In Release, We Begin

IN RELEASE, WE BEGIN.

~Mark Nepo

Of Note: Forgiveness and gratitude are two of the greatest liberators known to man. In a world fraught with violence, these ways of being are often in short supply. That is why emerging stars shine so brightly. One of these Points of Light is a group of interfaith Korean nuns called Samsohoe, which is raising $1 million for the UN Foundation as an act of forgiveness and gratitude to fund a girl's school in Ethiopia. Several of the nuns were orphaned during the Korean War and Ethiopian UN Peacekeepers protected and cared for them. "This is our way of saying thank you, sixty years later," one of the Buddhist nuns said. People familiar with Samsohoe were not surprised. The group is an exemplar of cooperation and loving kindness and consists of Roman Catholic, Anglican, Buddhist, and Won-Buddhist nuns. The name Samsohoe in the Korean language means "a group of three smiles," and Samso has come to mean "friends from different religious backgrounds." Forgiveness and gratitude plus relationship is the formula for complete release and will provide the new beginning for which the whole world has been waiting. We can add our quota starting right now by acting AS IF the day has already arrived, just like the Samsohoe nuns.

Today's Weather Report: Clouds on top of more clouds are keeping the sun's rays from pouring forth today. Not that it is dark outside, but it is not BRIGHT. Last night at 11 PM it was 42 degrees Fahrenheit and bare spots opened in the blanket of snow. The temperatures have fallen since then to 22 degrees. I will attempt to go to town later today but may turn back if the roads are bad. I simply don't do ice. Weather out west of here is wreaking havoc. I-94 was closed one again near Fargo, ND because of a 100-car pileup that started with two jackknifed trucks. Many interstate highways across the west are closed, and truck drivers are staying put at stops along the way until tomorrow. That means it's bad. Unusually, it snowed in Phoenix, which is now experiencing subfreezing temps. Arizona's Sheriff Joe Arpaio even issued thermal underwear to the inmates at his controversial Tent City jail facility--in pink. Wonder how many took him up on the offer?

Door of Perception

IF THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION WERE CLEANSED,
WE WOULD SEE EVERYTHING AS IT TRULY IS,
INFINITE.

~ William Blake
Essays

Of Note: We have a difficult time getting our brains around the word Infinite. Even if we think we can, we cannot because our physical being is finitely hardwired. Master Blake invites us to look past the brain to the perceptive Mind where the Infinite is always accessible. How might we know that the Infinite Mind exists? Astrophysicists, who are studying the data sent from twin space probes on the edge of the solar system, may be finding out. Their search has uncovered startling evidence that galaxies in our universe are being pulled along by what they dub "The Dark Flow." Apparently, the Milky Way and other galaxies are being yanked by a force outside our universe in the direction of the constellation Centaurus. The lead scientist was so skeptical of his first conclusions drawn from Milky Way data that he began looking at recordings from other galaxies. Turns out, the force is all-encompassing. He said in resignation: "This motion persists as far as the eye can see." Nothing in the known universe can explain the phenomenon and he concluded: "The unseen energy could be a thousand times farther out than the horizon and cause a slight tilt to our universe." We layman have not been accustomed to thinking outside our "infinite" universe, but scientists may be on the cusp of finding out that there is a Source beyond its structure. Ageless wisdom teaches us that no space probes sent from Earth could journey to the edges of the Greater Universe, the Infinite Universe of the Mind. This Path is only open through meditation. Master Blake new that, and he and his fellow Masters welcome anyone willing to make the trek. It is guaranteed life would never be the same.

Today's Weather Report: Coming back to Earth now, I will report that it is in the mid-thirties Fahrenheit and dripping, dripping everywhere. A large cluster of icicles is hovering precariously over the service entrance to the garage. Hope they let loose today as walking underneath is fraught with danger. Don't know what a huge chuck of pointed ice falling two stories might do, but I bet it wouldn't be pretty. The roads are treacherous with ice and few are traveling in northern Wisconsin today. It is forecast that the temps will drop to below zero by the end of the day, setting the ice in place until the next thaw. That could be bad news. Other winters with ice conditions like these have resulted in a multitude of falls and many broken bones. Knock on wood that this winter will not unfold like that. Amazingly, Arizona is expecting snow, and the east coast is tunneling out following their blizzard earlier in the week. Seems the winter has many surprises in store--and it has only just begun.

Great Winds Across the Sky

Sometimes I go about pitying myself,
and all the time I am being carried on
great winds across the sky.

~Chippewa Sage

Of Note: It would appear that humanity is in a crisis of despair. Many feel victim to the multitude of forces that move and shape the Earth and have no sense that any of it makes sense. At times like this, old commentaries can provide reassurance and hope that indeed there is an underlying current based on a Plan. What looks to be chaotic, is in fact not. Having said that, the Plan is flexible and contingent on man's participation. The happy ending is inevitable but getting there can take innumerable routes, some longer than others. The more than we humans join with Those in charge, the faster will the desired outcome occur. The whole universe is watching. Why? For reasons that have not been revealed, the Earth scheme plays a central role in the evolution of a great Being we call God, who is learning the lessons of Love on a cosmic scale. As He progresses, so do we all. We can help out by acting AS IF unconditional Love reigns supreme on His planet and then someday it will. That is guaranteed; it is only the timing that is in play and for that humanity is responsible.

