PREPARATION and TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it): What are we preparing for?

prep·a·ra·tion/ˌprepəˈrāSHən/

Noun: The action of making ready or being made ready for use. Something done to get ready for an event or undertaking.

Last summer, a few weeks before the US east coast earthquake and hurricane Irene, I had the urge to make “preparations”.  It wasn’t a fear, or a conscious thought process, yet the urging came from somewhere. The first thing I did was to email my adult children. We are spread out over three states and if anything happened that prevented communication I wanted to know we had a plan. Their response, or lack of it, was interesting. All three of my children were quiet until one day about a week later when my eldest (I figured he had been nominated by virtue of his seniority) called wondering if “I had gone off the deep end”. Funny he asked that because once I started verbalizing my concerns I started to wonder the same thing.

I reminded him that after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, cell phone communication to anyone in NYC was jammed. My middle child was not far from ground zero and the stress of being unable to communicate was enormous. Fortunately all was well for our family, but that day made me aware of the importance of preparation.  When something unexpected happens, it is too late to figure out what you are going to do.

"The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining."

— John F. Kennedy

I have been wrestling with how to approach this important and timely topic of preparation. What are we preparing for? How much is too much? When is it sensible and how far do we go? What do we need to be reminded of? Recently I perked up when the television news had a story about “preppers”. There is currently a growing population of ordinary people across the US dedicating space in their homes for stores of food, water, fuel and medical supplies. You may have “prepper” neighbors but will probably never know because they are very discrete for many reasons.  There has never been a phenomenon quite like this before in our history, where so many people are expecting and preparing for the worst. So what’s going on? Are we a skittish bunch living in tumultuous times? Are we sensible and better informed because of our global connection via the Internet? Is it mass hysteria? Could we be responding to some greater unconscious urging?

“The end of the world as we know it” can occur in lots of ways and happens to more than 156 thousand people who die every day. Losing your job, having a car accident, illness, getting married, having children, moving, winning the lottery or getting divorced are all events that change the world as we know it. However, those who coined the phase probably had something more like global cataclysm in mind.  Since the 14th Century B.C., people have been predicting the end of the world, yet current human civilization carries on past each date and deadline. Every generation has thought the world could end at any moment. Doomsday prophets have stood on corners warning us for centuries.  Truthfully, it is hard to imagine a more horrific time than the plague of the middle ages, the holocaust, the depression, world wars, nuclear threats and more. Yet, here we are.

"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe."

— Abraham Lincoln

Remember the Y2K scare? No one knew what would happen when 1999 rolled over to 2000. Because computers run everything, their meltdown could potentially disrupt everything from power plants to toilettes. I had a friend who was planning for every Y2K eventuality she could imagine. She shared her concerns with me and because fear is contagious, I resonated like a tuning fork. I did a lot of personal exploration around preparation at that time, getting a grasp on what made sense to me, being teased by my family (my father never let me forget how I “made him” stockpile water in the basement and how it was STILL THERE!)  and trying to sort out what was true. Preparation looks very different depending on the impending event, degree of threat and the intensity and flavor of the fear we hold. How reactive we are to fear depends on our emotional “constitution”, history and the kind or resources that are available to us.  

What are we preparing for?

Aside from all the usual reasons to be afraid that I am not going to list, add to that the buzz related to the Mayan calendar ending this year. I believe the interpretation that links the end of the long calendar with global catastrophe is just that: an interpretation based on our hardwired survival fear of TEOTWAWKI otherwise known as change. Recent discoveries in Guatemala show Mayan calendars that go well beyond 2012. My calendar ends every year and I do not think it is the end of the world. What if the end of one Mayan cycle and the beginning of another, actually signals TEOTWAWKI, but not by global devastation as we are so quick to assume, but by an evolutionary entropic shift of consciousness and values? 

