve them, I will check the item off as complete.

The first several years that I worked on this task, it actually took me several days to complete the list.  You see, being younger, and knowing that I must wish only for those things that were entirely for me, it seemed like a difficult task.  The object is not to be selfish.  The object is to wish for the one person that you can be absolutely certain that you have permission to select "goals" for.  When you wish something for others, without their permission, you are actually interfering in their lives by thinking that you know what is best for them.  That is pretty egotistical!  It is easy to wish things for others.  However, when you run into difficulty in wishing stuff for yourself, like I did, what you are seeing is that you are not comfortable asking for things for yourself.  Becoming comfortable asking for wishes, help, or even defining what it is you need, is a learning curve of stepping into one's own power.

What if what ever we asked for for ourselves automatically benefited ten other people?  Would it be easier?  The answer is no.  Because we know other people are directly involved, we become even more reluctant to wish something for ourselves - because we might make the wrong choice.  Let me make one thing clear.  Our Angels tell us over and over that there are not any wrong wishes.  Even though someone on the outside may judge a wish as "wrong", what that person is really saying is that it is a wrong wish for them, and yet it is the perfect wish for you.  We are individuals.  Everything that we wish has ripple effects that act as a change agent and it is all good.

And, what about wishes?  My great aunts taught me that wishes are part of something that they called “Wish Magic”.  When the wish is very clear and concise and when the wish is something only for you (don’t wish for things like peace on earth unless you say, ‘peace on earth for me by Nov 30 2023’), and when you do not be labour the wish, then all wishes come true.  In today’s terms, you are manifesting and manifesting out into the future.  Some also say that wishing is practicing the Law of Attraction.  Remember that all wishes may take a long time to process.  In all things, finding patience and balance is part of the magic.

This year, I will start my list with things like:

1.  I wish that my blog readers total one-half a million views by December 31 2023. Note that the request needs to be specific, and that how that gets accomplished is left to the Universe.)

2.  I wish that I win a Lotto 649 for a million dollars by July 31 2023. (This is part of abundance wishing.)

3.  I wish that my herb garden is self generating this spring of 2023. 

I offer that preparing this list of 101 wishes is a good way to tell Great Spirit and our Angels And Guides what it is that you want so they will begin working on fulfilling what it is THEY think you need.

When I have completed my list, I will send up all of the wishes with the flame of several candles, and then blow the candles out, much like blowing out the candles on a birthday cake.  Well, it is the birthday of a New Year, so I guess that is appropriate.

Have a wonderful New Year's Eve!  Happy days ahead!

Many blessings,

Lightstationwisdom@gmail.com and jhirst88@gmail.com

A Story About A Ghost

 This story comes from Zen Buddhist teachings.  There are several different lessons in this story. Which lessons are apparent to you?  Post your thoughts in the comments section below the blog.

                                     Picture from J Hirst -taken of Elbow Falls in August 2021

 Banishing a Ghost

 The wife of a man became very sick. On her deathbed, she said to him, "I love you so much! I don't want to leave you, and I don't want you to betray me. Promise that you will not see any other women once I die, or I will come back to haunt you."

For several months after her death, the husband did avoid other women, but then he met someone and fell in love. On the night that they were engaged to be married, the ghost of his former wife appeared to him. She blamed him for not keeping the promise, and every night thereafter she returned to taunt him. The ghost would remind him of everything that transpired between him and his fiancée that day, even to the point of repeating, word for word, their conversations. It upset him so badly that he couldn't sleep at all.

Desperate, he sought the advice of a Zen master who lived near the village. "This is a very clever ghost," the master said upon hearing the man's story. "It is!" replied the man. "She remembers every detail of what I say and do. It knows everything!" The master smiled, "You should admire such a ghost, but I will tell you what to do the next time you see it."

That night the ghost returned. The man responded just as the master had advised. "You are such a wise ghost," the man said, "You know that I can hide nothing from you. If you can answer me one question, I will break off the engagement and remain single for the rest of my life." "Ask your question," the ghost replied. The man scooped up a handful of beans from a large bag on the floor, "Tell me exactly how many beans there are in my hand."

At that moment the ghost disappeared and never returned.

Steps to Harmony

 

Did you know that the word "harmony" is really a word used to describe music where the notes that are played together provide a sound that is absolutely pleasing to the ear (depending of course on one's taste in music). The harmony also implies that either the music or the singers are in tandem with the pitch of the notes or the pitch of the voices.

When we say that we need to find balance or harmony in our life, what exactly do we mean? Most people mean that they are doing too much of one thing and doing it too frantically. It means that they don't have time for themselves or for others they consider important in their life. Like the lyrics in Harry Chapin's song, Cat's In The Cradle - "When you comin' home dad? I don't know when, but we'll get together then son You know we'll have a good time then..." we tell others that we "don't know when" we will get together to do the things that we want to do.

Harmony then begins by knowing when we will do something. If we don't know, who will know? It is our life and we need to be responsible for it, and not leave it to others to run. If you look around, the "others" are not doing very well at running a lot of things.

Harmony is about watching where one spends their time. If you are spending two to three hours a day commuting, is it time to look at the harmony of the time spent working, the time spent traveling and the time spent eating, sleeping and with family. Could you do better? Do you need to change the job or the commute?

Harmony means that you are important! How are "you" important in your life? Or are you just a player going through the motions. Do "you" get excited about something? Is it sports, crafts, or yard work? What do you do just for "you"?

Harmony means that the music is not discordant. Is your life discordant? Do you have many dramas, and shouting, and hostility around you? This is not harmony! Harmony is a peaceful flow that does not provide stress in one's life. When one tries to control the people and events around them, then you will have disharmony. We are not meant to be controllers. We are meant to be guides and helpers. When someone feels controlled, they will react. Without giving up your freedom to be, try to bring harmony into your life by dealing with people and situations in a suggestive manner rather than a commanding manner. See if this helps take the drama out of your life.

Those travelers who have been on the journey to become happy, healthy, peaceful, joyful, and loving (anyone on a spiritual path) will tell you that achieving harmony is a process. Find a step, work on it, and then move another step. And, don't be surprised if the steps are years apart.

Blessings,

Judith