The Air is the Soul of the Earth

The soul is a breath of living spirit,
that with excellent sensitivity
permeates the entire body to give it life.

Just so, the breath of the air
makes the earth fruitful.
Thus, the air is the soul of the earth,
moistening it, greening it.

~Hildegard of Bingen
(1098 - 1179)

Of Note: Someone once told me that I reminded them of Hildegard of Bingen, particularly since I had cold hands like her. I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not. After reading her biography, which contained some of the mystic's work, and then listening to a sample of sacred music she composed, I took it as a compliment no matter how the comment was intended. Besides being a writer and composer, the noble lady from Bingen was also a philosopher, Benedictine abbess, renowned healer and polymath with a scientific bent. At age three, Von Bingen began seeing visions, which she called "The Shade of the Living Light" and by age five began to understand what she was experiencing. As she got older, one thing the visionary did not want to do was share what she saw and became violently ill at the thought. The holy nun began to write and speak of her visions only after recovering from this illness--and did not stop for ten years. During this time, Hildegard created her own language and alphabet, which she called Lingua Ignota. In addition, she was a noted theologian when most were men, and many came to ask her advice. Interestingly, the Abbess called herself unlearned and attributed all her knowledge to the divine, which gave her a voice at a time when women were normally relegated to the kitchen. When she died, it is said that "two streams of light appeared in the sky and crossed over the room where she was dying. Hildegard's life had been marked by her visions of light, and it appears she was marked by this same light when she died." Throughout the whole biography, however, there was no mention of cold hands. I have wondered about that comment ever since.

Today's Weather Report: It snowed off and on all day. The temperature hovered in the upper 20's thus guaranteeing that the white stuff would stick. The poor UPS man is coming later and later as Christmas approaches, arriving this evening after 7 PM. When asked, the beleaguered deliverer said he had 7 more stops to make before heading home 50 miles to Rice Lake. Many times we are the last place, but not tonight. Snow was falling heavily when he turned around in the driveway--I could see it in the lights of his truck. By the way, I know the picture of this pitcher plant is somewhat blurry, but it encapsulates my feeling about the plant, which did not make it through the winter last year. This is the last shot of the beauty.

All Our Strength is in Our Union

All our strength is in our union;
All our danger in discord.
Therefore, be at peace henceforward
And as brothers live together.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Of Note: It is predicted that one day we will all speak the same language. Many believe that language to be English, and for a time that may be the case. But the day is coming when we will communicate exclusively the same language of telepathy, and words will no longer be necessary. That also means that secrets will be a thing of the past, and people like Julian Assange will be out of business. Poor Julian. He pulled the tiger's tale and then complained when he got bit. Have his leaks been embarrassing to some? Yes. Is it the end of the world as we know it? No. Some believe that communication Armageddon has arrived but we will work through this issue of leaky documents and came out of it a little wiser on the other side. It provides a good lesson on the road to universal telepathic communication, which will commence in the period when we know without a shadow of a doubt that all brothers are ONE. We can start down that road by acting AS IF today.

Today's Weather Report: The sun has been peeking out all day displaying its shine for all to see. After so many days of clouds, the effect was startling when I opened my eyes this morning. It was like I was welcoming an old friend back to the neighborhood. At 18 degrees Fahrenheit, it is cold but not frigid--though the sun provides an illusion of warmth. Those who are lulled into thinking it's warmer than it is are in for a rude surprise. On another note, it is the 30th anniversary of John Lennon's murder outside his New York apartment. Here is a man who obviously spent some time in the invisible realms. The song, Let It Be, which he co-wrote with Paul McCartney, gave us a hint as to what was happening in another part of his mind. The hauntingly familiar lyrics contain this message: "And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me, shine on til tomorrow, Let it Be." Rest in peace John Lennon, thank you for reminding us even though your light was prematurely snuffed out, the light of the world shines without fail.

One Sees the Mud, the Other the Stars

TWO MEN LOOK OUT THROUGH THE BARS
ONE SEES THE MUD, THE OTHER THE STARS.

~Frederick Langbridge

Of Note: NASA's space program has come under assault as too expensive without enough return to the American people. The current administration instead intends to rely on private companies to deliver satellites and other space payloads. In addition, the United States government is entering into international compacts with other space agencies to explore the heavens. Some are not waiting. Today, a Japanese mission called Akatsuki entered orbit around Venus and will take readings for the next 2 years of the mysterious atmosphere surrounding Earth's alter-ego. It joins a European Union spacecraft doing the same thing, though in a different orbit. Together they may gather enough data to determine what happened to second rock from the sun. What intrigues the researchers is the fact that Venus, named for the Roman goddess of love and beauty, is enshrouded by a 12-mile thick layer of sulfuric acid charged by lightning bolts. These blistering clouds whip by at 220 miles per hour, 60 times faster than the planet itself. The lead Japanese scientist explained: "In so many ways, Venus is similar to Earth. It has about the same mass, is approximately the same distance from the sun and is made up of basically the same material. Yet the two worlds ended up so different. We want to know why." Could it be that Earth will suffer the same or similar fate if global warming is left unchecked? This is the question that really underlies the current spate of research. It is encouraging to know that some far-sighted governments are in front of this issue even in their continued exploration of space.