Instead of global disaster, perhaps we are preparing for a dramatic departure from "life as we live it" now to what it is becoming, which could be compared to a cave man trying to prepare for the technological age. We use what we know, the best way we can. We are also shifting astrologically from the Piscean to the Aquarian age. At certain points in history, shifts in religion, science, technology and consciousness, come together in a perfect storm to create a collective shift that changes everything; our priorities, values, beliefs, how we relate to the world and the world itself.  Change is something we humans are pretty uncomfortable with. We like our routines even if they aren’t working for us. It is fear driven resistance to change that creates problems. It takes courage to stand in the unknown and trust that everything is always working out for us.

When I was a student at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing I remember meeting with a teacher and wailing that my life was falling apart. I will never forget her response; GREAT!  That was all she said and looked at me with admiration. I was horrified. Great?? It didn’t feel great. Had she lost her mind? Then she added kindly that she understood it was scary and uncomfortable to be in an unfamiliar, unknown place, and encouraged me to try not to reconstruct my life the way it was familiar. Tolerate the discomfort, she said, give the new form time to develop. There is a science of Cymatics, that clearly shows how energy frequencies, in this case sound, when run through a plate covered with light spore particles, will create patterns. The higher the frequency, the more complex the pattern. You can see this at a Youtube video taken from one of Greg Braden's workshops.  Aside form the amazing patterns, there is a moment between patterns where there seems to be absolute chaos, then the new pattern snaps order into place. It is that place of change, reorganization and potentiality that contains the pure conscious energy of creation. My teacher was right that dissolving the old form happens all the time as we grow, expand, and align with higher frequencies of energy and consciousness.  If I am changing, you are changing, the cycles and calendars are changing, we can only imagine the momentous shifts that are possible as this perfect storm comes together. Our work is to  tolerate the discomfort of formless chaos, not hold onto the familiar and allow space for order to snap into place. Simple but not easy. 

What I see coming is a change around our values and priorities.  Big business and big government will become extinct like the dinosaurs because the environment has changed and can no longer sustain the huge beasts.  Small business, personal service, locally grown foods, an emphasis on value, unity and connection, may take their place, or it might be something that I can't even imagine coming in. That change, no matter how positive it might be, will be difficult to tolerate as our institutions are crumbling and the old form dissolves as it must. Reactively we will try to bolster up the status quo. But like the dinosaurs, change will have it's way and there will be a period of uncertainty where we are trying to learn and adapt to a new way of being.

"By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail."

— Benjamin Franklin

That period of uncertainty can either be resisted or surrendered into. Remember what the Hopi Elder said: "There is a river flowing now very fast.  It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.  They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are torn apart and will suffer greatly.” 

That is resistance.

    "Know the river has its destination.  The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above water.   And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate.”

This is surrender.

Change is here, and the more we can prepare ourselves for that the easier it will be. Like giving birth, it is less painful to relax and let the baby be born. The more we resist moving into a new way of living, the more suffering we create for ourselves. Our work, and what we need to be reminded of, is to let go, surrender, and flow with the changes. Sounds simple, but maybe not so easy.   We have already gone through a pretty tough time the last few years, and no one knows what the future holds. The human tendency is to react to the crisis and relax when life is good. People buy small cars and conserve gas when the prices are high. When the price goes down, we are back to our old ways. Preparation is one way we can stabilize that pendulum swing. Each of us must decide for ourselves how we want to approach the future, and determine what is important for us in the preparation process.

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

— Seneca

What do we need to be reminded of?

·      Change is a part of life. We are always changing, like it or not. Buddhist teachers speak of impermanence as an undeniable and inescapable fact of human existence. When we understand this, we can appreciate each blissful experience without hanging on for dear life and tolerate the crummy times because we know this too shall change. The only thing that is real is this moment. The good news is that because everything is impermanent, everything is possible. Thich Nhat Hanh wrote,

"We have to nourish our insight into impermanence every day. If we do, we will live more deeply, suffer less, and enjoy life much more. Living deeply, we will touch the foundation of reality, nirvana, the world of no-birth and no-death. Touching impermanence deeply, we touch the world beyond permanence and impermanence. We touch the ground of being and see that which we have called being and nonbeing are just notions. Nothing is ever lost. Nothing is ever gained." [The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching (Parallax Press 1998), p. 124]

·      To Let Go. Holding on equals pain and suffering, no matter what kind of change we are facing.

