The snow falls, each flake in its appropriate place.
~ Zen saying
Wild Geese
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
—Mary Oliver
Meet Me in the Sixties
“Sixties” by The Essex
Green, Everything Is Green, 1999.
You pick the place, darlin’
I’ll pick the day
See you there,
Don’t be late.
I’ll pick the day
See you there,
Don’t be late.
Somewhere through the gold
of an early autumn breeze
Meet me in the sixties
(partial lyrics)
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“She Fled Him”
by Gennifer Ciavarra,
pen, ink, watercolour, and crayon on paper
|
There are unknown forces within nature; when we
give ourselves wholly to her, without reserve,
she leads them to us; she shows us those forms
which our watching eyes do not see, which our
intelligence does not understand or suspect.
~ Auguste Rodin
Tender-hearted
We released the bird this morning and it flew into our burning bush to eat a few berries before flying off. So precious!
Positive Change
I’ve been encountering a lot of butterflies, hearts, and snakes
recently,
which symbolizes positive change, love, healing, and transformation.
Nature speaks to us if we are listening...
There Is No End
 |
| Photo: Bernard Solco |
There is no end.
There is no
beginning.
There is only
the passion
of life.
~ Federico Fellini
I'm Still Learning
So I’ve been pondering my desire to get away from it all. My yearning to live on a remote beach has reached a fever pitch. I talk about it to anyone that will listen. My sister-in-law and I send images of Kauai and New Zealand to each other in enthusiastic e-mail messages. Images of pristine beaches and breath-taking ocean views with not a living soul in sight.
After walking the shore of a local (lake) beach recently, I was overwhelmed by the crowds and the amount of carelessly discarded garbage—plastic bags, water bottles, coffee cup lids. I wondered, would it be different anywhere else?
Perhaps for the first time in my life, my desire to see through this collective illusion is stronger than my despair over the destruction of our planet. With a hopeful heart, I seek the Truth of our existence beyond conventional reason.
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Photo: Graeme Huntr
|
After walking the shore of a local (lake) beach recently, I was overwhelmed by the crowds and the amount of carelessly discarded garbage—plastic bags, water bottles, coffee cup lids. I wondered, would it be different anywhere else?
What I think it boils down to is resistance to the way things are. Many of us find ourselves in an environment of strip malls, dollar stores, Tim Hortons, and Starbucks. It’s a sea of ugliness. Ranting about it and loathing it is futile though and it only brings negativity to our lives and to those we interact with. We are not at peace.
Sometimes things have to get really bad before they get better. Maybe things are exactly as they need to be for us to wake up spiritually. To remember who and what we truly are. To feel without ceasing the life energy that animates and interconnects us with every living thing on this planet and beyond.
Although it’s true that we can’t get rid of our thoughts/feelings, we can observe them with compassion. Our thoughts and feelings are not who we are. They are like any other function our amazing bodies perform. Just as the lungs breathe and the heart beats, the brain thinks and we feel things according to how we interpret those thoughts. Is this reality? Or are we each creating a world in our own minds?
Celebrate Life
“Life is a celebration of awakenings,
of new beginnings,
and wonderful surprises that
enlighten the soul.”
~ Cielo
Mystery
Found this little treasure in our garden last night. It’s a vitamin-sized leaf capsule created by an insect. Leaves have been carefully cut and fashioned into a tiny tube. I can only assume it holds an egg. Would love to know what this is! So amazing!!
*Post Update: It’s a leafcutter bee capsule!
Vienna Waits for You
A couple of summers ago I was obsessed with
the song “Vienna
Man, I miss the sound of
the needle just as you put it on the record. I haven’t heard that scratchy sound in a really long
time. Anyway, for some reason, “Vienna
The
first record I ever remember listening to as a kid was The Stranger. The album
cover freaked me out a bit. I don’t know why. Maybe because I was only four or five and Billy Joel
looks sad (thoughtful) and there’s this clown-like mask... I still liked listening to that
record though and I’d
play it over and over.