Today's Weather Report: 11 degrees Fahrenheit and crisp. And cloudy. Forget what I said about sunshine in December. It was a myth. I am not complaining, however, because every day is a good day to be alive. All the stores in town today were bulging with shoppers picking out Christmas presents. It is interesting the array of gift options available. The stores somehow convince us we need all these gee-gaws to survive. By January we have come to our senses, but our pocketbooks lament. This year I'm trying something new--Heifer International is getting my dough. At least next month, I will smile when the credit card bill comes rolling in knowing someone has gotten a life-sustaining cow or sheep or pig. Don't know if the recipients will appreciate the sentiment, but hey, I figure we have to start somewhere. Heart to heart can't be beat.

The Seeds of Today

ALL THE FLOWERS OF ALL THE
TOMORROWS
ARE IN THE SEEDS OF TODAY.

~Indian Proverb

Of Note: Would it surprise anyone to discover that the solar system is still evolving? That the planets we see may not be the planets of tomorrow and new planets may emerge from the mysterious edge of the solar system and beyond? Although scientists have not gone as far as the teachings of ageless wisdom, they have concluded that the Oort Cloud, that area swarming with comets hanging on the edge of the solar system, was probably "stolen" from its birthplace where a cluster of stars formed in a huge gas cloud. When our sun pulled away from the birth cluster, it pulled with it comets from its sibling stars. According to one astrophysicist: "This 'thief model' postulates that comets accompanied the nearest star when the birth cluster blew apart. The Sun made off with quite a treasure--the Oort Cloud, which was swimming with comets from all over the neighborhood." Previous models assumed comets formed in the solar system itself but could not account for the number seen over the years. Interestingly, no one has ever seen the Oort Cloud as its presumed distance on the edge of the solar system has precluded an actual sighting. Maybe the postulating scientists should compare the definitions of science and religion. They might find that teachings outside their usual vision have much to offer in the area of astrophysics.

Today's Weather Report: It is lightly snowing at 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Did I mention it is totally overcast? Yes, another cloudy day in December. I am going to send a message to the One on High (OoH) that a little sunshine would be in order. If others would join me, the plea is sure to be answered. Because it is below freezing, we will have some accumulation of snow though I haven't heard that this will amount to much. The aerator in the lake keeps bubbling away much to the delight of the fish, I'm sure. Hopefully, we will not have the fish kill of last spring, which prompted the two dogs to carry smelly, decomposing fish to the front door. I buried the first carcass and placed a huge stump on top. Not to be deterred, the dogs dug from the side and extracted the soil-covered body. I tried digging deeper to no avail. Soon, I began to recognize the poor dead fish, which I named Stinky. By the time I threw the thing in the trash can, he was encrusted with dirt and was missing most of his fins and scales. When the second fish appeared, it went straight to the trash can as did all the rest. Don't know if the garbage men appreciated the hidden treasure, but I certainly learned my lesson: big dogs are better at digging than I. Simple but true.

Changing the World

What we would like to
do is change the world--
make it a little simpler
for people to feed, clothe
and shelter themselves as
God intended them to do.

~Dorothy Day

Of Note: What we would like to do is change the world so that people loved one another, and therefore, no one went without life-sustaining necessities because it would be unthinkable. We are not there yet, obviously, but Dorothy Day worked every day to make sure people around her were taken care of. What happens when people we consider poor don't want to be helped or collide with another global initiative of even greater magnitude? This very thing is happening in India where the "waster pickers," who go through landfills to pick out recyclables for resale, are protesting the building of large incinerators, many of which are funded by private funds raised under the UN Climate Treaty. One of the sari-clad scavengers has come 11,000 miles to the annual UN climate conference in Cancun on behalf of the 6,000 recyclers in Pune, India. She is demanding access to the landfill whose contents are now trucked to an incinerator while explaining that the waster pickers are left going door to door collecting trash in a community 12 miles (20 kilometers) away. "We have a right to the waste that can be recycled. We want to continue making a living without interference from such a big private company," the intrepid traveler lamented. On her side is the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) who is speaking out at the conference as well. Their position? Not only do the incinerators produce toxic pollution but also increase greenhouse gas emissions. Their solution? Don't burn anything. Divert organic waste to facilities that use the resultant methane gas to produce electricity; leave solid waste for the global landfill scavengers. GAIA's conference banner declares "Zero Waste for Climate Justice." The greening of the planet will upend many old ways and create new opportunities for humanity. We must be certain, however, that the billions "mobilized in the new realm of carbon finance" do not make their way only to coffers already filled to the brim.

Today's Weather Report: 10 degrees Fahrenheit and partly sunny sounds better than 10 degrees and partly cloudy. I am throwing my weight on the side of sunshine today in hopes that acting AS IF makes it so. Imagination is a wonderful thing. Someone asked online how cold does it have to be to snow. The answer? It varies. Snow forms in the atmosphere way above Earth where it is well below 32 degrees. Thus, the ground temperature can vary from 37 degrees where snow will fall but melt on contact to 45 degrees in high elevations in the west. The problem is ice that DOES form at 32 degrees on the ground. Ice is scary, snow is not.