Today's Weather Report: Wonder of wonders, we are having a January thaw at the end of December. At 37 degrees Fahrenheit, icicles from the roof are clamoring to the ground. I have been creating an Esoteric Glossary from the 1,000 plus 3X5 cards created over the last three years that contain esoteric definitions and quotes from my reading. Today I will type the P's which contain definitions of the Plan, Pain, Polarity, Power, and Planets to name just a few of the entries. So far this work has been quite rewarding. After the P's, there are only 5 letters to go since I didn't take them in order. Looming on the horizon are the Q's which contain a myriad of Quotes and S's which include Soul. It looks like the S's will contain more entries than all the others so it is being held for the last.

Love Will Simply Win

AND LOVE WILL SIMPLY HAVE NO CHOICE
BUT TO GO INTO BATTLE WITH SPACE AND
TIME AND, FURTHERMORE, TO WIN.

~James Baldwin
Nothing Personal

Of Note: Cosmologists have had a big problem for years. The Big Bang theory implies that the universe should have been split equally between matter and anti-matter. If that was the case, the two would have annihilated each other, and the cosmos would be empty. Somehow matter won out, and physicists had no idea why. Until now. For eight-years, scientists at the Tevatron Particle Accelerator in Illinois have poured over data focusing on the short-lived B meson particle. Why? This tiny spark of energy oscillates between matter and anti-matter: one moment it is a B meson and another an anti-B meson. This flow should have created just as many B mesons as anti-B mesons, but it did not. Somehow the B meson won the day over its anti-B meson twin. The variation was small, a mere 1%, but it was enough to get the researcher's attention as it was a clear indication that the Law of Reciprocity, a foundational law of the universe, might break down at some level. Further experiments at both Tevatron and the Large Hadron Collider in Europe will test the unexpected findings. It might be that the universe has many surprises in store for us as the years unfold. Could it be that the wrong B meson won 13.7 billion years ago and that the anti-B meson will one day in the far distant future take back the night?

Today's Weather Report: What a balmy winter day with temps in the mid 20's Fahrenheit. The sun was even shining, and all was right with the world--except on the east coast which got hammered with snow yesterday--two feet of the stuff in places. Two feet here is bad enough and shut down an interstate and a major airport in Minnesota a few weeks back. That amount out east means roads and airports will be clogged until Friday. Some stranded travelers in Boston were lucky enough to score a cot at the airport. Others have been left with the uncomfortable airport chairs while many have just taken to lying on the floors using their packs as pillows. It appears another storm is brewing on the west coast, which is now clear after their deluge last week. All the while we in northern Wisconsin have just skated along with just enough snow to keep the ground white, and its residents happy. It still has not been cold enough for the -40 degree Iditarod suit, but most likely someday in January when the temps drop below zero, it will get pulled out and put to use.

Risking Ourselves Through Living

IT IS ONLY BY RISKING OURSELVES
FROM ONE HOUR TO ANOTHER
THAT WE LIVE AT ALL.

~William James

Of Note: Some of us have tried living in isolated castles within our brains because of past hurts. Of course, because of the inter-connectivity of all beings, that approach is merely an illusion. Researchers are beginning to understand this as well. One Princeton neuroscientist, Lauren Silbert, created an ingenious experiment to prove the point. She placed herself inside an fMRI brain scanner and took recordings of herself remembering the senior prom at which two boys fought over her. The memory was highly emotionally charged. Volunteers then listened to her tale while undergoing similar brain scanning. Surprisingly, they found that the brain scans of those who paid close attention paralleled that of the neuroscientist. What really got Silbert's attention, however, was the fact that key brain regions lit up before the volunteers heard her words suggesting anticipation of what she would say next. The scientific visionary opined: "The more we anticipate someone, the more we're able to enter their space." What will eventually come is the understanding that we are always in each others space in many ways, including telepathically, whether we realize it or not. Because of this, those in the know have a responsibility to keep their space swept clean of anger, hate, judgment, mistrust and the like by Being Love and Light. When enough people have made these mental and emotional accommodations and Stand with their brothers and sisters doing likewise, dawn will inevitably break and True Life will be revealed--it could happen in an instant.

Today's Weather Report: 21 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, sunny, sunny. The first day in several that the sky is cloudless, and the sun's rays have full access to the snowy ground. Raising the blinds in the southern exposed windows of the kitchen this morning raised the temperature 5 degrees in 5 minutes. That is almost instantaneous warmth. A large icicle just fell with a crash to the ground from outside my second story window. The sun is out, life is good. The sun's rays interpenetrate the body and effect many chemical pathways critical to life. What is less understood is the effect on the eyes which have a direct link to the brain. An eye is merely an external brain outlet. Once the mind is functioning and working through the brain, the soul has access to the world of men through the eyes. We can thank the sun's rays for opening that physical channel.

Hitched to Everything In the Universe

AS SOON AS WE TAKE ONE THING BY ITSELF,
WE FIND IT HITCHED TO EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE.

