Process of Illumination

Steve Jobs

Jung at Heart

‎Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.
— Carl Jung

From a friend in Cambridge UK

We have not come here to take prisoners.

We have not come here to take prisoners,
But to surrender ever more deeply
to freedom and joy.

We have not come into this exquisite world
To hold ourselves hostage from love.

Run my dear from anything
That may not strentgthen
your precious wings.

Run like hell my dear from anyone likely
to put a sharp knife
Into the sacred, tender vision
of your beautiful heart.

We have a duty to befriend those voices
that stand outside of our house
And shout to our reason,
“Oh, please! Oh, please!
Come out and play.”

For we have not come here to take prisoners
Or to confine our wondrous spirits,

But to experience ever and ever and ever ore deeply
Our divine courage, freedom and light.

— Hafiz

 

Stay Strong Project

The Stay Strong Project is a kind of ‘We are the World’ concept for the chant and yoga community initiated by a song called Stay Strong written by chant artist/singer songwriter David Newman (Durga Das). The Stay Strong Project is partnered with Global Green USA, an organization involved in supporting efforts for the Gulf Coast recovery and other environmental and humanitarian concerns, including: green building, climate solutions, security and sustainability and clean water projects.

 

 

TED Tuesday

Babble.com publishers Rufus Griscom and Alisa Volkman, in a lively tag-team, expose 4 facts that parents never, ever admit -- and why they should. Funny and honest, for parents and nonparents alike.

 

The Gentle Barn

One of the most inspiring places I've ever been is The Gentle Barn. It is a farm animal rescue just North of Los Angeles. Founded in 1999 by Ellie Weiner, and now run by her and her husband Jay, it is a magical place where anything seems possible. Here's a shot I grabbed of Karma as he tried to kiss me.

Ellie and Jay see their 130 rescued farm animals as teachers, healers, friends and hero's. Every animal at their place has been rescued from horrible abuse, neglect, and loneliness, and yet they have all survived using forgiveness, trust, love, and courage. These are the qualities that Ellie and Jay strive for on a daily basis, and that they teach the children that visit The Gentle Barn.

Below is a recent post from their blog about what happened when a group of troubled boys visited the animals.

This week we had a wonderful group of boys from a probation camp.  These kids are failing in school, fighting with their peers and not communicating with their therapists, so we brought them out to The Gentle Barn to see if, through the animals, we could help them.

The first thing we did when they arrived was ask them one word that best described who they were and what were their dreams.  They took time to think about it and came up with some great answers.  One teen named Bobby said that the best word for him was “mystery.” He said that no one understands him and that no one can predict what he was going to do next.

We talked with the kids about our place, our animals and their stories.  We told them that our animals are heroes.  We started a discussion about body language and what different animals do when they are frightened.  It was interesting because Bobby said that when he gets scared he pulls out his gun.

We went to the cows first and had all the boys hug our cow Buddha.  Bobby did not want to hug Buddha.  He expressed concern that he was worried what his peers would think of him if he told them that he had hugged a cow; it was not cool.  Nonetheless, after all the other kids had their hug and enjoyed it, we all encouraged Bobby to participate.  After all the pressure, he finally relented and hugged her.  The minute he put his face down on Buddha’s soft, warm, fluffy fur, his face changed completely.  He no longer looked defensive, shut down, or tough.  His face softened as he allowed Buddha’s love to wash over him. When he was finished, Bobby walked away, visibly shaking off the experience, looking like he was trying not to cry.  I watched him compose himself and I gave him a high five.  He looked younger, more innocent, and softer.  I wondered when he had last had a sincere, loving hug.

We then went to give carrots to the horses and we talked a lot about the horses’ stories.  Many of them shared the same stories of abandonment, abuse and neglect as the youth.  I told them the story of Lazar and Zoe, two Belgian Draft horses who were taken away from their moms at only a month old.  I explained that it took years to heal them and breath the life back into them and even though they were healed now, they still have emptiness inside them and probably will have for life.  Bobby’s eyes were fixed on me, taking in every word I was saying.  I was wondering if he carried around that emptiness too.

By the time we went to the upper barnyard with the smaller animals Bobby seemed like a kid, not the man he was when he first arrived.  He gave tummy rubs to the pigs, asked questions, and even cradled a chicken in his arms.  He was no longer preoccupied with keeping his clothes spotless and he was not thinking about what other people thought of him; he seemed free.

