Never Give Up

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

July 1 2024 - Happy Canada Day!

 

Ever since I can remember, I grew up with the idea that Canada was special to our family and to many other families around us.

Canada Day was a cause for celebration and for a feeling of pride.

I hope that we can return to that feeling very soon.

THEY ALL CALL IT CANADA

Side by Side and step by step 

Our fathers were marching along 

They were building a road to the future 

With a spade and a smile and a song. 

Out of the wildness and out of the sand 

Grew the land that we live in today. 

Though the job to be done has barely begun, 

There is one thing I'm proud to say: 

My country is my cathedral 

The northern sky its dome 

They all call it Canada 

But I call it home 

The mountains, the lakes and valleys 

Are friends that I have known 

They all call it Canada 

But I call it home 

From the Atlantic to the Pacific 

From the pole to the U.S.A. 

We're on united brotherhood 

And united we will stay 

The people across the border 

And far across the foam 

They all call it Canada 

But I call it home

~ Author Unknown

Blessings,

Judy

Great Blue Heron - A Spirit Animal

Today, as we drove down the highway, a great blue heron appeared and was flying into the north east.

               Great Blue Heron flying over the water – source unknown.

What struck me as curious was how far she seemed to be from any water. I also wondered why she was flying in such gale force winds.  I pondered the message that Heron was bringing to me.

Heron is about grounding and wading through one’s emotions.  She is also about standing one’s ground, and not being influenced by others.  As you might guess, most encounters with Heron are on the ground, usually when she is standing in the water.  To encounter her in the air is indeed a gift!

I asked for her message, and received immediate feedback in a knowing and clear thoughts from her.  First, being alone, she is showing that regardless of the difficulty, sometimes one is best traveling alone.  Wizards, leaders, and wisdom keepers often travel the lone path.  Flying in the difficult wind, she shows that even slow progress is still progress and should not be seen as a defeat, but as the wonderful affirmation of Spirit that it is.  Heron is flying above the Earth to show that one does not have to be embroiled in all the negative things happening on the Earth; one can fly above it, and observe it from a distance.  In this way, one has a larger perspective so that the story becomes more distant, and the perfection of movement, of aligning of parts of the Earth, is seen in its beauty.

Further, Heron said, “ Flying into the north east is the direction one goes when it is time to share your knowledge with the world.  However, you must find the means to do that in a way that feels comfortable to you…. not to others.  The Wizard only shares what needs to be shared at the time that it needs to be shared, and not before.  Be confident in your guidance, and move in the flow.”

Many blessings,

Judy

A Message From Archangel Azrael

The following message was a download that I received several years ago and that I recorded in my journal.  This seems like a great time to share it with you.

Many blessings,

Judy

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Dearest ones, when I see where you all are walking, the path looks filled with gravel and small rocks.  This is a time of moving from one thing to the next.  As you all describe your life journey as a path, it seems reasonable to see this time as a gravel path that crosses a large plateau. Depending where you are on the plateau, it may seem that the crossing is longer for some than for others.  There is little to break the journey.  If you have ever travelled a gravel road in a car, you will know that you are not able to go too fast, for you might catch the ridge of gravel and go into the ditch.  Also, if you go too fast, you may create a dust storm that swirls around you, and blinds you, and clogs up your car.  

Gravel road on a flat plain

 

This gravel path that you are on is one that you must travel slowly.  There are some very large stones in the way that you must either walk around, or move off the road so that this path may be traveled more easily next time.  Often, under each stone, or in some cases, boulder, you will find treasure.  Oh, not the treasure of the Aztecs gold, or anything like that! The treasure is the gift of the action, and the situation around it.  

For some of you, the chunks of gravel may be inaction – a lull in all that you are doing.  This may be frustrating, however, it is necessary for you to sit and absorb the new vibrations that are coming into your etheric templates, and then the vibrations will become part of your bodies. There are some of you that will not be able to hold the vibration and ground it.  The vibration will call you home and I will be there to help you with the change in being, and delight in walking you to your new path.  

The creation of new things is about closing the old and allowing for the new.  Now is the time to allow.  This means sitting quietly each day, and being content – think of nothing but those small pleasures that relax your body and mind, and feed your soul. Even reading is an activity that will move you along the path to new things.

