Winter Solstice 2009

Reprinted from my Blessings of The Winter Solstice, 2008 post

I offer up this blessing:

Great and Eternal mystery, Great Spirit; God, Goddess, All that is; The Infinite Radiant Is. I thank you for this light and this life. For this beauty way. I thank you for this season of deep contemplation, reflection and retrospection. It is this time of season that offers us the opportunity to grow inwardly as we await the coming of the outward growth of Spring.

In this time of the short day and the long night, I give thanks for all that I have achieved this past year, and all that I will achieve in the new one. I offer up prayers and blessings of gratitude, and thanksgiving for the lessons I have learned; the relations of all varieties I have helped, and that have helped me to grow.

I thank you for this time of stillness so that I can once again hear my heart beat in time with the true rhythm of the Universe.

As we move forward from this Solstice day, I give thanks for the renewing energy that fills all of our lives with the mounting warmth of the new Sun and the new year.

In Gratitude; In Thanks; In Peace; In Wonderment; In Joy I say Ring Out Solstice Bells!

Brightest Blessings to all!

Ross – “Tolemac”

Ring Out, Solstice Bells by Jethro Tull

Now is the solstice of the year.
winter is the glad song that you hear.
Seven maids move in seven time.
Have the lads up ready in a line.

Ring out these bells.
Ring out, ring solstice bells.
Ring solstice bells.

Join together ‘neath the mistletoe,
by the holy oak whereon it grows.
Seven druids dance in seven time.
Sing the song the bells call, loudly chiming.

Ring out these bells.
Ring out, ring solstice bells.
Ring solstice bells.

Praise be to the distant sister sun,
joyful as the silver planets run.
Seven maids move in seven time.
Sing the song the bells call, loudly chiming.

Ring out these bells.
Ring out, ring solstice bells.
Ring solstice bells.
Ring on, ring out.
Ring on, ring out.

Welcome to the Second Level: Part 2

In this second part, I want to talk with you about the duality of the two main emotions of this life.

Love and Fear.

These two emotions are the driving force behind everything that we do in this existence. Being emotion based entities living in a duality based system, we have to deal with these two in every aspect of our lives. I call these the “main emotions” because all other emotions spring from them. There is not a single positive emotion that does not come from Love and conversely, there is not a single negative emotion that does not come from Fear.

Think about it. If you examine all emotions and go down to their essence, you’ll find one of these main emotions at it’s core. This may sound simplistic, but by simplifying our emotions down to their core, they actually become easier to deal with. So what is the core of these main emotions? Let’s take a look…

The Core Of Fear

Fear. The morass from which all negative emotions emerge. The main emotion that when we experience it brings us emptiness. Destroys us. Drags us down into the deepest pits of hell. When you think of Fear, what comes up for you? The fear you have for the safety of yourself and those around you? Anger, Rage, Depression?  What do you feel when you feel Fear? What is the truth behind that feeling? If you allow yourself to fully delve into the emotion, no matter what triggered it, you’ll find one thing.

Loss.

Separation.

Fragmentation.

It is this belief in Loss that causes all Fear.

As I explained in my Staying Grounded post, Fear creates inside of us the feeling that we are dying. This is the ultimate loss. The loss of our life. Even though we may be afraid of relatively and comparatively simple things, such as whether or not we’ll be late for an appointment, it still feels like death and dying to our basic selves. Fear causes us to also lose perspective. Without perspective, our rational minds go right out the window.

Frank Herbert, in his epic work Dune, said it best when he wrote the Litany Against Fear, part of which states: “Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.” I have yet to hear it said better. Fear does indeed kill our minds and way too often actually leads to death. So how do we deal with this fear? How do we look it in the eye and disregard the message it’s sending to us?

Letting Go Of Fear

One way to remove fear from your life is to first remember the main acronym associated with FEAR:

False Evidence Appearing Real

Basically this asks you to remember that 99.9% of the fear we experience is not real. Our lives are not in danger, but we are perceiving them as such. Look directly at what is causing you to feel this fear and ask yourself two things. First, are you in real danger? Probably not, so your life is not really being threatened. The second question, and in my mind the more important of the two as it will help you to get straight to the truth, is to ask yourself what are you losing? You’re feeling afraid, so you must feel like you are losing something. Once you ask yourself that and can answer it honestly, you’ll see that 100% of the time, you are “losing” nothing. That’s the false evidence appearing real.

In my experience, people only feel fear because they have a belief in their separateness from the Source of all things. Label it however you will, the fact remains that if you believe you’re separate from this source, you also have a belief in fear. If you are not separate and feel only oneness, then there is no room or capacity for fear in your life, because there is nothing you can lose.

There are any number of things you can do to keep fear out of your life. You can recite the complete Litany Against Fear:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

You can understand that the fear is not real and move it out of your body and energy and have it go down your grounding cord. You can be completely honest with yourself. This helps tremendously, as there is no falsehood in you. If there’s nothing false, then you can look at outside “appearances”  much more cleanly and see them for what they really are. Meditating is another excellent way of clearing this emotion. You have probably been introduced to other ways of releasing and letting go of fear. Incorporate those that work for you and that you feel comfortable doing.

Lastly, remember that all “low energy” or “negative” emotions are varying degrees of fear of loss. By looking at your emotions as neutrally as possible and asking yourself why you’re feeling this way, you can start to let go of the fear and to let go of the rest of the negative emotions, especially when you see that they do not serve you at all.

 

The Core Of Love

Love. The fount from whence all positive emotions flow. The main emotion that when we experience it fills us. Enlightens us. Lifts us to heights barely imaginable. When you think of Love, what comes up for you? The love you have for your mate? Your child? Your family? A pet? Happiness, Joy, Contentment? Peace, Abundance, Self-Fulfillment? What do you feel when you feel Love? What is the truth behind that feeling? If you allow yourself to fully delve into the emotion, no matter what triggered it, you’ll find one thing.

Oneness.

Connectedness.

Wholeness.

It is this Oneness that we seek at every level of our being.

Filling Ourselves With Love

When we come from Oneness to Source, all things are possible. Knowing and truly believing that we are completely a part of all that is, gives us the connection and wholeness we crave. Again, meditating, staying grounded and being honest with ourselves, are great ways to help keep the positive emotions and energy flowing. Being grateful, expressing that gratitude, and giving thanks for what you are and where you find yourself definitely keeps the love vibe going strong. It’s impossible to feel anything but love when you are expressing your gratitude and thanks.

The quote “Laughter is the best medicine” is absolutely true. When you are laughing, most of the time, it’s because you are enjoying life and you are expressing that enjoyment. There is no room for fear or any negative emotions while laughing. Laughter pre-dates language and is another way that we relate, share and understand our Oneness with each other and this world.

Listening to music that inspires us and gives us those good feelings is another excellent way to change your mood to one of love and compassion. The same is true for watching movies or tv shows that uplift us, and shows us positive imagery.

Go out into the natural world as often as you can. Look around you. At the trees, the grass, the sky, the stars at night, the sand at a lake or beach, the water, the animals. Be calm and still and feel the energy surrounding you. By being in Nature, feeling and sensing the vastness, timelessness and abundance, you immediately start to feel that Oneness. You can start to feel the connection to all things.

I’m certain that you either have or can create many other ways to find and fill yourself with the energy of Love. Be sure to take time each day to feel it and appreciate it. The more you do so, the less any negative emotion will be able to hold sway over you. The more you will enjoy this life and everything in it. The Lakota people say in their language, Mitakuye Oyasin! which means “we are all related”, and so it is.

Brightest Blessings!

“Tolemac”