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. 

The Green Knight

 The film above is set in the 14th century when this story was originally written. 

King Arthur sits with this Queen and his retinue in his Christmas court in Camelot. His nephew, the gallant Sir Gawain is also in attendance. An enormous noise occurs at the entrance of the baronial hall and a green giant makes a dynamic entrance on a horse. The giant offers his axe and makes a wager with King Arthur. He says that whoever cuts him will face the same cut a year and a day from that date. Sir Gawain steps forward. He has waited a life time to prove he is the most loyal protector to his uncle, King Arthur. Immediately, Gawain strikes the green giant across the neck, slicing off his head. Red blood flows over green cloth! This story is about life and death. How easy it is to behead someone with such a sharp sword! But the green giant is not killed. He picks up his head and rides out of the baronial hall, out of Camelot, and into the far distance! 

What do you make of this part of the story? The green giant is similar to tree pollarding and if you chop its head off, another grows! Green is related to nature and nature’s ability to recover after perceived death in winter. Humans are not able to recover from death, so the story is about the vulnerability of Sir Gawain, who was after all, only human. The story might be related to the advantages of agriculture and what can be achieved with knowledge of plant husbandry. Green was related to plant life so it is likely the contest with the Green Man was a contest with the harsh and chaotic realities of nature, of the need to survive the harshest of times. 

Why is the Raven black?

Great Spirit decided it was time to give the winged (the birds) their colors. Before this time all of the birds were gray. Their feathers did not carry the beautiful colors they do today. Great Spirit told all of the winged to gather at a special lake which was hidden high in the mountains. All of the winged flew to this magical body of water. Great Spirit told them to dive into the water and they would emerge with beautiful colors in their feathers. Brave little Hummingbird dove in first. He didn't stay long but when he came out he was a beautiful green and had ruby on his throat. Jaybird was next. He stayed a little longer than Hummingbird had. When he emerged he was a bright blue and had a white throat. He wore a black necklace low on his neck. Wren splashed into the depths. When he got out of the water he was brown with a golden chest. Cardinal flew into the lake. He stayed in a bit longer than the others. When Cardinal broke the surface he was bright red and beautiful. Bluebird splashed into the water and stayed for a while. He came up blue with his beautiful red breast. Indigo Bunting dived in. He stayed linger than any of the previous birds. He came up such a beautiful blue that the other birds gasped at his gorgeous color. 

Jack

A pilgrim on the road to Santiago de Compostela was called a ‘jack’. 

The name Jack features in folk tales and children’s stories as ‘everyman’, an ordinary man, perhaps an uneducated and perhaps unskilled man, we might immrdiately think of Jack Spratt, and Jack the Ripper. In days gone by, anyone with the name of John was likely to be nicknamed Jack or Jackin. It was a name for a country bumpkin, as the Coventry, and the Townley Mystery Plays describe just an ordinary boy and girl, as Jack and Jill. Jack is sometimes a fool, such as the comedic character who goes up a hill to fetch water rather than down to the river. In fairy stories, he is sometimes a crafty, or aggressive opportunist, who, by guile and trickery, gets rich rewards without ethics. He can wed the King’s daughter by making her laugh with a stick that beats people upon a command, a bed with a lovely singing voice, and a fiddle that plays by itself. In Jack and the Beanstalk, he is sent by his widowed mother to sell a cow, and he returns with magic beans that grow so tall he can climb up to a giant house in the sky where rich ogres live. 

Judgments!

Pray! Don’t find fault with the man who limps, or stumbles along life’s road. Unless you have the shoes he wears, or struggle beneath his load. There may be nails in his shoes that hurt - though hidden from your view, Or the burden he bears, placed upon your back may cause you to stumble too. 

Don’t be harsh with the man who sins or pelt him with words or stones, unless you are sure, yea! doubly sure, that you have no sins of your own. For you know, perhaps, if the tempter’s voice should whisper as soft to you, as it did to him when he went astray, it may cause you to stagger too. 

Don’t sneer at the man who is down, unless you have felt the blow, that caused his fall, or felt his shame  - as only the fallen know. You might feel strong, but remember those blows, if dealt to you, in the self same way, and at the self same time, it could cause you to fall too!  

An Indonesian Island - A Story

 

Nyall Watson's book 'Gifts of Unknown Things' is a favourite of mine, since it was published in 1977 to great acclaim. 

The book ends with a remarkable story from the island of Nus Tarian, which, at the time he visited, received very few travellers. The story describes his meeting with Tia, a young girl who had special powers, as many young girls have been known to have before their menarche. She was a loner, as many feared and misunderstood her. She saved a man from certain death, and when an elder of the village died in a fishing expedition, she brought him back to life. She was a remarkable dancer, lithe and subtle. She had clashed on several occasions with the Imam who was a friend of her father, but even her father could not control her gifts. The Imam wanted to send the girl from the village but her powerful father was too insistent she stay, however, after one particular confrontation, she fled and as she did so, the mosque caught fire. As harvest time arrived, there was a traditional celebration of the rice where nine aspects of a harvest rite were to take place. 