~John Muir
Journals

Of Note: Researchers used ultrasound to monitor five sets of twins who ranged in age from 14 to 18 weeks of gestation and found that even young fetal twins responded to and recognized the other in the womb. It was obvious to the viewers that when one twin reached for the other twin, it was with delicate and slow movement, especially around the eyes, as opposed to the thrashing given the uterine wall. One of the awestruck scientists suggested that "in some very primitive form, it appears that the fetus by the second trimester already has a sense of 'self' that is different from 'other.' " These blind touching movements were the first instance of fetal 'sociality' ever recorded. If the phenomenon was studied with twins after birth, the scientists might find not only an extraordinary physical connectivity which began in the womb environment but a mental telepathic connection as well that was established at the earliest moments. From the macrocosmic standpoint, it could be like getting two units where one was originally envisioned. Kind of like a universal twofer. Leave it to the universe to come up with such a grand scheme.

Today's Weather Report: It is a balmy 23 degrees Fahrenheit, and we had a light dusting of snow Christmas Eve but not since. Scrabble was the game of choice the last two days, and I always get beat miserably by my kids. My problem is a lack of a competitive spirit and a desire to help the other players in need. Like saying "Oh, that's an OK word" when it isn't really. My daughter and son-in-law are cut-throat players and really racked up the points. My son-in-law felt so badly for me a couple of times that he put down words so I would have a better chance of scoring more points the next time. I chuckled to myself and thought this is how the world will be in the future. People putting down their competitive guard and helping everyone out. After all, in a sense it is like helping our self since we are all one. Just ask the twins who know it on an intimate and personal level.

The Singular Cannot in Reality Exist

SNOWFLAKES, LEAVES,
HUMANS, PLANTS, RAINDROPS,
STARS, MOLECULES AND
MICROSCOPIC ENTITIES
ALL COME IN COMMUNITIES.

THE SINGULAR CANNOT
IN REALITY EXIST.

~Paula Gunn Allen
Grandmothers of the Light

Of Note: The theme for this blogging year has been interconnectedness, not as theoretical concept to be considered but as Reality to be known. At some point as we tread the Path, the Whole of Life is seen, felt, touched, smelled and heard through the intuitive sixth sense. We simply BE. This state of grace is our Divine Inheritance. Helen Luke noted: "The coming to consciousness is not a discovery of some new thing; it is a long and painful return to that which has always been." Not only are individuals recognizing this fact, but humanity is as well. Thus, individually and collectively we are beginning to get in sync with a new Dance of Life through Love. Rhythmically and ever so slowly the singers are picking up the subtle tune, and the dancers are responding. 2011 will most assuredly be a year of movement toward the movement, and by 2012 we should be well on our way. Many blessings to everyone during this unprecedented Holiday Season and into the New Year!

Today's Weather Report: It is currently 21 degrees Fahrenheit and mild. Very mild. Tonight, I talked to my Minnesota Mom, who lives in the Twin Cities, and she said more snow was expected....that is on top of the 17 to 20 inches they got a week or so ago. None fell here today--so the weathermen were right, and I was wrong. Although I've written this blog every day for several months, I will need to take a few days off because my daughter and her husband are arriving for a Christmas visit from sunny Florida. Time will be short with them so my usual routine will be put aside to take advantage of every minute. Word has it that Benedictine Monks when kept from chanting got melancholy and listless. With daily repetition, chanting became part of who they were. It is similar with this blog--it has come to be a part of my life--but that is where the similarity ends. Rest assured there will be no time for melancholy with my daughter around. She always keeps things hopping.

The Umbilical Spot of Grace

Each person is born with
an unencumbered spot--
free of expectation and regret,
free of ambition and embarrassment,
free of fear and worry--
an umbilical spot of grace where
we were first touched by God.

It is this spot of grace
that issues Peace.

~Mark Nepo

Of Note: The government of New Zealand released its classified files detailing UFO reports dating back 50 years. New Zealand has always been a hotbed of UFO sightings, which includes the most famous in 1978 when cargo plane personnel radioed air traffic controllers that they were being following by strange lights. The air traffic controllers were not surprised because they too saw it on their radar screens. While officials gave little feed back to those reporting the multitude of incidents over the years, the government kept careful record of each and every one. UFO stand for Unidentified Flying Object, and most can be explained by natural phenomenon or government projects of which the public has no knowledge. Ageless wisdom does not say a word about UFO's but does mention the Chain of Hierarchy, which reaches from above to below. Using our creative faculties, let us imagine for a moment a higher intelligence blipping into our physical plane in order to strengthen the universal umbilical cord of Love to a troubled planet. Most of these contacts would go unnoticed, but a few--a very few--might be witnessed by a startled observer. Master Morya said that supermundane contacts occur regularly but are not noticed because they do not comport to our understanding of reality. We can assist in our planet's birth to an Age of Peace by sharpening our abilities to sense the true blips sent from a higher Source. Thus, we could help anchor the threads of Love, Light and Power through our receptive minds. Daily, the Higher Spheres send out the invitation to join in this redemptive work. The decision to join is left to us.

Today's Weather Report: Several layers of clouds are keeping the sun rays away from the Earth's surface in northern Wisconsin. It looks like snow and feels like snow, but there is no snow in the forecast. That's OK, wouldn't be the first time the meteorologists got it wrong. We sometimes complain about those dedicated men and women who track our weather, but actually they have gotten much better in their predictive skills over the years. Computers have made all the difference. Sometimes I play around with ideas like weather being an Entity swayed by human emotions. Certainly the combined emotions of a nation create energy that has to be dissipated somehow. Think "clearing the air" or "stirring up a fuss," and we know that humanity understands this concept at a deep level. Someday scientists may put a National Emotional Indicator value in their formulas and increase their predictive abilities ten-fold. It's just a thought.

