Consider the Rose…

Symbolism of the Rose

Consider the rose as symbolization of a world  "beyond the physical".  The wild rose has five petals, closely joined together. It also has five sepals the green leafy “petals” that protect the developing flower until it blossoms.  As a completed and perfect flower the rose contains both male and female reproductive organs inside the flower alongside its colorful petals.

From the time the human first began to formulate symbols as representations of nobler thoughts and ideals, the rose has captured the imagination. Its beautiful flowers has for generations been an emblem of grace, simplicity, beauty and happiness.  The bold red color of the red rose evokes intense emotions, sensuality, and a strong physical attraction.  The white rose, however, carries a different connotation.

O Sapientia [Oh Wisdom!]

The following is a poem attributed to Malcom Guite.

I cannot think unless I have been thought,

Nor can I speak unless I have been spoken,

I cannot teach except as I am taught,

Or break the bread except as I am broken.

O mind behind the mind through which I seek,

O word beneath the words with which I speak,

O founding, unfound Wisdom, finding Me,

O sounding song whose depth is sounding me,

O memory of time, reminding me,

My ground of being, always grounding me.

My maker’s bounding line, defining me,

Come hidden Wisdom

Come with All you bring,

Come to me now, disguised as everything.

How to Maintain Balance in a Chaotic World

The question considered here is "how to maintain balance in a chaotic world?"  

First to consider is "what is chaos?"  My research indicates that it is the fundamental, irreducible unpredictability, sensitivity, and tendency toward disorder that permeates the universe.  It is not merely randomness or destruction, cosmic chaos is the creative instability, sensitivity and the drive to convert energy into work that makes the universe diversify and generate such complexity such as life.  

I paraphrase  this as chaos is the drive to expend energy "doing something – anything – as long as it is doing."  Yet without a well thought out objective and orderly plan, such action tends towards chaotic results.  

Haven’t Got Time for the Pain

 

Here are excerpts of lyrics from Carly Simon’s Haven’t Got Time for the Pain.  When you discover for yourself the light of love in this world then you too might not have time for the “suffering” that you feel that you need to “feel alive.”  

Seek to discover the joy of living.  

The Mighty and the Motherly

Happy Mother’s Day!

The mother archetype aims to protect and care for the object of their affection, whether that be another person, a group of people, a place, an inanimate object, or an idea. As a mother is, at their most basic, a giver of life. They want to protect that life with unconditional love and to see it grow.

A mother's personality traits play a role in the well-being of the nurtured. A mother is the one providing emotional and physical support so dependents feel secure and loved. Nurturing motherly qualities include offering comfort and soothing when dependents are upset, celebrating their achievements, and being present as an active part of their lives.

Maybe I Missed the Point

 

Maybe I Missed the Point

I know somebody whose life is tough.

I help a little but it isn't enough'

Cause I go spend money on stupid stuff

When I know he's strugglin' to stay above.

And I have so many chances to be

The hero I believe's inside of me,

But I get busy and I get distracted

And I do nothing when I could've acted.

(chorus)

Punctilios of Citizenship

In this article we learned that in order for an organization or a civilization to operate effectively there has to be agreed upon standards.  Without agreed upon standards there is no "expected norm."  This current article introduces the concept of punctilios. 

A punctilio is:  A little point of conduct highlighting etiquette, or procedure.  

Punctilios of citizenship refers to the precise detailed duties, ethical standards, and mind set required of an individual who views themselves as a citizen (a word indicating “inhabitant of a city” – a cite ian. 

There are often a hierarchy of laws within a country.  For example in the USA alone our agreed upon standards include: 

1) the US Constitution, 2) the US statutory laws, 3) US administrative rules, 4) state constitutions, 5) state statutory laws, 6) state administrative rules, 7) local constituting authorities, 8) local law ordinances, 9) local administrative rules, and 10) generic principles of parliamentary procedure.

As you can see, knowing, understanding and adhering to what amounts to tens of thousands of standards at the federal statutory level, hundreds of thousands in federal administrative regulations, millions when adding all fifty states’ statutes and regulations, and an additional hundreds of thousands to millions across the local levels.  The grand total across the entire hierarchy of legal standards could easily run into the millions of individual provisions, restrictions, or obligations.  At each level rules are to be adhered to as written, but surely there must be a better way to effectively adhere to the standards of civilization? 

Here is where Punctilios of Citizenship comes into play.  Rather than millions of standards to be aware of, a small number of principles may be learned that, if adhered to, will ensure adherence to a multitude of standards. This starts with natural law.

Baseball, Anchors, and Standards…

“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”  This old popular “proverb” indicates that with a lack of moral or intellectual structure, such as clear standards of rightness, you can become vulnerable to every passing fad, lie, or con artist. It seems like this is becoming an ever increasing number of people these days.  Without such structure you can be easily swayed, i.e. pushed about, compromising your integrity within your community contributing to making poor decisions or get taken advantage of.

Another analogy is that of a boat or ship.  You don’t just “park” a ship on the ocean, the wind and the waves will cause it to drift, and drift it will without an anchor.  The anchor and chain keep the ship in the desired vicinity regardless of all but the most extreme wind or wave action.  

The bottom line is that having principles that you 1) firmly believe, 2) are embraced as a normal part of your life, 3) with which you are united and use to anchor your life, and 4) can consciously choose to adhere to, gives you stability and resistance to manipulation.  

An Understanding of (Who - Why - What) We Are

As I allow curiosity to guide me, I seem to be led to just what I need to assist me in understanding and discovering more of my inner self and Who/Why/What I Am.  This curiosity seems to create synchronistic events that provide the illumination and insights to satisfy it.  These events may be as simple as finding the answer in a book or through personal contact with another.  They can also be quite out of the ordinary such as; receiving a personal message through an entertainer within a stage performance.

As I move deeper into my discoveries, the connection to the seen and unseen worlds grows stronger.  One might view these worlds as the cosmos and earth, light and dark, inner and outer, or perhaps extraterrestrial and human.  The thread that seems to bond all of these together… is Unconditional Love.  I feel my heart opening more each day as I choose to see and experience the Love that surrounds me.  I feel Love as Life force energy, and know Love as a Natural state of Being.  I believe we are all remembering this natural state of Love in our own space and time.  

What follows is my personal understanding of our human experience and journey.

Remember…

Two pillars stood across a chasm flowing with a river dark and without reflection. One pillar was crowned in light on its side of the bridge; on the other side one was lost in darkness.

Arriving alone at the bridge between the two sides a soul appeared where it found a token graven with Memento Mori upon one side and on the other Memento Vivere. 

Floating is Easier than Swimming

Reality is like a movie with INFINITE versions already filmed. Our inner energetic states and desires determine which of these movies we will "experience". 

Life is like a water park. When you are "here for the ride" you can enjoy the thrills and spills in safety. When you expend effort to try to "swim up the water slide" you struggle, run into other obstacles and overall just don't enjoy the experience.

'Old Age' Doesn't Kill Us...

Scientists reveal 

true causes of death.

Story by Cassidy Morrison Senior Health Reporter for Dailymail.Com

Scientists have determined that nobody, not even a centenarian, dies of old age.

The traditional view is that ‘old age’ is a cause of death; that as a person gets older, their systems gradually decline and they die.

But new research from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases posits that old age isn't actually a true cause of death; it is just a time on a biological clock when specific diseases overwhelm the system and a person dies.