“Vienna
Slow
down you’re doing fine
You can’t be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it’s so romantic on the borderline tonight
Too bad but it’s the life you lead
You’re so ahead of yourself
That you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you’re wrong
You know you can’t always see when you’re right
You got your passion you got your pride
But don’t you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don’t imagine they’ll all come true
When will you realize
Vienna
You can’t be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it’s so romantic on the borderline tonight
Too bad but it’s the life you lead
You’re so ahead of yourself
That you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you’re wrong
You know you can’t always see when you’re right
You got your passion you got your pride
But don’t you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don’t imagine they’ll all come true
When will you realize
(partial lyrics)
Say not, “I have found the truth,” but
rather, “I have found a truth.”
Say not, “I have found the path of the soul.”
Say rather, “I have met the soul walking
upon my path.”
For the soul walks upon all paths.
The soul walks not upon a line, neither
does it grow like a reed.
The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of
countless petals.
~ Kahlil Gibran
Let It Be
As I was waiting to have some blood work done in the lab today (just an annual check-up), John Lennon’s song Imagine started playing on the sound system. I’ve been pondering The Beatles in general lately. I think they were so cool. Not particularly because of the men that they were, but because of the truth that many of their songs point to.
Their music appeals to such a large audience and depending on where you are at on your journey, the songs might have very different meanings for you. John, Paul, George, and Ringo were definitely on the spiritual path. They were sharing higher truth. I can see that now. In my youth, the Beatles’ songs I loved were appreciated at a simple (material) level. Now, I appreciate them for their deeper (spiritual) truths and I am grateful for The Beatles’ astounding contribution.
Just before I left the lab, the technician shared with me that her favourite Beatles song is Let It Be. I love that song too. It can be a useful mantra in times of uncertainty.
Just before I left the lab, the technician shared with me that her favourite Beatles song is Let It Be. I love that song too. It can be a useful mantra in times of uncertainty.
“Let It Be” by The Beatles, Let It Be, 1970.
And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be.
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer
Let it be.
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be...
(partial lyrics)
Don't Mention It
I love the symbolism in this beautiful Russian animation. The fear and despair that accompanies being lost in the fog (unconsciousness) compared to the elation of sharing a simple cup of tea beneath the stars with a cherished companion.
My favourite scene is when the little hedgehog falls into the river. He is forced into surrender and decides to go with the flow. It’s the lowest point of the film until a mysterious “Someone” comes to his aid. “Don’t mention it” is all the Someone says in response to Hedgehog’s words of gratitude for saving him.
*Note: The owl in this film might be frightening to young children. Please do not view before bedtime!
There Lived a Tree by Vladimir Petkevich is another animation that I could not resist sharing. It’s rich with symbolism on the certainty of change. Nature being our greatest teacher of this truth.
The theme of loss and death in this film (not to mention another freaky owl!) will not be lost on small children. I erred in showing this film to my five-year-old before bedtime. She was quite tearful about it. After much discussion, she gave me a kiss on the cheek and said, “If you die before I grow up, this is so you know I love you.”
What Is Love?
Love is Spirit, love is the ultimate truth at the heart of
Creation.
Love is the unifying force of nature. Love connects everything
to
everything else, and it’s the only motivation for doing anything
—even when
people do harmful things. If people go beyond their
superficial motivation,
they will see that they are doing it because
they want to be loved.
—Deepak Chopra
Soul Food
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| click to enlarge |
This little guy appeared in a slice of organic white cheddar cheese. Our own mini Jesus-in-the-Pancake, so to speak. ;) So, do you think this Man-in-the-Cheese resembles anyone?
On Forgiving
 |
Photo: Rick Wilson
|
To forgive is merely to remember
only the loving thoughts you gave in the past,
and those that were given you.
All the rest must be forgotten.
~ A Course in Miracles
He Loves Me
How often do we take the time to truly notice the beauty that surrounds us? Look at the exquisite detail on the underside of this daisy...
“The
most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.
It is the source of all true art and
science.
He to whom this emotion is a
stranger,
who can no longer pause to wonder and
stand rapt in awe,
is as good as dead: his eyes are
closed.”
~ Albert Einstein
The Way
One who lives in accordance with nature
does not go against the way of things.
He moves in harmony with the present moment,
always knowing the truth of just what to do.
~ Lao-tzu
On Pleasure
For to the bee a flower is a fountain of life,
And to the flower a bee is a messenger of love,
And to both, bee and flower, the giving and
the receiving of pleasure is a need and an ecstasy.
~ Kahlil Gibran
Forget-Me-Not
 |
Photo: Rick Wilson
|
To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wildflower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.
~ William Blake
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