The Sun is Ours

THE MESSENGER OF LIGHT

An ancient legend recounts:

From a far-off world came a Messenger to bestow
upon men Equality, Brotherhood and Joy.
Long since had men forgotten their songs.
They remained in a stupor of hate.

The Messenger banished darkness and the
sense of the human crowd.
He effaced contagion and raised up joy in labor.
Hatred was bridled and the sword of
the Messenger remained upon the wall.

But all were silent and could not sing.

Then the Messenger gathered the little children
and took them into the forest saying,
"There are your flowers, our streams, your trees.
None have followed us.
I shall rest and you BE filled with joy."

Thereupon, timidly they ventured into the forest.
At last the smallest of them remained on the green,
lost in rapture at beholding the sun rays.
Then the yellow oriole started its call.
The little one followed it, whispering;
then soon joyously he exclaimed, "
"THE SUN IS OURS!"

One by one, the children returned to the green
and a new hymn to Light rang out.
The Messenger said,
"Man has again begun to sing. Come is the date!"

Of Note: The date comes when the temple shall rise again on the plane. What is that temple but a humanity enlightened by the rays of the sun after having been shrouded in darkness for eons. It is prophesied that a Messenger of Light will lead the way from darkness into Light through Love. Buddha, as the original Messenger, brought the Light of Knowledge unto the world; Jesus, His Brother, carried the torch one step further and brought the Joy of Love. The Christ, through great sacrifice, buried the thread of Will and Purpose deep into the bowels of the Earth when He walked on its surface. The Christ is set to return and finish His work once we humans have stepped up to our responsibilities. We will know we have done our part when right human relations, the recognition of the needs of all, the spirit of cooperation and sharing, a sense of personal responsibility and sacrifice of selfishness for the common good prevail. The signs of these changes are beginning to be seen, and the universe watches and waits in great anticipation.

Today's Weather Report: Cloudy, cloudy, cloudy. Need I say more? At 30 degrees Fahrenheit, we are having a virtual heat wave. Not a tropical heat wave, just a northwoods winter version. A friend visiting family in California for Christmas is smack-dab in the middle of torrential monsoon-like rain. He said some places have gotten two feet of precipitation! Mudslides are expected. Another friend in the UK reports unseasonably cold temps the whole month of December--the worst in 100 years. Apparently, Father Winter has surprises in store for his 2010 - 2011 northern hemisphere debuts. We will see if he has any more as his season unfolds.

The Moon: Vast, Mysterious, Still

The moon came up behind
the black trees to the east,
and the wilderness stood forth,
vast, mysterious, still.

All at once the silence and
the solitude were touched
by wild music, thin as air,
the faraway gabbling of
geese flying at night.

~Martha Reben
A Sharing of Joy

Of Note: In a few minutes, the full moon of Sagittarius will announce itself as totally receptive to the loving touch of the sun's rays. These two opposites will dance in harmony for only a little while before they move along to meet again next month in a different sign. Throughout the eons they have kept the rhythm intact, undulating to the music of the spheres. The animals respond in kind and understand the nature of the union. Humans, who know, wait in anticipation and then participate in a direct connection to universal energy. Soon, it is over, and the day moves forward ignorant of the saving grace bestowed upon Earth in the night. But some know and carry the memory until the next time, creating a continuum of knowledge down through the ages.

Today's Weather Report: Snow is falling and it is currently a balmy 21 degrees Fahrenheit. The dogs went out for their evening romp several hours ago and returned covered in white. They looked a little like small polar bears. The forecasters call for 8 inches to fall by late morning. It will be a perfect cap to the current bed of snow for Christmas. With the kids coming from Florida on Friday, it is even better. Having been in northern Wisconsin for 30 years now, I cannot imagine living in a place without it. So that means that I'll be staying--even if it takes a -40 degree Iditarod snowsuit to get me out on those uber-cold days.

For Evil to Triumph

ALL THAT IS NECESSARY FOR THE TRIUMPH
OF EVIL IS THAT GOOD MEN DO NOTHING.

~Edmund Burke
(1729-1797)

Of Note: Sex-abuse scandals have rocked the foundation of the Roman Catholic Church since 2002 when the American cleric perversions came to light. However, 2010 will go down as the year the lid blew off, and European dirty laundry was aired for all to see. It is hard to get the brain around a highly-placed priest buggering his own nephews, and that story was not the worst. Globally people have been waiting for an explanation from the Pope as to his part in moving such priests from place to place instead of turning them over to the police. The man had direct responsibility for such matters first as the Archbishop of Munich and then as the head of the Vatican's office that handled abuse cases. Today Pope Benedict XVI, addressing clerics in his much anticipated annual summation of church activities, gave this accounting of the perverted activity: "In the 1970's, pedophilia was theorized as something fully in conformity with man and even with children. It was maintained--even within the realm of Catholic theology--that there is no such thing as good and evil in itself. There is only a 'better than' and 'worse than.' " He went on to say that the scandals reached a new dimension in 2010 of "unimaginable dimensions" and that the church must accept the humiliation and seek renewal. In response, a leader of one of the sex-abuse victim advocacy groups retorted: "It is fundamentally disturbing to watch a brilliant man so conveniently misdiagnose a horrific scandal. The scandal wasn't caused by the 1970's, but rather by the church's culture of secrecy and fixation with self-preservation in which predator priests and the bishops, who moved them around rather than turn them in, were rarely disciplined." Hopefully, this sordid chapter of the Roman Catholic Church has come to an end with the publication of new guidelines for disciplining and defrocking pedophile priests. However, until church leaders take full responsibility for centuries of sex abuse by its priests, the world will not take this Pope seriously, and the beleaguered church will languish in its humiliation for years to come. Having said that, the whole affair might pave the way for a new religious institution to rise out of the ashes. Stay tuned.

