I've been doing some reading over my extended break, and think I have come across a book as good as Ingrid Poulson's book
"Rise" (pub. Pan Macmillan Australia, Sydney, 2008, ISBN 978-1-4050-3863-8), about her experiences after her ex-husband killed her
children and her father while she was reporting his rape of her the
previous night to the police, and how she came to live a
life of resilience after these terrible events. That book is
"Soul Survivor", by Carren Smith
(pub. Bermingham Books, 2012, ISBN 978-0-9873156-0-1). This is the story of a woman who lost her partner to suicide, wound up suicidal herself, and then went to Bali as part of her recovery - only to find herself in the
2002 Bali bombings, where she lost her best friend. As an example of what this book is like, consider the following:
Forgiveness, for me, has been ... a process of me accepting that if I had known better, I would have done better, and at the time of all experiences, I did the best I could, with what I had. Would I change any of it? Absolutely everything, yes! Can I change any of it? Absolutely not! All I can do now, is accept the past for what it has been and use it as a rocket to propel me into a future where I can re-create a new me out of the perspective forgiveness has given me!
This is an elegant resolution of one of the problems I have with forgiveness as it is preached in the New Age movement. There is more in the book that is worth reading, and I recommend purchase of it be considered, Dear Reader :) I may post a more comprehensive review when I finish this book, but, realistically, my time and energy is likely to be too limited for that. Better you just get it and read it :)
For more on this, see
here, and Carren Smith's website is
here.
On the other hand, I wouldn't bother with
Eckhart Tolle's book
"A New Earth". I'm not likely to finish it, but the dot points I've made so far are:
- the use of the development of flowers as an analogy for the flowering of spirituality does nothing for me: flowers are a device to achieve a particular means of propagation, and their beauty - compared to, say, the beauty of a soul - is transitory. I have always considered trees to be far more appealing - trees are light pumps that work far more time (all year round, in the case of the evergreen eucalypts I grew up with here in Australia), and far more effectively at lifting the energy and physical quality of the world than flowers do. On the other hand, my partner liked the analogy and thought it was useful. You, Dear Reader, could always make up your own mind :)
- this world exists for a purpose. I am very wary of paths to spirituality that deny the inherent value and beauty of this world - particularly given that we are currently existing through the Kali Yuga. If we were on this planet during the Age of Gold, being here would actually be a pleasure and a joy for all on the world, and the concept of seeking spirituality elsewhere would probably seem alien. I feel that Mr Tolle still has a little too much of the "good things are elsewhere" attitude for my comfort. (I also have to point out that, even during the Golden Age, the higher astral worlds are more enjoyable, and we are ultimately intended to evolve through those planes of existence - but that is no reason to waste time and energy putting this world down.) The fundamental definition of ego as some sort of confusion between essence and form tends to fit into the "God as Potter" view of reality, which implies that form (reality) is somehow intrinsically lesser than the world of spirit - which most pagans would dispute, taking the view that Deity is the garden, not the gardener - or a better way of putting it, the world is the cloak that the Divine puts on in order to be seen;
- I did like the description of parenting as a function, rather than an identity, for the purpose of being able to move on from that;
- the book comes across as very arrogant with its claims that everyone will get something of value from it - not a good look for a book aiming to be about spirituality;
- the description around becoming aware of the voice in the head is
excellent, particularly if you have never come across that before;
- the book generally takes the "warm and fuzzy" view of spirituality that galls me - spirituality is also about hard work, being uncomfortable and becoming all that you can be, not just about being comfortable or what you currently consider "happy" in your limited state of awareness!
- I generally liked what I've read so far about not being too attached to "things" - i.e., not being materialistic;
- the dissection of elements of consciousness came across as being a little too much "hiding behind labels" for my tastes, but maybe I was just getting too tired and cranky by then :)
If I finish the book and change my views, I'll do an update here.
One of the things I have often thought about is: should I do things that I happen to like?
Now, I currently have a family to support, so there are things I cannot do because I choose to support my family and met my obligations there. However, if I did not have that constraint, would I say ... build a yacht and cruise round the world?
When I was younger, I probably would have. Now, I actually would prefer to keep going with my psychic and spiritual work. I am heading, though, towards a "compromise" where I do some sailing for pleasure, to help keep me going.
More broadly, this is a situation of ethics. This sort of consideration is well summed in an early scene from the film
"Flash of Genius" where the lead character, an engineering lecturer, talks about an example of biomedical engineering
(I think the "bionic ear", from memory), and points out that engineers were necessary to realise that concept, and then points out that engineers were necessary to realise the concept of the gas chambers in concentration camps.
Just because something can be done, does
NOT mean it should be ...
I've written more on this
here,
here,
here,
here, and a poem
here.