My Soul has a Hat - A Poem

 MY SOUL HAS A HAT

I counted my years & realized that I have

Less time to live by, Than I have lived so far.

I feel like a child who won a pack of candies: at first he ate them with pleasure,

But when he realized that there was little left, he began to taste them intensely.

I have no time for endless meetings where the statutes, rules, procedures & internal regulations are discussed,

knowing that nothing will be done.

I no longer have the patience To stand absurd people who,

despite their chronological age, have not grown up.

My time is too short: I want the essence, my spirit is in a hurry. 

Getting to Know the Goddess Course 2:2

In this lesson from Goddess-Pages online course, we hear about The Maiden, the young Goddess, one who, I think, is often trusting and adventurous - such dangerous combinations! 

The tragic story of Jesus strikes me as being true to that of a child of a very young girl, who appears to have little support at a desperate time in her life. When pregnant, she visits a cousin. One wonders where were her siblings, parents and close family at the time when she appears so alone and vulnerable and lacking confidence, support and protection! 

I have a fascination for Mary Magdelene and was an early reader of the Holy Blood and Holy Grail and have read around this topic for many years. Perhaps she was a priestess, from a pagan land, who blessed his feet with her perfumed oil prior to his trial and death. New excavations in the Holy Land and historical investigations, provide new thinking about the title 'magdala' which means 'tower'. The Magdalene provided the disciples with money, and was first to visit the tomb after the burial of Jesus, so therefore, she had a privileged position within the family that would have been granted to only those women who washed and prepared the body of the deceased. 

Free YouTube Meditation

Your Film Story. 

This is a free YouTube healing meditation written by Wendy Stokes and presented by Erica Longdon. Please make yourself comfortable, avoid interruptions, and enjoy the visit to your own personal spiritual cinema!

Labyrinths and Mazes

A labyrinth is a single route to a central place, such as one sees upon the floor of Chartres Cathedral, whereas a maze is a puzzle with many possibilities that lead to the centre, such as the hedge maze at Hampton Court. Labyrinths are dotted across the world, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, some extremely ancient and many are modern. They can be made of turf, brick, tiles or anything to demarcate the route that one must travel.

Healing

The word ‘healing’ comes from the root word for hearth ‘HALE’ which means whole. To be whole, we avoid self deception, we engage with others with authenticity, kindness and understanding, empathy and goodwill. When we are disturbed or distressed this affects everything in our life - our work, health, relationships, et cetera. 

Know Thyself was written on the temple of Apollo 2500 years ago along with Everything in Moderation. Knowing yourself means knowing what you are doing to yourself and others. Freud stated that therapy could only replace ‘hysterical misery’ with ‘common unhappiness’.

Portia’s speech - Shakespeare

You see me, Lord Bassanio, where I stand, Such as I am: though for myself alone
I would not be ambitious in my wish, To wish myself much better; yet, for you
I would be trebled twenty times myself; A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times more rich;

That only to stand high in your account, I might in virtue, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account; but the full sum of me Is sum of something, which, to term in gross,
Is an unlesson’d girl, unschool’d, unpractised;

Happy in this, she is not yet so old, But she may learn; happier than this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn; Happiest of all is that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed, As from her lord, her governor, her king.

Myself and what is mine to you and yours Is now converted: but now I was the lord
Of this fair mansion, master of my servants, Queen o’er myself: and even now, but now,
This house, these servants and this same myself Are yours, my lord:

I give them with this ring; Which when you part from, lose, or give away,
Let it presage the ruin of your love And be my vantage to exclaim on you.

The Caring Marine - A Story

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. "Your son is here," she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile. He refused.

Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious to her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients. Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Praying the 'Hours'

 Praying The Hours - An Introduction

Praying The Hours provides a rhythm for our days, establishing a rhythm in order to connect with the sacred. Bee is speaking about the Catholic way of praying the hours. The Liturgy of The Hours has changed over time and is sometimes called The Divine Office and within that are the canonical hours (hours that mark the divisions of the day in terms of fixed times of prayer at regular intervals). A book known as a ‘Breviary’ containing weekly cycles of psalms, prayers, hymns, antiphons, and readings which changed with the liturgical season is commonly used.

Bee will be making her own book of hours and is collecting quotes and images that are meaningful for her. In Bee’s favourite book about praying the hours there is a wonderful quote- Meister Eckhart says,

 ’If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is Thank You, it will be enough’

If we just stop what we are doing to say thank you, if we come out of clock time/calendar time to move into sacred time then we’ve done it. A pause is enough.