Today's Weather Report: 24 degrees and holding steady. 6-inches of snow is forecast for tonight with another couple of inches tomorrow. The snowplow is parked in the barn with its nose out and ready to take on whatever the snow wants to throw our way. The dogs are ready to take on whatever snow snakes they might find lurking in the bushes. The houseplants are smiling at their frozen brothers and sisters outside. In here they are toasty, especially since the new heating system was installed. Some of them, such as the huge ferns, are not happy during the dry winter, but every spring they perk up when exposed to a little moisture. The miniature rose, which was supposed to lose its leaves in the fall, amazingly still has the original set. The bonsai maple tree lost its leaves in October, just a few weeks after the giants outside lost theirs. It takes a real act of faith to continue to water a stick all winter but I've been rewarded with tiny maple leaves for the last two springs and a full tree in miniature by the summer. Just proves that plants grow to the size of their container. Wonder somehow if it is the same for people?

Life is Action and Passion

AS LIFE IS ACTION AND PASSION,
IT IS REQUIRED OF A MAN THAT
HE SHOULD SHARE THE PASSION
AND ACTION OF HIS TIME,
AT PERIL OF BEING JUDGED
NOT TO HAVE LIVED.

~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Of Note: Living is a peculiar thing in that it has to be lived to be appreciated. That might sound like an obvious statement but, evidenced by what is happening on this globe, it would appear that many people are not consciously ALIVE. Real living has a certain feel to it--a subtle vibrating quality that because of its rarity could be easily missed. What's more, since few are truly alive, there are not many to guide those looking for the real thing. Holmes gave us a clue how to find it--look for passionate action, that is action impregnated by love. In that precise spot will be found abundant Life that provides a direct link to the whole universe. In 1966 quoting Holmes, John F. Kennedy invited us to join in with gusto and shape the future of our planet or sit irrelevantly on the sidelines. The choice is up to us, but a choice it is.

Today's Weather Report: It is now 2 degrees Fahrenheit though it was quite a bit warmer earlier in the day. Snow and cloudy skies greeted me this morning but that soon changed to sunshine. As I said yesterday, we like sunny here in the northwoods because the rays are life-giving. That is life-giving and interpenetrated with love. Doubt that? Just look at how the plants respond to sunlight. Plants and sunshine definitely have a "thing" going powered by light and love. That's why so many plants grace my house. Those powerful emanations benefit all living things inside.

With One Sound, BE

Creation was spoken
with one sound, BE.
The two letters, B and E
to record it came after.

The meaning of the Sound
and its Resonance are One.

There is no way to say this,
in so many words!
And no place to stop saying it.

~Jelaluddin Rumi

Of Note: A controversy is raging now in the world of astrophysics. The question? Are we part of a multiverse or not? Is our universe nested in another, part of another or one of many? Or is our universe alone, a singularity? Last month two astrophysicists declared that "they had managed to see through the Big Bang and glimpse evidence of previous incarnations of the universe in an analysis of the radio waves from space." What they found as evidence of the multiverse theory were two rings outlined in space one inside the other. Two perfect concentric circles. In the novel Contact, the best-selling author-cosmologist Carl Sagan fictionally postulated that the number pi, a transcendental number having a value to eight decimal places of 3.14159265, if let to go to infinity would produce a circle, similar to the O in Om. Could it be that embedded in that never-ending string of numbers is a clue to the genesis of the universe? The learned astrophysicists may get closer to the truth in 2012 when more information pours in from the Planck satellite now scanning the sky. Until then, the pro-multiverse and anti-multiverse camps will vehemently debate the issue. However, even though many refute the interpretation of the current data, the circles are unmistakable. Could it be that we are closer to the truth than we recognize? 2012 may turn out to be quite the year.

Today's Weather Report: At 1 AM, it is 8 degrees Fahrenheit. The moon is moving toward full in Sagittarius, and the snow is lit by moon light. It is quite an eerie scene. Because of that, the dogs refused to come in when I let out so I waited quite awhile for the "children" to return. Dogs and brightly lit moons certainly take to one another. Or could it be the howling wolves that set them off?

A Tale of Five Masters

A TALE OF FIVE MASTERS IN THREE PARTS

Last century when Victorian bigotry and religious
narrow-mindedness had reached a climax,
one of the Masters in order to counteract this,
inspired the Agnostic Movement.
This in turn showed signs of becoming
over-emphasized, so to adjust the balance another
of the Masters inspired the Spiritualistic Movement.
A little later Master Koot Hoomi and Master
Morya sponsored the Theosophical Society.
Then yet another Master inspired Christian Science.
All these Movements were operative simultaneously,
and each in opposition to the other.

Haeckel swept aside belief in the souls as pure superstition.
Madame Blavatsky informed the spiritualists that their
spirits were but empty shells,
while Mrs. Eddy pronounced Theosophy to be
"an error of the mortal mind," and Victorian
bigots condemned each and all of these Movements
as anti-christian machinations of the devil.

