More on Breath

The poster says:   The same atoms and molecules of air, the breath that Jesus breathed, Moses breathed, Buddha breathed, that same breath is flowing into you right now!

The interesting thing about air is that it is always present.  It moves and is cleansed, and becomes rain or snow, and then changes to become “air” once again.  This is a good time to take up a meditation practice.  Not a big one – five or ten minutes a day.  And, in that time, be mindful of your breath.  You will be uncomfortable at first, however, things will change after the seventh day, and, it will become more natural.

Blessings,

Judy

Words From Chief Seattle

Chief Seattle picture is from Wikipedia.

I have heard these words many times and they still resonate with me.

Many blessings,

Judy

---

In 1854, the "Great White Chief" in Washington made an offer for a large area of Indian land and promised a "reservation" for the Indian people.

Chief Seattle's reply, published here in full, has been described as the most beautiful and profound statement on the environment ever made. 

THE STATEMENT OF CHIEF SEATTLE

How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us.
If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?
Every part of this earth is sacred to my people.

Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man.
The white man's dead forget the country of their birth when they go to walk among the stars. Our dead never forget this beautiful earth, for it is the mother of the red man.
We are part of the earth, and it is part of us.

The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the giant eagle, these are our brothers.
The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony - all belong to the same family.

So, when the Great White Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us. The Great Chief sends words he will reserve a place so that we can live comfortably to ourselves.

He will be our father and we will be his children. So we will consider your offer to buy our land. 
But it will not be easy. For this land is sacred to us. 
This shining water that moves in the streams and the rivers is not just water but the blood of our ancestors.

If we must sell you land, you must remember that it is sacred, and you must teach your children that it is sacred and that each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people.
The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father.
The rivers are our brothers, they quench our thirst. The rivers carry our canoes, and feed our children. If we sell you our land, you must remember, and teach your children, that the rivers are our brothers, and yours, and you must henceforth give the rivers the kindness you would give any brother.

We know that the white man does not understand our ways. One portion of land is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs.
The Earth is not his brother, but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on.

He leaves his father's grave behind, and he does not care. He kidnaps the earth from his children, and he does not care.
His father's grave, and his children's birthright, are forgotten. He treats his mother, the earth, and his brother, the sky, as things to be bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads.

His appetite will devour the earth and leave behind only a desert.
I do not know. Our ways are different from your ways.
The sight of your cities pains the eyes of the red man. But perhaps it is because the red man is a savage and does not understand.

There is no quiet place in the white man's cities. No place to hear the unfurling of leaves in spring or the rustle of an insect's wings.
But perhaps it is because I am a savage and do not understand.

The Indian prefers the soft sound of the wind darting over the face of a pond, and the smell of the wind itself, cleaned by a midday rain, or scented with the pinion pine.
The air is precious to the red man, for all things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man, they all share the same breath.

The white man does not seem to notice the air he breathes. Like a man dying for many days, he is numb to the stench.
But if we sell you our land, you must remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh.

And if we sell you our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where even the white man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow's flowers.
So we will consider your offer to buy land. If we decide to accept, I will make one condition: The white man must treat the beasts of this land as his brothers.
I am a savage and I do not understand any other way.

I have seen a thousand rotting buffaloes on the prairie, left by the white man who shot them from a passing train.
I am a savage and I do not understand how the smoking iron horse can be more important than the buffalo that we kill only to stay alive.
What is a man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit.

For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.
You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of your grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin.

Teach your children what we have taught our children; that the earth is our mother.
Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground they spit upon themselves.

This we know: The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know.
All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.
Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web he does to himself.
Even the white man, whose God walks and talks with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny.
We may be brothers after all.
We shall see.

One thing we know, which the white man may one day discover - our God is the same God.
You may think that you own Him as you wish to own our land; but you cannot. He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for the red man and the white.
This earth is precious to Him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator.

The whites too shall pass, perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Contaminate your bed, and you will one night suffocate in your own waste.
But in your perishing you will shine brightly, fired by the strength of the God who brought you to this land and for some special purpose gave you dominion over this land and over the red man.