‘Pete Greig says the reason for praying the hours is to get to know the creator of a hundred billion galaxies’

Rules for Debate

10 Commandments of logic and debate

1 Thou shall not attack the person’s character but the argument (ad hominem)

2 Thou shalt not misrepresent or exaggerate a persons argument in order to make them easier to attack (straw man fallacy)

3 That shall not use small numbers to represent the whole (hasty generalisation)

4 Thou shalt not argue that position by assuming one of its premises is true (begging the question)

5 Thou shalt not claim that because something occurred before, it must be the cause (post hoc/false cause)

6 Thou shalt not reduce the argument down to 2 possibilities. (false dichotomy)

7 Thou shalt not argue that because of our ignorance, the claim must be true or false (ad ignorantum)

8 Thou shalt not lay the burden of proof onto him that is questioning the claim (burden of proof reversal)

9 That should not assume ‘this’ follows ‘that’ when it has no logical connection (non sequitur)

 10 Thou shalt not claim that because a premise is popular, therefore it must be true (bandwagon fallacy).

First Force Field Analysis

Hello! The light in me bows to the light in you! Here are some life tips taken from my old diaries!

Be specific with the following questions. Write the answers down and refer back to them after 1 month:

What one thing would add to/improve/enhance your life?

What are you prepared to do to achieve this?

Is it within your control to get it? What might be the obstacles or not within your control?

How could you sabotage yourself from getting it? 

Will others know you want it?  Will they know when you get it?

Is it in keeping with your standards, judgments and ethics?

Fifth Field Analysis

Words to live by: - Integrity, Authenticity, Discernment, Responsibility, Accountability, Courtesy, Resilience, Empowerment, Truth, Honesty, Empathy, Equality, Humility, Service to others! 

4 types of family systems: 

Distracting, Placating, Computing, Blaming. 

Defence mechanisms: Retroflexion It’s all my fault. Attribution: To assume, interpret and judge. Projection: Your unowned trials and emotions attributed to others. Seeing the splinter in their eye not the log in your own. Introjection: to swallow whole, attitudes, values, beliefs. You believe what you are accused of without question. Deflection: Backing away, denying. Confluence: agreeing and never risking disagreement. 

Which is your easiest zone? Comfort zone, Learning zone, Panic zone, Stretched zone? 

What do you want to communicate? What would heal your pain/ brokenness?

What do you consider is unacceptable behaviour?

Better Relationships Part One

Assertiveness: Being assertive - an honest and direct communication without blame. It is a form of communication that is neither manipulative nor aggressive. It is designed to enable both parties to be heard without creating hurt or distress, and leaves the situation open for further discussion. Assertiveness provides the following 'rights': 

Everyone has the right to say 'no' without feeling awkward, uncomfortable or guilty. Everyone has the right to change their mind. Everyone has the right to ask questions. Everyone has the right to make mistakes (providing they learn from them). Everyone has the right to ask for help. Everyone has the right to ask for what they want.  Everyone has the right to get what they want, need or desire (in ways that do not hard others). Everyone has the right to self esteem, and to feel good about their capabilities, talents, experience, achievements, etc., (providing these do not harm others). 

Preparations

Needs! More time, more substance, empowerment, Depth. Knowledge. More health. More sweetness and beauty in my life. More energy. More gentleness. I need more depth. Knowledge. More help.. I need more trust. I need more love of people. I need more self discipline. I need more caring for my husband. I need more housework. I need more reading time. I need peace of mind. I need less stress. I need less aggravated feelings. I need less self-criticism, less feeling tired, more good friendships, more self-confidence, enthusiasm, enjoyment, less self criticism, less feeling tired. Less feeling nothing is new. Nothing is worth the effort. Live music. more awareness, observation, consciousness of life, more gardening, more physical activity, more going out. Discipline. Healing. Shamanism.

Force Field Analysis No 6

Examine and describe in detail your values, motives, emotions, beliefs, attitudes, intentions, abilities, traits, and personality type. 

Relationships can provide health, wellbeing, contentment, harmony, joy, and ecstasy, as well as fear, distress, ill-health, wasted years of life and pain, tears and suffering. What do relationships mean to us, how do we maintain good relationships, how do we nourish and support those whom we love? How do we neglect, starve and undermine ourselves and others? 

The Golden Rule: Temperance (balance), humility, integrity, industry, simplicity, modesty, courage, justice, patience. 

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. 

Questions to ask yourself for personal growth and self development! Becoming a person of excellence!

How do you damage your own life?

Do you damage the lives of other people?

Can you accept the treasure that is in yourself accepting you are not perfect?

Can you accept the treasure that is in another person accepting they are not perfect?

Are you too sensitive? Do you over react? Do you accuse or bully?

Can you expand on narrow thinking to be a person of generosity and kindness?

Do you limit your love and caring?