We finished up the group at the wishing well.  Each boy found a rock with a flat surface and I handed out black markers.  I asked them what false belief was getting in the way of their happiness.  What false belief about themselves or the world was causing them to suffer?  Did they think they were, ugly, losers, trouble makers, or not smart enough?  Did they think they were going to suffer their whole lives?  Did they think life or love sucked?  I asked them to figure it out and then write the opposite on their rock.  So, if my false belief was that I was not lovable, then I would write that I was loved on my rock.  I explained to them that the rocks would stay in our well until the end of time and we would hold the truth about them, no matter where they went from here, or what they did.  Hopefully because it was written, they would act from the truth from now on.

Once they had written the opposite of their false beliefs on their rock we took turns saying it out loud and throwing the rocks into the well.  When the boys took turns saying their new truth out loud, they seemed so brave, honest, real and willing to participate.  Bobby was last and he made his statement with conviction and vulnerability: “I am not a criminal”!

I told the guys that The Gentle Barn was my dream since I was 7 years old.  I told them that I did not grow up with farm animals, did not previously own land and did not have a lot of money.  I just had a dream, one that I was not willing to give up on.  If my dream came true, then theirs could too.  The guys put their hands on the magic rocks of the wishing well, closed their eyes, made silent wishes to themselves and then clapped their hands twice and walked away.

When Bobby walked away from the well he came over and gave me a huge hug goodbye; he seemed like he did not want to let go, I know I didn’t.  His face looked so hopeful and I wondered if today saved his life and made him see himself in a different way.  Maybe he now realized that he could change and have the life he had dreamed of, and deserved.

As those brave young men drove away I felt like my heart was going to explode with the love and compassion I felt for them.  I felt honored to have met them, lucky to have spent time with them, and honored to do this work.

The next time you visit us on a Sunday, check out our wishing well. I know that you will help us keep those rocks safe and undisturbed .We invite you to take a minute to make a wish, after all, we are never to young or old to have a dream, and at The Gentle Barn we believe that dreams come true.

To read more about the animals at The Gentle Barn and the inspiring work of Ellie and Jay Weiner, their staff and volunteers, visit gentlebarn.org.

Tower of Power

In a moment of rare indulgence, I allowed myself to sleep in today past 10:30am. I have been fighting not to come down with my son's cold and had a late night. Feeling well-rested, I was going to share with you how excited I am to have the opportunity to plan my mother's 80th birthday party. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I affectionately refer to her as my “Smother”. She is the quintessential doting Jewish mother who would open a vein if it meant it would make my world sunnier even for a moment. Far too humble to be the center of attention, it was surprising that she granted me permission to plan a party for her. In fact, she sort of suggested it. I am brimming with joy to be able to celebrate her and the beautiful, generous person she is. But alas, this is not what this post is demanding to be about.

On the heels of my Fool card post, I pulled a card this morning. Not struggling with any particular topic, I was just looking for some symbolic energy to hold in my thoughts...just screwing around, basically. Lo and behold I pulled the card I dread, The Tower. It's an image of violent destruction that makes me afraid my world is about to crumble. WTF?! Just when I am feeling so fabulous!

To me this image calls to mind recent events of natural disaster like the earthquake in Haiti. Suffering and destruction is not where my head is at today. I nearly picked another card, but stopped myself. Perhaps there is another way to look at The Tower. There was only one thing to do: “To the internets...”

I found such an eloquent analysis of this card, that I am posting it verbatim. It is from a site called Aeclectic Tarot.

As the Fool leaves the throne of the Goat God, he comes upon a Tower, fantastic, magnificent, and familiar. In fact, The Fool, himself, helped build this Tower back when the most important thing to him was making his mark on the world and proving himself better than other men. Inside the Tower, at the top, arrogant men still live, convinced of their rightness. Seeing the Tower again, the Fool feels as if lightning has just flashed across his mind; he thought he'd left that old self behind when he started on this spiritual journey. But he realizes now that he hasn't. He's been seeing himself, like the Tower, like the men inside, as alone and singular and superior, when in fact, he is no such thing. So captured is he by the shock of this insight, that he opens his mouth and releases a SHOUT! And to his astonishment and terror, as if the shout has taken form, a bolt of actual lightning slashes down from the heavens, striking the Tower and sending its residents leaping out into the waters below.

In a moment, it is over. The Tower is rubble, only rocks remaining. Stunned and shaken to the core, the Fool experiences grief, profound fear and disbelief. But also, a strange clarity of vision, as if his inner eye has finally opened. He tore down his resistance to change and sacrifice (Hanged man), then broke free of his fear and preconceptions of death (Death); he dissolved his belief that opposites cannot be merged (Temperance) and shattered the chains of ambition and desire (The Devil). But here and now, he has done what was hardest: destroyed the lies he held about himself. What's left is the bare, absolute truth. On this he can rebuild his soul. 