That destiny is a mystery to us, for we do not understand when the buffalo are all slaughtered, the wild horses are tamed, the secret corners of the forest heavy with scent of many men, and the view of the ripe hills blotted by talking wires.
Where is the thicket? Gone.
Where is the eagle? Gone.
The end of living and the beginning of survival.

---

Copyright 1999 by Rebecca Bell

50 Golden Rules For Life

Picture of mountains in Elbow Falls Wilderness Area - by J. Hirst

Often, I find that I need a pick-me-up mental or spiritual boost on some morning.  I read a lot and sometimes find nuggets of good information in places I do not expect to find anything useful.

Last month, I was scanning LinkedIn and found this wonderful posting by Alvin Foo on LinkedIn on February 24 2024.  His thoughts and his rules for life are worth sharing.

50 GOLDEN RULES FOR LIFE.

1. Never shake hands at anyone without standing up.

2. In a negotiation, never make the first offer.

3. If they trust you a secret, keep it.

4. If they lend you a car, return it with a full tank.

5. Do things with passion or don't do it at all.

6. When you shake your hand make it firm and look that person in the eye.

7. Live the experience of traveling alone.

8. Never turn down a peppermint pill, the reasons are obvious.

9. Take advice if you want to grow old.

10. Come eat with the new person at school/office.

11. When you text someone and you're angry: finish, read it, delete it, and rewrite the message.

12. At the table you don't talk about work, politics, or religion.

13. Write your goals, and work on them.

14. Defend your point of view but be tolerant and respectful to others.

15. Call and visit your relatives.

16. Never regret anything, learn from everything

17. Honor and loyalty must be present in your personality.

18. Don't lend money to someone you know won't pay you back.

19. Believe in something.

20. Tend your bed when you wake up in the mornings.

21. Sing in the shower.

22. Care for a plant or a garden.

23. Keep an eye on the sky every chance you get.

24. Discover your skills and exploit them.

25. Love your job or leave it.

26. Ask for help when you need it.

27. Teach someone a value, preferably a small one.

28. Appreciate and thank the one who extends your hand.

29. Be kind to your neighbors.

30. Make someone's day happier, it will make you happier too.

31. Compete with yourself.

32 Treat yourself at least once a year

33. Take care of your health.

34. Always greet with a smile.

35. Think fast but speak slow.

36. Don't talk with a mouth full.

37. Polish your shoes, cut your nails, and always keep a good look.

38. Don't put your opinion on issues you don't know.

39. Never mistreat anyone.

40. Live your life as if it were the last day of it.

41. Never miss a wonderful opportunity to remain quiet.

42. Recognize someone for their effort.

43. Be humble, even though not all the time.

44. Never forget your roots.

45. Travel when you can.

46. Give up the step.

47 Dance in the rain.

48. Seek your success without giving up.

49. Be fair, stand up for those who need you.

50. Learn to enjoy moments of loneliness.

Many blessings,

Judy

Working Within the Chaos

 

Astrologers tell us that we have just entered a time of chaos, as Mercury moves into retrograde.  Although it is nice to have someone confirm that the energy is chaotic, we all are aware of the energies that move from high to low, and then across the board, pulling emotions, and causing euphoria and despair.

Our Ancestors left us stories of times of chaos, and how these times turned people angry.  These were the dark times, when people turned against one another simply for spite and to show some sort of power.  It was a time when innocents were hurt.

We are heading into a time like this again – and we have felt it coming.  We see the storms in the skies causing rain and snow in unusual amounts and in unusual places.  In other places, unusual heat and drought is occurring.  

Archangels and Ascended Masters speak for Great Spirit and tell us to find a port that we can weather out the storm.  If you need to be in the chaos, call on an Archangel or Ascended Master to help you move through it, and to protect you.

The Earth changes in the forms of earthquakes and whirlpools and large, open cracks in the earth tell us that the very base of our life is also going through changes.  

The task that we have at this time is to work within the chaos to create havens of peace.  This means a place where you feel safe and protected, and where you will allow others to come and be protected.  IT is a time to remember to work at NOT arguing with people – simply do what you must.