I am often called “The beginning and ending” angel because I help the transition from your mortal body.  Beginnings and endings are really all part of the symphony, and I am the conductor.  Do you often hear music?  This may be the songs or the music that I and the other Angels play for you to help you smooth out the patterns and rhythms in your life.  Take time to make music, to learn and to create.  This is the reason for the gravel path; it is to slow you down.

Harmonious Blessings and Love,

Archangel Azrael

A Dream Called “Round Up The Dragons”

I love dragons and I have often seen them in dreams and visions.  Recently, however, I had a strange dream about dragons that made me sad. I would like to share it with you, and get your input into the imagery.

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Image of dragon from www.freedragonpictures.com

 

The dream began with me walking out of a building because I could hear a noise.  I walked out on the road, and then I could see a huge truck, carrying four large dragons, like the one above, chained in the truck.  The dragons were crying.  They had been captured by subterfuge; the dragons coming to share information, and the men capturing them so they would not.  I felt sick.  I walked away, wondering what I could do for them.  I went to the kitchen, to get some tea.  

As I leaned over to get the tea kettle, four small dragons, about the size of cats with wings, ran out from under a table. They had gotten loose.  The colours were red, blue, gold, and silver.  They came running at my legs and I thought they might bite me.  However, they simply bumped them and then began running around, and playing.  When they came back at me, my dog Sage, (who has been gone for quite some time), appeared at my side, and woofed them away, and then grinned up at me, and licked my hand.  I then I woke up.

The dream is staying with me, so I feel there is something important in it that perhaps I am missing.

If you have any thoughts, please share them.

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

I Can Not Meditate - A Buddhist Teaching

This is a story that we had to read about the common problems that come up for people new to meditation, and sometimes for those who have had to break their meditation practice for some reason.  

Perhaps you will find some wisdom that you, too, will be able to use.

  Picture of Elbow Falls in the Elbow Recreation Area - by J Hirst June 2024

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Beginners with meditation often get the feeling that they can't meditate; "I meditate for a week now, and still see no change", "I can't control my mind", "My mind is only getting crazier, I cannot get rid of my problems and thoughts". 
To briefly comment on these in order: 

Meditation requires patience - a few sessions will not undo a lifetime of opposite habits of excitement and confusion. 

None of us can control our mind unless we train ourselves to do it - have you ever seen anyone playing the violin nicely without practice? 

If it seems that our mind is getting worse, it usually means we just see our 'madness' better than before - the first step towards success! 

 

A story by Master Shen-Yen (from Ch'an Newsletter July 1982):

"The purpose of cultivation is not to seek anything, but to discover the faults in our character and behavior. By opening ourselves to self-investigation, we hope to find out where our problems lie, and if, after searching within ourselves, we can see these faults and problems, this in itself is the fruit of the practice. 

A woman on the last retreat said that the more she tries to get away from her faults, the stronger they seem to become. And the more she thinks about it, and wonders why she can't get rid of them, the more she gets disgusted with herself. She said, "Probably I just don't have the ability to practice meditation. A good practitioner is able to throw out their problems while practicing, and I'm not." At that time, I was standing up, and the light above cast a shadow of my body on the wall. I asked: "When I am standing still, is the shadow moving?" She said, "No." Then I walked slowly away, and the shadow followed me along. I walked quickly and the shadow kept pace with me. No matter how I tried, I could not get rid of it. Only if you turn the light out, or make your body disappear, will your shadow go away. 

Just like the shadow, our problems stick to our "self." Wherever there is a self, there must also be problems. But if you were to say, then, "I want to throw away my 'self'," that "I" who wants to get rid of the self indicates that the self is still there. This would amount to the self trying to throw away the self, which is impossible to accomplish. It would be just like trying to get rid of the shadow if your body is still there. If there is a subject, there is definitely an object. This being the case, is cultivation of any use? Of course it is, since we cultivate to discover our problems. Recognizing your problems shows you have made progress. Desiring to rid yourself of these problems may he a good sign, but actually that is not how we should approach it. The method of practice does not consist in throwing them out, but rather in decreasing the sense of self until it becomes so light that the problems will naturally disappear."

Many blessings,

Judy