If this blog had a theme so far, it would be the challenges I've been struggling with on this path of accelerated growth. I have spoken about 6 different ways about how evolution demands a letting go on all levels — mental, emotional and physical. Old ways of thinking, old ways of feeling, old structures that no longer work, and even old friends who no longer fit must be left behind. Yes! The Tower is exactly what I've been looking at. Duh. 

So as I go into this weekend of self-imposed rest and renewal, I find gratitude in the courage I've found to be on this path and my willingness to destroy what no longer works for the opportunity to create what does.

Blah blah blah. Time for another cupcake!

Fooling Around

Most of us have a particular association with tarot cards that goes something like this...It was a dark, foggy night on my walk home through the village when I happened upon a traveling carnival. The spinning of a ferris wheel and giant tea cups created a hypnotic frenzy as slightly deranged looking men and women barked to play their games — shoot a water pistol in the mouth of a clown, or knock down some heavy milk bottles with a brown leather ball. Squeals and cries of small children amped up on sugar and adrenalin peppered the drone of generators. And then suddenly right in front of me materialized a tent, simultaneously disheveled and bedazzled, the sign in front read, “Madame Zorah”. Before I knew it, I had entered the tent. It was as if some mysterious force had pulled me in. And there she was, sitting behind a table draped with a red cloth. She was as worn as the deck of cards she held in her hand. Her long black hair looked dusty, as if she must have been sitting there in that very tent for decades. She looked like she might drink me in with her large, black, knowing eyes.

Okay, you get the picture. The truth about Tarot is that it can serve as a useful tool in decision making. Hear me out. Yes, the esoteric hippie in me wants to believe that the cards are a vehicle for my spirit guides to send me messages from the ethers and tell me what to do. And certainly, Tarot has a long history as a means of divination. But even my very intellectual New Yorker self uses the cards regularly. When pondering a current issue, I will often take out my cards, shuffle and randomly pull one. Whatever the topic and whatever card comes up, I am presented with a potential perspective from which to see this issue —a different energy or way of being with my life and the people in it. It's a tool to get out of my head, to break my usual pattern of thoughts and feelings. I will sometimes pull a card and just move through my day with that particular archetype in my consciousness, asking questions like, “What would the Hanged Man say to the dentist who tells me I need $1500 worth of work on my mouth?” or “How would the Empress respond to the barista who can't seem to get my half caf non-fat foamy latte right”?

Most evidence points to the first Tarot cards popping up in the early 15th century as a game. It wasn’t adopted by mystics, occultists and secret societies as a means of divination and covert communication until the 17th century. The deck is divided into numbered and face cards in four different suits. Our modern playing cards’ source is in the Tarot deck with Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades derivative of the Tarot's Cups, Pentacles, Wands and Swords or roughly, the Emotional, Physical, Mental and Spiritual selves. These are called the Minor Arcana. In addition, 22 cards make up the Major Arcana. The word “arcana” means: a profound secret or mystery known only to initiates. And truly, there is much symbology and coded visual language in these cards, too much to go into at length when I am already pushing the limits of acceptable blog entry length. Suffice to say that the 22 cards of the Major Arcana are each a depiction of an archetype of the human condition. With names like, The Magician, The Hermit, Temperance, Strength, each card represents a specific point in the protagonist's story.  

This week, I have been pondering the first card of the Major Arcana, "The Fool". As I start a few new ventures, stepping into new territory, this card resonates with me.The Fool has no pretense, no judgement. He is simple and willing. He stands at edge of a precipice, ready to leap into the unknown. The sun, a symbol of universal illumination, or “crazy wisdom” is behind him lighting his way, and grounded by his base, survival instincts in the form of the small dog at his heels. He carries his belongings, items from his physical world on his shoulder with ease. His arms are open wide in an accepting embrace of what the universe holds for him. Holding this card and taking it in is validation of so many things I am experiencing right now on my personal journey —the curiosity to explore, the willingness to risk, the trust that I'll be safe. And when I become conscious that the next step will find my foot leaving terra firma for the unknown, I can look at this card and be reminded that I am not the first to take a leap of faith. There have been many fools before me who have done what I am doing and felt what I am feeling. I am not the first to — as our favorite sneaker maker says — “Just do it.”