Many blessings,

Judy

About Grasshopper

Spirit Animal - Grasshopper

Grasshopper picture from email

 

John Keats - On The Grasshopper And Cricket

The poetry of earth is never dead:
When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;
That is the Grasshopper's—he takes the lead
In summer luxury,—he has never done
With his delights; for when tired out with fun
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.
The poetry of earth is ceasing never:
On a lone winter evening, when the frost
Has wrought a silence, from the stove there shrills
The Cricket's song, in warmth increasing ever,
And seems to one in drowsiness half lost, 

The Grasshopper's among some grassy hills.

                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Most of know Grasshopper by its cheery sound through the spring and summer, and into the fall.  Grasshopper sings some of the most ancient songs on Earth, and sings the same songs that our Ancestors heard.  In fact, the song of Grasshopper is about the wandering that one needs to do to find a mate, to find food, and to find a place to die.  The song would change when the weather changed, so our Ancestors knew that rain or drought was near.  The sound of the grasshopper is like a meditation in the summertime.  It fills the air with a melody that relaxes and soothes.  Grasshopper reminds us to connect with our Ancestors through song and music.  We can learn their wisdom from the memories stored deep in our cells.


Grasshopper has the ability to leap great distances, and she is able to leap quite high in the air.  Therefore, she has the gift of travel; of bi-location; of astral travel.  She is associated with the mysteries of translocation and teleportation. She tells us to trust your knowledge and to leap through time to the place where you need to get your answer.  She tells us to astral travel or remote view the place that you need to travel to next, to survey the lay of the land.  This ability also allows us to connect to the heavens in a new way.


Enjoy the gift of grasshopper!

Many blessings,

Judy

Danger For The People

Rain is the first image

Fish is the second image 

(figure from The Ancestors’ Path by John Lavinnder)

When I asked what was important for me to share with the world today, the above sequence came up in “The Ancestors’ Path.  I pondered the teaching.  The Season reflected is “winter”.  The direction is “north”, and the moon phase is “waxing or growing” with the intent that people understand and are motivated.

The translation of this is that some rain is good for the Earth.  Too much rain, and the people and the land suffer.  The underlying message is that bad leaders make life difficult, and war like.  In fact, on message says that “unscrupulous leaders use war to cover bad leadership.”  Those of us that live in North America have seen a lot of bad leadership over the last decade.  We see it in our government and in our corporations.  We see it in the way large pharmaceuticals and automotive companies control government, and work with government to take away some of the freedoms of people.  We see it in how the financial businesses gouge people for interest and user fees.  There is not any reciprocity.  That means that all of the inequities must end… they are pouring down on us, and we are drowning.

The action plan for this path is “escape from tyranny”, or “take a risk that moves you beyond the control of others”.  

My wish for each of us is that we become free from unrelenting financial burdens created by bending the truth, and by the masking of outcomes… for example, how mortgages are sold.

May each of us move to independence in thought and action,

Many blessings,

Judy

Thunder and Rain

We are the Angels that look after the rain.  We like to announce the rain with the sound of thunder because it so much like the sound of big drums!  Rain is for washing and cleaning the air and the earth.  Animals that do not like to swim love their showers from the rain.

Rain is a way to bring oxygen and light to Earth.  The more rain, the more light, as contradictory as that sounds.  Bringing light to Earth is a matter of physics – H2O – two hydrogen and one oxygen bring down a little light.  

Rain causes people to be alone with their thoughts; to be self assessing.  This is perhaps why so many people feel that rain causes depression.  It is not the rain; it is one’s thoughts!  If your thoughts, your life, and your world are clean, then you will enjoy the rain because it brings in new life.

Rain is for crops and gardens, for flowers and trees, for meadows and for creeks, for sleeping and for meditation.  It is the moisture that keeps the sparkle in all of life. 

Enjoy the rain!

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
 

The Beauty of Rain

 

The last several days it has rained and rained off and on.  Sometimes it spits, and sometimes it pours.  The beauty of the rain is the intensity and the gentleness that it moves between.  The beauty of the rain is the way it acts like a curtain and eventually parts to allow the Sun to shine on the Earth.  The beauty is how it nourishes us all.  

Rain carries down oxygen to the earth to provide life.  It cleanses and eases and offers hope for all life.  There is nothing like walking in the rain.  It offers a healing like no other.  Take some time to walk in the rain.

Blessings,

Judy