These Are The Hands - A Poem

  By Michael Rosen

These are the hands That touch us first
Feel your head Find the pulse
And make your bed.

These are the hands That tap your back
Test the skin Hold your arm Wheel the bin
Change the bulb Fix the drip Pour the jug Replace your hip.

Forecast Reading

From the Soulful Woman Oracle Cards by Shushann Mousessian and Gemma Summers, I have chosen:

Boundaries. “Boundaries are necessary and we all have them. They keep us safe and healthy, and without them, we are in danger. The reading states: "My boundaries are like energy doors that help me manage my life. At times, I have the doors open , inviting in blessings from others and my environment. At other times, I need to close them in order to replenish my energies, nourish my creativity, and defend my well-being. I feel good about having boundaries and for being able to say "No Thanks" because I know when I say "No" that I am expressing an important aspect of myself as a person. Having clear boundaries allows me to protect myself, nurture my intentions, and follow my true self. Boundaries are an essential part of self care. Affirmation - My clear boundaries allow me to protect myself, nurture my intentions and follow my true self."

Dreams and Dreaming!

"An uninterpreted dream is like an unopened letter"

Dreams and Dreaming Part 2: When we arrive at 60 years of age, we will have been asleep for 20 years and awake for only 40! Everyone dreams many times each night, but few remember their dreams. Dreaming is vital to our mental health and we cannot do without our dreams even for a few days. If you see someone’s eyes are moving under their closed eyelids whilst asleep, they are almost certainly dreaming.

Fascinating Examples:
The champion golfer, Jack Nicklaus had a dream where he swung the golf club in a new way. He tried it and won many tournaments. There was a mathematical genius in India, Svinivasa Ramanujan, who often saw handwriting on a screen that demonstrated new mathematical solutions and once he dreamed that a Hindu Goddess appeared to him and showed him a new formula.

The Dream of Cybele - A Story

It was a scramble to the cavern. We had been told of the pitfalls and given good instructions as to the position and size of the entrance. I had grazed my hand and the stinging continued as I neared the cave mouth. As I walked within, the blackness consumed me. There was uneven rock and gravel underfoot. I was amazed how clearly I could hear my laboured breathing and the rapid pulse of my heartbeat. The sound seemed amplified and the reverberation echoed around what could only be a vast chamber. I could smell the scent if wood smoke, slightly perfumed with pine resin. I reached out to touch the side walls. they were cold and smooth and hard, like frozen ice. I shivered in the chill air. As i took a few tentative steps forward, my eyes accustomed to the darkness. Within the cavern were extraordinary shapes, huge columns from floor to roof space - great mountains of rock with strange colours and hues. 

Meditation by Anne Yates - Your Garden

An interactive meditation presented by Anne Yates with words by Wendy Stokes
Make yourself comfortable and avoid interruptions, relax and imagine....

Elegy - A Poem

Elegy - Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray.

I am sharing poem that I remember from my childhood...

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
    The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,
    And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
    And all the air a solemn stillness holds,
Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,
    And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds:

Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tow'r
    The moping owl does to the moon complain
Of such as, wand'ring near her secret bow'r,
    Molest her ancient solitary reign.^[34]

Saffron Walden - A Visit

The ancient labyrinth on the common at Saffron Walden is the largest 'free to walk' labyrinth in England and is believed to be based (very loosely) on the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral (which dates to the twelvth century). Saffron Walden has four raised areas at the quarters and a mound at the centre. The labyrinth is reputed to be a portal to other-worlds and this one perhaps lies on a ley node. The round trip to the centre and out again is two miles. I visited it on my birthday to meditate on the year ahead. Before I had left home, I had opened a gift from a friend. It was a tiny bright sculpture of mythical beasts emerging from an egg and was titled, 'new beginnings'.

Journey of the Soul Extract

In all my transactions today, I intend them to come from a place of love within me, to a place of love within others. From a place of honesty in myself to a place of honesty within others. From my integrity to the integrity of others. From a place of openness, as I respect the rights of all living things. I intend to be gentle, kind and forgiving. I intend to be aware of the wonders of the universe and to greet them all with gratitude and awe. And I welcome whatever flows into my life to teach me today, and to listen to the conversation that the universe is trying to have with me. I intend to be inspired, to have joy, to be grateful for all that I have in my life, and for every opportunity I’m given. I intend to use my intuition and all my other spiritual gifts in all transactions today and to help wherever I can, even if that help is in standing still and doing nothing, or letting go of someone I love. I intend for peace and harmony, and that, wherever I can make restitution, I shall have the courage and willingness to do so. I intend to live my humanity and divinity simultaneously today and move further along my path to enlightenment. I dedicate my life to love, to peace, to harmony, to healing, to teaching, to my spiritual growth, and the spiritual growth of others.

Native American People

"In the Lakota/Sioux tradition, a person who is grieving is considered most holy. There's a sense that when someone is struck by the sudden lightning of loss, he or she stands on the threshold of the spirit world. The prayers of those who grieve are considered especially strong, and it is proper to ask them for their help. You might recall what it's like to be with someone who has grieved deeply. The person has no layer of protection, nothing left to defend. The mystery is looking out through that person's eyes. For the time being, he or she has accepted the reality of loss and has stopped clinging to the past or grasping at the future. In the groundless openness of sorrow, there is a wholeness of presence and a deep natural wisdom." ~ Tara Brach

Early History:  The native people of America were first called “Red Indians” by Christopher Columbus, when, upon arriving in North America, he thought he was in the East Indies on his way to India! There would have been 1,000 native languages in use at this time. Studies have suggested that people traveled during the ice age, perhaps as long as 30,000 years ago, from Mongolia, over the Bering Straits land bridge into Alaska, and down through the Americas. Shamanic culture that survive in Mongolia are thought to be similar to the native American shamanic practices. There is also some evidence that sailors left Europe in small canoes, surviving the frozen ice floes of the Atlantic Ocean to arrive on the Eastern sea board of the Americas. 

Hierophant - The Tarot

The keys represent entry to a holy place, a place of wisdom and truth. Access to spiritual authority. There  is good life guidance and a path of integrity and caring. The hierophant is a man of power, standing and authority but one should be wary of being misled on account of looks and the honour that others give. The 3 tiered papal crown denotes faith, hope and charity, the spiritual, material and intellectual worlds, the mind, body and soul. He wears a cloak and has his right hand raised in blessing. The columns represent rigour and mercy. King Solomon’s Temple had 2 columns. 

Lead by example. Be a guide to others. Meditate on balance, understanding and integrity.