Last night I went to a political fund raiser - a "house party". Now, I am not planning on ever joining a political party in this lifetime (in part in reaction to having to join a bad political party in my most recent previous life, but also so I can maintain neutrality when lobbying politicians etc, including in my capacity as a "Reverend" [priestess - or First Degree Correllian, if you prefer :) ]), but I do tend to favour the Greens policies in many things - social, as well as environmental. My partner is an even more ardent supporter of them, and it was through her contacts that I found myself at the house party.
A key part of the fund raiser was a performance by a folk musician we know. In the intro to one of her songs, this musician commented on how it was easier for young people to get out and be active in seeking change because they don't have mortgages and commitments. Well, I both agree and disagree with that.
I agree that the responsibilities and demands that we get as we mature DO become a major impediment in seeking to be an activist - there are probably dozens of lobbying letters that I would like to write on a range of topics, but I simply don't have the time, owing to the demands of having a family to support. In fact, I have long thought that much of what is attributed to "old age deterioration" physically is simply due to lack of time to maintain physical activity/exercise.
To some extent that latter perception is based on my personal experience. In my 40s, I trained for and competed in the Gay Games in Sydney, in 2002 (in sailing - got a bronze medal in the teams competition, and came 6th out of 28 in the individual boat competition :) *sighs as reflects on the "good ol' days"* ); that required running 7km about 4 or 5 times a week, plus 1.5hr weights/flexibility sessions several times a week. During that time, I was able to manage my diabetes solely by tablets and exercise. Since I wound up with more pressing family commitments, I haven't been able to exercise, and my health has unquestionably deteriorated. (I also remember a sailor in the sailing club I was at when I was a teenager commenting on how he was fitter and healthier in his 50s, as a result of taking up competitive dinghy sailing, than he was in his 30s.)
So, in my mind, there is no question that life tends to bring with it commitments that stuff up how we live, and prevent us having the time and energy we would possibly like to devote to matters such as human rights activism. Nevertheless, it is important, in my opinion, to make the effort to do something - no matter how limited and symbolic that is.
This is something I am seeking to do around physical and psychic exercise, actually, at the moment. In a few years time, the household will be just my partner and I, and we'll hopefully be able to devote more time to the things we want to do, including exercise. However, I'm wary of making the mistake of living in the future, so seek some way of living those dreams now, in some way (which I've posted about previously). In the same way, it is important, I consider, to continue seeking to make the world (more broadly, I mean - outside of your immediate "circle of life") a better place - to be an activist, in some way. (I've also written about not getting caught up in the myth of "milestones" - I should have mentioned, in that post, about changing cultural norms on this over years, such as how young boys used to become "men" at their first kill ... )
Now, I wrote "in some way" in part to be and encourage being flexible, but also because I vehemently disagree with the implication made by the singer that one can ONLY be an activist by actions such as street marches and protests. That is absolute crap - in fact, from my personal lobbying experience, I know how much is best achieved by level-header, calm, sit down and talk or write nicely negotiating. Perhaps that has also been influenced by having been a member of Amnesty International for so many years, but I have actually seen it.
I have also witnessed (although not in a way that would constitute legally binding evidence!) changes that can happen as a result of a spiritual activism - especially the clearing of negative energy that I have posted about a few times beginning with my second post). I find it extremely frustrating that so many people, including people who otherwise have a commitment to spiritual and activist matters, are so reluctant to use such methods - or perhaps they are, owing to a lack of evidence, dismissive?
Maybe the problem is a shortcoming in them. Lobsang Rampa writes, on page 88 of "You Forever", that "[i]t is possible for a small group of people, thinking constructively, to alter the whole course of the world's events. Unfortunately, it is too difficult to get a small group of people who are so unselfish, so unselfcentred, that they can switch off their own selfish thoughts and concentrate only on the good of the world."
Before you dismiss this difficulty, keep in mind that Rampa is effectively talking of achieving a high level of concentration, and of connection (see my previous post on "Working Together"), and having part of one's consciousness watching the clock until one has to leave to pick up the kids is not only going to be distracting for you, it will potentially weaken the whole combination.
I'm going to leave the main topic more or less at that, but I would like to add some thoughts about personal generosity in the context of mediumship. I am very careful with my personal possessions these days: apart from the risk of them being damaged, I have got thoroughly tired and fed up with having to cleanse them of all sorts of psychic junk that they come back with - stuff that other people are not aware of, but I am. I'll share them with people I trust, and I have some crystals and other things which have been purchased specifically for the purpose of sharing them (for instance, for healing or teaching). However, there is one area where I do NOT place such restrictions on sharing: rescue mediumship.
Mediumship (which I have written about here, here and here) effectively requires you to share your most personal physical possession: your body. Your spirit steps back (ideally, moves out entirely), and allows another spirit to take over for a while. In most channelling situations, the spirit that comes in is a more advanced soul, and they're here for the purpose of teaching (although sadly, too many times there is an element of ego, self deception or other "paranormally normal" [see in my post here] that contaminates or destroys that purpose.) In the case of rescue, you step out, and some lost soul, or some nasty,-deliberately-staying-earthbound-for-the-purpose-of-control,-domination-and-power soul, steps in. THAT is the ultimate in testing your selflessness ... [1]
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr
Notes:
- Mind you, after a while you find out that there are benefits for your soul growth in all this: the soul that is in your aura can, to some extent, only be as angry, or lost or confused as your aura (left behind, to some extent, as your body is still alive) permits them. If you have cleared all your personal anger energy and your negative karma connected in any way to anger, and you have a good amount of positive energy in your aura (especially if you're a healer), an angry soul (e.g. angry at what they perceive to be an unjustified early death) will find the experience quite calming. From your perspective, if you channel an earthbound entity and they are angry, you know you need to look into that aspect of yourself. So ... the personal discovery and growth that can happen this way can be enormous - harrowing, challenging, test-your-persistence-and-self-belief-to-the-limit-and-beyond, but enormous :)
This post's photo is yet to be posted.
Tags: about me, change, personal responsibility, selfishness, selflessness, spirituality, politics, mediumship, rescue, earthbound, society, limitations, expectations,
First published: Saturday 2nd May, 2010
Last edited: Saturday 2nd May, 2010