Mutual Forbearance and Temporizing

I would fain hope that liberal allowances will be
made for the political opinions of one another;
and instead of the wounding
suspicion and irritating charges,
there might be mutual forbearance
and temporizing yielding on all side,
without which I do not see how the
reins of government are to be managed.

~George Washington
First United States President

Of Note: We might think that the political situation in the United States at the moment is something new. Not so. After the Revolutionary War, the framers of our constitution struggled to shape a country different than any other based on concepts not yet formulated. There were growing pains aplenty but these men were guided by principles of freedom and equality even if it took a civil war and a civil rights movement to bring these concepts to fruition. That's how it is with a government. The process is painful, just like any birth. After the birth of our nation came the childhood and adolescent years all fraught with their own brand of discomfort. Now is the time for this nation to enter adulthood. However, with few guides as to how to do it well, we are struggling once again. No wonder. One of the roles of the United States of America is testing new concepts in a melting pot run by a huge federal bureaucracy, 50 state governments and innumerable governmental and non-governmental bodies with inherent freedom and equality as its base. No other nation comes close to this complexity. When we emerge as an adult nation is anyone's guess at this time but the world will know it is happening when the demonizing, vilification and hateful speech cease and a group of true leaders steps forward who understands the nature of maturity. President Washington will then smile upon his work. The day is coming.

Today's Weather Report: Remember how I predicted a more sunny December? Well, it hasn't happened yet. Currently, it is 27 degrees Fahrenheit and cloudy. Very cloudy. For many people in northern climates, so many cloudy days in a row have a tendency to bring on seasonal affective disorder, a kind of depression, at one end of the spectrum with cabin fever at the other. Most of us eventually succumb to the latter but usually around February or March. The holiday season keeps many buoyed up at this point because a white Christmas is hard to beat, but then they take off to Texas or Florida for a break. Why is sunshine so important for mental and physical health? After all, the Masters recommend 15 minutes of sunshine a day for optimum performance. The answer lays in the healing qualities of the invisible rays of vitality that stream from sources beyond the sun but are channeled through that great body. When we cut ourselves off from the Source, poor health can eventuate. My recommendations? Sit quietly either outside or by a window for 15 minutes a day. Cleanse the mind of worry. Shut down the thinking apparatus. Just be bathed in the loving, healing rays of the sun then resume the daily activities whatever they might be. Carry the calm as far into the day as possible. If done regularly, the loving peace will eventually continue until the next dose. All it takes is practice, practice, practice. Shalom.

Special Watcher's Report: Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup this week much to the surprise of the runner-up delegation from the United States, which included former President Bill Clinton. No World Cup series has ever been held in the Middle East, and the crowds in Qatar went wild in the streets. Many allegations of bid rigging and corruption made the rounds but in the end it made no difference. The tiny nation propelled by natural gas fortunes promises to spend billions on infrastructure, $50 billion all told. It has not been made public yet how the Muslim nation will handle the issue of alcohol, which goes hand and hand with soccer in non-Muslim nations, and the Israeli team, which must be allowed to play without fear for their safety. But this and many other answers will surely unfold over the next 12 years which in these days of accelerated change is like a lifetime.

Feel the Artistry Moving Through

Observe the wonders as
they occur around you.
Feel the artistry moving
through and be silent.

~Jalaluddin Rumi

Of Note: Scientists are finding new things every day and delight in putting a name to every discovery--it defines their very existence. In the last week such discoveries included several new species found at the ocean's crushing depths and an arsenic-loving bacterium found in a quiet stateside lake. A Scripps Institution oceanographer was beside herself after finding a 3.7 inch (9.4 centimeter) squid worm at a depth of 1.7 miles (2.8 kilometers) using a remotely-operated submersible and exclaimed: "I was really excited. It was so tantalizing because the animal was different than anything previously described, with the fantastic headgear." (Apparently, she had not seen the protagonist in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.) Not to be outdone, NASA-supported researchers found a new bacterium, which they promptly named GFAJ-1, living in a California lake that has substituted arsenic for phosphorus in its DNA. One of them triumphantly pronounced: "The definition of life has just been expanded. As we pursue our efforts to seek signs of life in the solar system, we have to think more broadly, more diversely and consider life as we do not know it." This paradigm shifter will require a change in textbooks since arsenic is not one of the six basic building blocks of all known forms of life on Earth. However, because of mankind's predilection to explore and name the unknown, the textbook publishers might consider waiting awhile. Greater discoveries than these may be on the near horizon.

Today's Weather Report: This morning was the first of the season below zero. Some had -9 degrees Fahrenheit, while here we had -3. That's COLD. At this moment, however, it is 20 degrees Fahrenheit. What a difference that 20 degrees makes! The new heating system connected to the wood boiler is now installed in the house, and the house temperature is pretty much the same all over for the first time. Before, there were pockets of hot and cold with space heaters required here and there. No more. The indoor plants will be singing the new system's praises as well. Progress is good. Progress of this kind is VERY good.