The first link I gave includes the following quote:
"Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of
their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, and the wrath of their
society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or
great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those
who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change." Senator Robert F. Kennedy, US Attorney General, 1966 Speech.
Now, some more reading links I have come across.
This first one is one that I wish I had found before I did the
Global Healing Day ... I might use it next year :)
http://www.druidry.co.uk/2012/09/09/bdo-ritual-in-paralympics-closing-ceremony/
Under the Ancient Oaks
- Sovereignty Before the Gods
http://johnfranc.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/sovereignty-before-gods.html
- A Call to Action
http://johnfranc.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/a-call-to-action.html
- The Price of Magic
http://johnfranc.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/the-price-of-magic.html
Blue Star Owl (I intend to keep a track of this blog - looks very good ... and written by a librarian!)
- Pagans and the Modesty Issue
http://bluestarowl.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/pagans-and-the-modesty-issue/
- Gender Respect in the Pagan Community
http://bluestarowl.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/gender-respect-in-the-pagan-community/
- the Mabinogian explained .. very well done, very amusing
http://bluestarowl.wordpress.com/category/the-mabinogion/
A reminder of another good source of pagan news, events and perspectives: The Wild Hunt, now at
http://wildhunt.org/.
"The Elements"
(http://www.freewebs.com/lostdemise/elementals.htm) provides a sub-division of the elements: I'm naturally sceptical of such things, but will spend some time meditating on it. I might publish a critique
(for instance, darkness is not just "sadness", it can be healing/introspection; I don't respond to the inclusion of faith, but that may be a reflection of where I'm at just now; nothingness can actually also be a connection to what the Qabbalaists refer to as the Aum Soth Aur, and the Rune student as Ginnungagap; storms are about the magnificence and dynamism of Nature - still, it is worth referring to as a starting point, as it gives you a basis for analysing and thinking, which is as you should take this blog).
I first came across this at
http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/the-elements
A few others from
Spirit Rescue:
-
http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/is-it-sleep-paralysis-or-a-night-terror;
-
http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/the-castes-of-the-children-of-light;
- and this one,
http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/journey-of-the-soul-2, which is a load of complete twaddle based on trhe moronic idea that we are not complete until we find our other half
(remember, I don't necessarily agree with what is in the links I post, and some at least are chosen to get you, Dear Readr, to think).
Some posts on guns, gun control and violence that I like:
- from the
"Works of Literata" website: "NRA advocates PTSD as the American way of life"
http://worksofliterata.org/2012/12/28/ptsd-as-way-of-life/;
-
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/12/on-living-armed/266658/ which includes a point about having a gun in itself being of little use if you wish to use it for defence, which is a point I actually emailed President Obama about
(as a further example of this point, it can be as few as 2% of combat soldiers who actually kill people - which is a stat from the British military experience in the Falklands war: to expect a school Principal, a person dedicated to caring, to be able to kill, as the NRA appear to have suggested, is absurd - even security guards would, I suspect, have trouble with this);
-
http://www.salon.com/2012/12/26/banning_assault_weapons_works/;
-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_Australia#Measuring_the_effects_of_firearms_laws_in_Australia.
"Why Being on Oprah was the Worst Day of my Life", which came from a post on
The Wild Hunt on
readings links, which also included an
update on a topic I have posted about previously:
Forest Bathing.
And on a particularly noxious piece of effrontery from a politician:
-
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/acoss-calls-on-macklin-to-please-do-your-job-20130102-2c5mt.html;
-
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/a-fine-line-living-on-the-dole-is-no-easy-ride-20130102-2c5n8.html;
-
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/macklin-make-the-most-of-your-moolah-with-some-hints-from-the-margins-20130102-2c58y.html.
[
1] BPF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Forces. See here and here for more on this.
[2] Please see my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia.
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
My "blogiography" is here. I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ...
May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
The International Labour Organisation's definition of "full employment" is wrong, useless and misleading.
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle
between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." on one side,
and perspicacity on the other.
Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant,
and a bad master. Spiritual love is far more than just an emotion - it
is a concept, thoughts, actions and a way of living.
The only prejudice should be against prejudice.
"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]." JOHN F. KENNEDY
One size does NOT fit all ... and don't throw the baby out with the bathwater as a result of knowing a little ...
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing. (based on writing by) EDMUND BURKE
Your children are not your children. ... They come through you but ...
they belong not to you ... for their souls dwell in the house of
tomorrow KAHLIL GIBRAN
We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY
Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Those whom we cannot stand are usually those who we cannot understand P.K.SHAW
Tags: attitudes, elements, forest, forgiveness, New Age, paganism, personal responsibility, society, spirituality, violence,
First published: Laugardagr, 12th January, 2013
Last edited: Saturday, 12th January, 2013
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