Meanwhile, though the Masters deplored these
intolerant denunciations, they patiently watched
each Movement to gauge its effect on the great
Evolutionary Scheme, toward the carrying out
of which they work so harmoniously.

~David Anrias
Through the Eyes of the Masters

Of Note: Christopher Hitchens, author of the controversial book God is Not Great, was diagnosed this year with esophageal cancer. When asked if his poor prognosis might bring him to prayer, he quipped: "I don't think that souls or bodies can be changed by incantation." He would definitely be placed in the Agnostic-Atheist Camp and be joined possibly by Steven Hawking and other scientists, who believe the universe appeared out of nowhere, black holes and all. At the same time, the New Age Movement stole the hearts and minds of many and made some people quite wealthy while at the same time spreading the word that invisible realms existed, a laudable milestone. Tom Cruise jumped on couches on the Oprah Winfrey Show to demonstrate that Christian Science was still alive and well over 100 years since its creation. Meanwhile, the Christian right was so powerful within the past decade as to elect a President when it gathered its forces. A Watcher has a seat at the stadium as all these Movements play in opposition. Only from that position does the age-old strategy of the Masters becomes apparent. One day, mankind will know and understand that the end-game is Love not power and will orchestrate its own actions. But in the meantime, the Masters of Wisdom are in charge. It should be reassuring to know we have such Guides in the background--Guides with a wry sense of humor at that.

Today's Weather Report: It is currently 16 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, sunny, sunny. Earlier this morning clouds were the norm, and sunshine was elusive. Not any longer. The clouds have scampered away. Some might wonder why I praise sunshine so much. It is simple: humans are built to process the stuff. Without it, the brain shuts down as does the rest of the body. Those who live in sunshiny climates never experience lack of sun for any length of time. But those of us in the north who do, understand that our very being depends on those rays. Too many days without it produce conditions called seasonal affective disorder, cabin fever or simply "the blahs." In the winter months, some folks even resort to lamps which simulate sunshine or take that week-long trip to Florida. Some just suffer. So bring that sunshine on--the more days the better.

And Man Will Be Whole

Man will some day establish an intelligent
relation to the whole of which he is a part
and with conscious cooperation.

Thus, the higher mind and the lower mind,
the abstract and the concrete,
will be brought into a functioning unity,
and man will be whole.

~Master DK

Of Note: If mankind could see itself from the higher planes, it would see a unit, a whole, embedded within another unit or whole in a chain of nested hierarchies. It is recognition of this fact that will bring revelation. Russia is part of that revelation according to Master DK who spoke through Alice Bailey. He predicted that fusing and blending eastern Europe and northern Asia cultures is the destiny of this nation. Furthermore, through an alchemical combination of Russia, the United States and Great Britain lie the destiny of entire planet. Some might look at Russia now and ask how this could be so. After all, just yesterday after protests outside the Kremlin turned violent, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin highlighted the need to strengthen public order in a state that already quickly and brutally disperses anti-Kremlin activists. Many interpreted his remarks to mean a further clampdown on opposition protests. What's more, Moscow is now the journalist murder capital of the planet. These facts do not add to the business atmosphere in Russia where many western concerns, such as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., are heading for the nearest exit. On the other hand, the Soyuz space craft took off this week with three astronauts: an American, an Italian and a Russian from the same launch pad that took the first cosmonaut into space in 1961. From the space station next April, this multinational crew will mark the 50th anniversary of that historic ascent. Master DK explained that at the present "Russia is but embryonic and her part lies more in the East than in the West. Her two ruling signs are Aquarius and Leo and her real comity of nations lies far ahead when the Aquarian age is flourishing, and the Leo control of the Russian Personality has been offset." Thus, while the prediction made in 1949 might seem far-fetched, the incoming energies will inexorably have their effect. Then we will see a new Russia stand with an equally illuminated United States and Great Britain and right human relations will flourish. Humanity will then know itself whole and recognize its own destiny as a bridge between the higher and lower kingdoms. We are encouraged to see the beginning of this trend already.

Today's Weather Report: Not quite sure what it was early in the morning, but at 9 AM it was -10 degrees Fahrenheit. The proof is noted to the right. These temperatures are not conducive to outdoor activities, unless one is bundled-up to the hilt. Then movement becomes problematic. I particularly loath those -40 degree boots which are always black and look like two small tanks. What's more, they feel like two small tanks when walking. When I put my -40 degree red Iditarod snowsuit on with the fur hood plus chunky gloves and those mega-boots and begin to walk, I resemble one of those monsters from a 1940's sci-fi flick. I have seen people running in screaming as I approach. Don't believe that? Well, actually, they were just laughing at the former Texas girl who never quite acclimated to the northern Wisconsin winters even after 30 years. Can't say I haven't tried, and Master DK and his colleague Master MM said that's all that counts. I'm not going anywhere; so, maybe after another 30 years, I will have come to love the outdoors in winter.

It Began a Mystery

IT BEGAN IN MYSTERY AND
WILL END IN MYSTERY,
BUT WHAT A SAVAGE AND
BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY IN BETWEEN.

