snippets of the divine

all things are full of goddesses and gods ~
                                     - thales


the discourse of birds...
i choose a single singer {hermit thrush}
upon which to focus my listening
and let myself be carried by the song....
.....and it's as though each phrase unlocks
a different vertebra along my spine,
spilling a ray of light into that node,
and then the next phrase unlocks another node -
until all my vertebra have become
transparent crystals trading gleams among themselves.
the song drops to a middle register, and then a higher vertebra,
and then a glimmering tone so high
it's almost beyond the reach of my hearing,
and as it spirals there i feel the top of my skull opening
as i seem to ascend, a single photon, into the sky.
                                 ~ david abram 
                                    becomimg animal


the practicing raja yoginis and yogis
tell us...
never can the forces of grace from the world
of the goddesses and gods come to us,
unless we have attracted them by our own efforts
and prepared ourselves to accept and receive them ...


every morning all over again
only the world guides me.
weather pushes, or when it entices
i follow.  some kind of magnetism
turns me when i am walking
in the woods with no intentions.

there are leadings without any
reason, but they attract;
if i find there is nothing to gain
from them, i still follow - their power
is the power of the surrounding world.

but things that promise, or those
that will serve my purpose - they
interfere with the pure wind
from nowhere that sustains a kite,
or a gull, or a free spirit.

so, afloat again every morning,
i find the current: all the best
rivers have secret channels that
you have to find by whispering
like this, and then hear them and follow.
               ~ william stafford


COMING SOON!
IMBOLC..
(halfway between winter solstice
and the spring equinox)
brigid's feast day
february 1
the goddess, brigid is
a peacemaker and protector..
she breathes new life into winter
heralding the glory of spring..

here's how to prepare..
to accept and receive her grace..
on the eve of brigid's feast day
~ january 31 ~
you might recreate brigid's mantle
by following the traditional celtic custom
of placing a cloth, a ribbon,  a scarf
outside your home on a bush or a tree -
when brigid comes by in the night,
she will bathe and bless it
with the healing properties needed
for you to use throughout the year..


dear gods and goddesses:
please hear my plea ~
please bring compassion
home to me ~

rescue

may all the obscurations be averted! CLAP!!
may they be no more!  CLAP!!
may they all be pacified!  CLAP!!

this is how we wrapped up
our new year's eve bell ceremony ~

obscurations are the dark coverings and conditions
of our very own mind that keep us from embodying
and shining the clear light of our true nature..

our very own mind fabricates (an F word!)
the barriers to a liberated and enlightened life..
our misunderstandings - misinterpretations
of reality itself  ~

obstructions are barriers that keep
any and everything from moving
in a harmonious, beneficial way..

the same only different..
we might think that obstructions
are outside the self..
outside the mind..
outside our bodies..
the world is obstructed by a landslide..
when actually the landslide is the reality
of exactly what is..
( my life is obstructed by a healing hip
which is taking entirely too long to recover!)
~ exactly what is ~

the obstruction..
like the obscuration
is actually within our own view of what is..
the emotional clinging response to what is..

imagine the rescue teams in montecito..
obstructed ..?
their entire work ... life force...what is..
may the force be with them!
is to remove the barriers..to uncover the dark layers..
the obstacles that keep them from rescuing the prize..
the prize of life..

may i take a moment here to praise highly
and mightily the tenacity of rescue teams..?
they are the true warriors of freedom..
tireless, brave, and compassionate..
they have to be, yes?

'tis the same with us..
we are always called to rescue reality..
remove the muddied veil
from our very life - the prize of life -
as it is..

we rescue ourselves from suffering
by a just this wisdom
which keeps us from wanting what is not!
a kind heart and a spacious mind..
liberated into the vast .. and fast..
expanse of what is..

we rescue others by rescuing ourselves..
and know in our deep true self
~ there is no separation ~

may all beings be found..
be safe..
be free..

the everyday practice.. the everyday rescue..
is simply to develop
complete acceptance and openness
to all situations and emotions,
and to all people,
experiencing totally 
without reservations and blockages,
so that one never withdraws 
nor centralizes 
into oneself.
                  ~ dilgo khyentse rinpoche

LIGHT THE CANDLES!
SAY THE PRAYERS!
HOLD THE GREAT MANY
IN THE BRILLIANCE OF LUMINOSITY..
THE CLEAR LIGHT OF LOVE AND COMPASSION ~

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

revelation !

 ~ the divine or supernatural disclosure to humans
of something relating to human existence or the world 

~ used to emphasize the surprising or remarkable quality 
of someone or something

december 31..bell ringing..

we gathered 36 plus 2 ..
with the intention of untethering 2017

to renew
to revitalize

bones, breath and bells
gathered
to reciprocate
to give back and forward
to each other
to the collective
to the community..

we collected $900
to gift the anacortes family center

we collected ourselves -
imbuing one another with the pranic winds
of sound, laughter and design ~

what a revelation..!
that we as a pool of love and breath
can make a difference in the moment
to one another..to each other..
being sovereign yet aligned
with the highest and best..

to meet one another face to face
heart to heart
exactly as we are
and create the new year ~
the new world together..
moment by moment
day by day..
year by year..
eternally..

reveling..  
celebrating..
savoring..
making merry...

the bells ~ still reverberating ~
with lovingkindness
and compassion..
with thankfulness..
for bringing the bells and whistles..
for clanging the grace bright and fiercely..
cuddling up close to ring in the new..
emptying pockets..
to burn up the olde
and find the moment in the moment
when we really truly absolutely wholeheartedly
are as one..
clear as a bell for the benefit of all..
all beings..

great thanks to annie for her donation
of crescent moon yoga ~
great thanks to the bells that still can ring!

the birds they sang 
at the break of day 
start again 
i heard  them say..
               ~ leonard cohen
                  anthem