Monthly Archives: August 2015

Jog Log Blog – Henrielle

This is Henrielle the Blue Heron who fishes by the Burquitlam Dam. I see her often when jogging around Burnaby Lake.  Sometimes I see a different younger heron which, I’m guessing, is her offspring. The Dam is a good place to stretch stiff tendons, with access to a water pump nearby, and admire the river view in both directions.

The Burnaby Lake view of the outflow.

The great Blue Heron is my Spirit Animal. During the 90’s I went on a 10-day Vision Quest, praying, meditating, and fasting alone in Golden Years Park. At night I started to see the world through the eyes of a blue heron; basically the river bed through water patiently waiting for a fish to swim by.

At night I could also hear an owl and could imagine hearing its voice in the origins of native flute playing. I’ll wager that, in the past, owls have sung along to nocturnal native flute virtuosos just as North Shore natives used to add magic to the Wolf Spirit bedtime story by howling into the night to be met by a chorus of real wolf howls. One night, I heard an avalanche rumble through the valley knowing that I was likely the only human being who heard it.

The primary attribute of a blue heron is its stately patience. We all know that patience is a recurring lesson in our lives but how many know that, according to Edgar Cayce, it’s one of the three fundamental elements of the universe: 1. Space 2. Matter 3. Patience

Patience replaces Time in conventional thinking which, evidently, is all happening at once – something that’s difficult to comprehend for us in this slow, dense, apparently linear, cyclic form.

Herons don’t think about patience. They just do it in order to eat. They fly over our home between Burnaby Lake and Burrard Inlet twice a day according to wherever the tide offers the best fishing. This summer, Vicki and I, seated on our back deck, were treated, between humming bird visits, to the sight of a powerfully flapping heron, chased by smaller birds, rounding a nearby conifer in the park next door.

Earlier this summer, on a walk at Burnaby Lake, Vicki and I encountered “Bobby” the bobcat. He just sauntered on the trail away from us for a bit. Evidently he had been dining on a lot of goslings at that time so I was happy to see, recently, a brown rabbit cross the path near that same spot. The rabbits have been culled from our own neighbourhood by coyotes.  Later, on that same walk, we came across a turtle trying to lay eggs. The sand has been too dry for laying eggs this year so there were conservationists nearby ready to take them away in a Rubbermaid bin.

Among the endorphins there are some interesting jogging states of mind that can be played with when out for a run. An old favorite is to imagine that you’re running in place and that the world is rolling around, matching your path, beneath you. Since the weather became nice enough for jogging this year I’ve been enjoying a new jogging mantra based on Cayce’s two primary Universal Laws; 1. We are One 2. We are Love

These can be used for different paces.

“We are one, step, we are love, step…”

“We are one, step, step, step, We are Love, step, step, step…”

or just “One” and holding the thought for as long as posible… Then “Love…”

or, running hard… …”One, Love, One, Love, One, Love…”

On one occasion, I was running up the very steep apex of a steep hill on Burnaby Mountain, imagining great angel wings, moving slightly in accord with my elbows, lifting me up, spreading my spine, my heart pounding… “ONE, step, LOVE, step, ONE, step LOVE…” with great elation at cresting the top.  I don’t know what the metaphysical properties might be of such heart-felt profound all-encompassing emotion but, they’ve gotta be good.

While jogging the mantra tends to give way to other thoughts between thoughts, but, like meditation, when your mind wanders, it’s a good, even extraordinary, thought to keep returning to.

Just wanted to put it out there.


A Universal Muse

In a previous post;“A Galactic Muse”, I put some things into perspective.  Herein I’ll attempt to put everything into perspective.

“Galaxies, like stars themselves, typically occur in families ranging from just a few members… …to as many as 10,000 in colossal superstructures”. (James Mullaney)

This is the first map of the colossal supercluster of galaxies known as Laniakea. The red dot shows the location Earth’s Milky Way galaxy.  There are countless other superclusters, and other groupings, in the Universe.

And one thing that we know for sure is that the Universe is always expanding.

“God is reflected in our concept of space. In the vastness of space self-conceit falters. We are humblest when gazing at the stars. We draw nearer to God in contemplation of the immensity of the Universe.”  (A Search For God, Book II)

Challenge: Read the list in my previous “Divine Adjectives” post, stating “I Am…” to better know God’s perspective relative to your own.

Edgar Cayce and the Cosmos by James Mullaney just came in the mail from Amazon and simply thumbing through the pictures for the first time prompted this post.  It’s no longer available from the A.R.E. Bookstore.

 


Right Brain Politics

Beyond voting I’m not usually a particularly political person but the upcoming elections seem to invite participation.

With these elections looming there are a couple of personal attributes worth considering that would be found desirable, by anyone, in any leader: 1) Ability to see the “Big Picture”, and 2) Love.  How does your candidate stack up with regard to these two talents/capabilities?

Left Brain Users want to terminate everything.  In a lover’s quarrel men usually seek a happy ending whereas women seek an on-going loving understanding and involvement.

Men predominantly use only the left side of their brain.  Women use both sides.   Men are terminal.  Women are more “Big Picture” and love.

See [See time code 29.50 – 32.19  of the above Youtube video about experiments on individuals with a severed corpus callosum.  The (left hemisphere) right hand is unable to complete, or even conceive of, the simplest “BIG picture” puzzles.  The (right hemisphere) left hand even sometimes grows impatient with the right hand’s inability pushing it asside and trying to complete the puzzle itself.  The individual’s two hands sincerely perform a mini fight/dance with each other.

Many women enjoy the thought that, if women were the world’s leaders then there wouldn’t be any conflict due to their maternal nurturing instincts.  Unfortunately history doesn’t yet stack up in favour of the hypothesis as evidenced by the relatively recent military actions of Margaret Thatcher and Indira Ghandi.  Golda Meir may have come the closest when, during the Arab-Israeli War she, at least, backed by the US war machine, initiated Peace Talks with the United Arab Republic.  Not a great record.  Notwithstanding I’d love to give women a greater chance to lead based on their inherent right brain ability and potential, and given a mandate of demonstrating “Big Picture” and love. This held accountable to a well-funded public oversight committee.

[Aside: Israel is going to have to find a way to share the Temple on the Mount. God is God. Love is Love. Neighbours are neighbours.  There’s a 2nd commandment about them.  Edgar Cayce’s 2nd Universal Law is “Love is law, law is love.”  His 1st is “We are One” including nature.]

Speaking of oversight Edgar Cayce stated that: “There are very few who power doesn’t destroy”.  This is a very good reason that political terms should be limited and not become careers.

So, again…  …how does your candidate stack up to the criteria of 1) Big Picture and, 2) Love?  Which of the other candidates appear to have these abilities coupled with the traditional necessary left brain linear logical and conclusive talent?