~ Diane Ackerman
A Natural History of the Senses

Of Note: It has been recently discovered that the Persian Gulf may be holding secrets. Underneath that vast body of water lays a once-fertile landmass the size of Great Britain that was flooded only 8,000 years ago. Archeologists believe that the gulf may contain some of the earliest human settlements outside of Africa dating back 75,000 to 100,000 years. Even more interesting, colonies excavated along the shorelines have surprised the scientists in their sophistication: "These settlements boast well-built, permanent stone houses, long distance trade networks, elaborately decorated pottery, domesticated animals and even evidence for one of the oldest boats in the world." To settle the case, archeologists want to find a human fossil in South Arabia and excavate a submerged settlement. Before going to that expense, the researchers might consider reviewing the texts of ageless wisdom that speak of innumerable civilizations which have come and gone over millions of years. The remains of these are buried so deep that they will never be found. Archeologists now only scratch the surface of the Earth in their exploratory endeavors and find surviving fragments of this or that. Someday, the Earth will disgorge her true history to the surprised eyes of its inhabitants. Then archeologists and other scientists will begin to study the real meaning of ancient and how our current civilization fits into the true story of mankind.

Today's Weather Report: We awoke today to -20 degrees Fahrenheit. By 10 AM it warmed up to -11 degrees. Later in the day we were a balmy 7 degrees. It is sure to dip again into those frigid temps. Thankfully, the sun was shining so gave the illusion of warmth. Since May a friend and I have been working diligently on a legacy gift of his property and assets to a local college near the shores of Lake Superior. Today he signed the papers at that college in a ceremony attended by staff and trustees. The day was perfect for a drive and perfect for such a bequest. He is now free of encumbrances and is assured that his wishes will be carried out long after he dies. When the attending group clapped following the last signature, I felt that the deceased relatives did as well. I pictured them with broad smiles satisfied that this beautiful piece of property was being entrusted to the college for the common good of the students and larger community.

Voyage of Discovery

The voyage of discovery is not
in seeking new landscapes but
in having new eyes.

~Marcel Proust

Of Note: On August 1st the sun exploded in what scientists called the "Great Eruption." Never before had solar onlookers seen a whole hemisphere dance in a magnetic embrace which sent shock waves undulating across the surface. Accompanying the production were billion-ton cloudy masses billowing into space. Prior to these observations, it was thought that explosions were only localized events. Not so said the main researcher at Lockheed Martin's Solar and Astrophysics Lab in California: "The August 1st event really opened our eyes. We see that solar storms can be global events, playing out in scales we scarcely imagined before." Simply put, these minds had never considered whole-sun explosive activity. This discovery will change how solar weather forecasters predict solar storms. Power grid operators and airlines as well as others will benefit. What made this possible were three spacecraft orbiting the sun that monitor 97% of the sun's surface. This total-coverage allowed the scientists to put together data across the entire solar landscape that were previously gathered in a piecemeal fashion. Interestingly, August 1st resides in the sign of Leo which is ruled by the Sun. Could it be that the outpouring of solar energies was having a direct impact on the Earth at subtle levels not imaginable by solar scientists? Once astrology returns to its rightful place as a serious scientific endeavor, many more dots will be connected across the heavens.

Today's Weather Report: At this moment, it is 3:00 AM and -20 below zero Fahrenheit. That's frigid. I happen to be wide awake and contemplating the sun seemed like the thing to do at the moment. We sometimes forget that it is alive and well on the other side of the planet where it is already tomorrow and has been for some time. But right now, a little sleep would be welcome because, when the sun does rise on this side of the planet, I will be in no shape to appreciate it.

No Islands Anymore

THERE ARE NO ISLANDS ANYMORE.

~ Edna St. Vincent Millay

Of Note: The United States Geological Service has taken connectivity to new heights. If we feel the earth move under our feet, we can now report it directly to USGS at their Website "Did You Feel It?" www.earthquake.usgus.gov/earthquakes/dyfi.com. Used to be, information gathering took up to a year to generate from seismographs scattered over the globe. Turns out, humans are good seismographs themselves. With locals emailing shake and quake information directly, the information is gathered almost instantaneous. The result? Earthquake maps in real time. Another offshoot has been earthquake detection in unusual places, such as Maryland in July. Review of the Website shows an interactive map that can be accessed by John Q. Public worldwide. This development illustrates an outer manifestation of the changes taking place on the inner side. Exoteric follows esoteric--that is the universal law. That the new connectivity takes place through the ether is a promise that better things are yet to come.

Today's Weather Report: It is another one of those illusory days when the sun is out making it look warm, and it ain't. The temperature is hanging in there at 11 degrees Fahrenheit with a forecast of well below zero tonight. But 11 degrees can feel cold or really cold depending on the accompanying circumstances. Today it feels really cold. The generator may be operational by the end of the day but I've heard that before so we will see. In the end, we will no longer have to worry about power outages, nor will anyone buying the property in the future.

We are Part of the Whole

WHETHER THE UNIVERSE IS ATOMS OR A SYSTEM,
LET THIS FIRST BE ESTABLISHED:
WE ARE PART OF THE WHOLE WHICH IS
GOVERNED BY NATURE.

~ Marcus Aurelius
Meditations

Of Note: Mother Nature never lets us off the hook. Until we know the Truth of Oneness, we suffer apparent pain and misery based on the laws which govern Her kingdom. In actuality, we agreed to this rite of passage but don't remember; instead, we blame the Grand Lady for our troubles. It is time to take responsibility and recognize that we are Divine and let Mother Nature be. She's only doing Her job. We can watch for signs of our Divine progress as we learns to share, cooperate, accept responsibility, sacrifice in joy for the common good and relinquish selfishness. For example, a noted economist has suggested that rather than getting steered to national coffers, a nation's resource wealth could be shared with all its citizens, regardless of income much like Alaska does today. Research has shown that global poverty could be cut in half. Noteworthy is the fact that Iraq, Iran and Libya have been debating this very issue. Most every nation has some resource wealth; many have an over-abundance. This type of sharing could be a sound interim measure prior to resource wealth distribution to all global citizens. However, progress is often measured in small increments. After all, we must take baby steps before running a marathon. The fact that the idea has been presented by a leading economist and is being discussed is the first rung on the ladder. The second rung is reached when a few nations adopt the policy. The third rung is yet a dream, but will be achieved when the idea becomes institutionalized by many nations. The fourth rung? Ah, that is far in the future when the global citizens accept sharing as the norm, and pain is a distant memory. After that, Mother Nature can move on to Her next assignment with the knowledge of a job well done.

Today's Weather Report: Although the inflatable roof at the Metrodome did not hold up under 17 inches of snow in Minneapolis, all flights were canceled at the Mpls-St. Paul Airport for a time and Interstate 94 was closed between there and the Dakotas until 4 AM, here in Seeley we did AOK. Hunkering down is the only solution in a blizzard. Well, that and hot chocolate plus a good book. Today, the sun is out, and all is right with the world. The dogs think they are in heaven and look like rolly-polly's in white suits when they come in after frolicking in the snow. These are long-coated German Shepherds and are well prepared for the cold unlike me who must wear layers upon layers to be comfortable. But the new snow beacons so at some point today I will put on the layers and see what this new white world holds.

The Trumpets of the Sky

ANNOUNCED BY ALL THE TRUMPETS OF THE SKY,
ARRIVES THE SNOW.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today's Weather Report: Trumpets or not, the snow has arrived in the form of a blizzard slamming the Upper Midwest with 8 to 18 inches of snow. In Seeley, we are expecting 12 inches--smack-dab in the middle. It is the perfect temperature for falling snow at 21 degrees Fahrenheit. Amazingly, a review of the historical record showed that the high for December 11th in this area was 59 degrees and the low -36 degrees--nearly 100 degrees difference! Intrigued, I looked at each month and found that all the winter months showed the same 100 degree spread while summer months did not. This is one reason we like it so well in the northwoods--extremes in our seasons adds to the diversity of life, which translates into interesting and exciting. Sometimes it leads to odd cases of insanity as well. Listen to this. A Minneapolis man donned four layers of winter-wear and picked this very day to sit on the top of a Minneapolis coffee shop to raise $100,000 for his daughter's private school. Mid-morning he had raised half the money with the hopes the other half would come in soon and quipped: "I think I've crossed the line into insanity." He said it, I didn't. Mind you, he is in a tent surrounded by hay bales in a double-insulated sleeping bag, but a blizzard is a blizzard in these parts. The intrepid father might have to tunnel out by the time the final dollar is raised and, thus, might consider making the last contribution himself and heading home to the warmth of a fireplace. He will have to decide quickly, though, since road closures are expected and dangerous cold is forecast when the snow ends.

The Travelers of Eternity

The months and days are the travelers of eternity.
The years that come and go are also voyagers . . .
I too for years past have been stirred by
the sight of a solitary cloud drifting with the
wind to ceaseless thoughts of roaming.

~Matsuo Basho
(1644 - 1694)

Of Note: Many people dream of time travel. Fact is, international travelers do it every day. West takes us back in time, east the opposite. One day we wake up in India on a Saturday and it is only Friday in the United States, 12 hours earlier, give or take a few. Returning stateside, we might get to do part of Saturday all over again. Daylight savings time annually gives and takes time in a whim. Even more mind compressing, the seasons in the southern hemisphere are opposite that in the northern hemisphere. As we in northern Wisconsin anticipate months of snow, New Zealand welcomes spring and summer with full blooming gardens. That thought gives new meaning to Thomas Carlyle's observation: "In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer" for indeed all four seasons exist on the planet at once as does all Time: past, present and future. Scientists believe that we can never escape Time because we cannot travel faster than the speed of light. That is true on the physical plane where light as substance cannot exceed the speed ordained by cosmic law. But the mental plane holds no such limits. Thoughts know no Time barrier and travel instantaneously to the far reaches of the universe. Someday we will know that physical spaceships will not take us to the edge of the solar system as the distance is too far and will instead explore space with our minds. Actually, this is no distant Reality. We are already everywhere in our minds if we only knew it. Meditation takes us there.

Today's Weather Report: 20 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, REALLY sunny with not a cloud in the sky. I've been told not to get comfortable because this will be departing tomorrow when a blast of Arctic air arrives from parts even farther north. Below zero temps are forecast for the weekend. On another note, before it was given away, this truck and attached snowplow would sometimes take care of the driveway. I say sometimes because it rarely fired up on cold days. My husband liked this truck and didn't want to part with it, which I could understand because of its venerability. However, after weighing the options, I went out and bought another newer used snowplow truck three years ago. It took some research and asking around and, without fail, the newer snowplow appeared right on schedule. That's the way it is with creation. All we have to do is put it out there in the universe and what we need appears. The word NEED is the clincher. Sometimes we think we need things we don't and then the universe is not so giving. But true need produces results--always. We can take that to the bank.