·      That we are more than physical bodies. Include care of our spirit as well as our bodies in preparations. Prayer, religious beliefs, and meditation play an important role for many. Spiritual preparation has a different focus from survival. It might mean focusing on life purpose so that we can fulfill this experience, freeing us up to move forward in our spiritual growth. It could mean finding deeper meaning in our circumstances, deepening bonds with others, learning to surrender, opening our hearts, and working through our fears and defenses to be more present. What matters to our spiritual selves is the quality of our being. Every event, or experience we have offers us an opportunity to deepen that quality and helps us to be responsible, caring and creative partners in birthing the new world.  Get support. Take a class. Be positive. Read inspirational literature. Focus on the world as you want it to be and how you can contribute to that. Do not look back.

·      Do what feels right and sane if you decide to prepare for physical needs. None of us knows what the future will bring, so it is very individual what we each need to feel safer in the transition period. There is lots of information about disaster preparedness. Find out what you need to know for your area. Decide what you are willing to prepare for- a 3-day evacuation, the long haul, or something in between- and then do your research. Ask yourself if the preparation is making you feel better or worse. Always go in the direction of better!

·      Do not sacrifice the experience of living today as you are preparing for tomorrow. Joy is joy. Appreciate and revel in it when you have it.

·      Our “soul” purpose in being here, in this physical existence, is to see through the illusion perpetuated by our survival brain and to know that everything is always working out for us even when we can’t possibly see how. Our purpose is not  “survival”, that is a given because we are eternal beings of energy and consciousness. We are here to risk opening our hearts and remembering who we really are.  We can trust what we know to be true, and that we have chosen to be here on Earth now to support this transition.  

      I welcome your comments. Take Care. hillary@healingcem.com

FEAR: Everything you want to know but are afraid to ask!

In my mail the other day was a letter from my mortgage company informing me that I had 45 days to buy flood insurance or they would buy it for me. To say I had a reaction is quite a bit of an understatement. Apparently FEMA has remapped and reassigned my area from a previously “low” to a “moderate to high” flood risk. I want to rant about why this is unfair, arbitrary and political, but something more important came of this that I would rather talk about. I became aware of fear, FEMA’s fear, my fear, the mortgage company’s fear and the global fear that we are all currently steeping in.

FEMA is afraid that they won’t have enough money to assist people caught in disasters, Citibank is afraid the house will lose value and their loan won’t get paid, I am afraid that the government knows something about flooding that I don’t, that something will happen to my home and I will be homeless, that I won’t have enough money to pay for flood insurance, that the government is controlling my life and I am powerless. Whew! And that is just a small blip of the fear that is in the world today.  

Healthy fear motivates and protects. But a German proverb warns "Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is" which can happen if we do not deal directly with fear as it comes up in us. Let’s start by looking that wolf in the eye and seeing what we are up against.

Fear is a survival emotion, hard wired into our animal nature. It isn’t bad, it isn’t shameful, it is survival.  The root of fear is always annihilation; that we will cease to exist in some manner. How that might occur colors the different kinds of fears, responses and energetic patterns we hold.  For instance the fear of not having enough (money, love, time, food, whatever) the fear of abandonment, the fear of hostility, the fear of betrayal all in some way threaten our perception of survival but manifest in different ways. Anything that threatens survival, real or imagined, will trigger a fear response, mobilizing protective action. The cognitive mind is bypassed and instinct from a primitive part of the brain takes over, which is a very efficient way for the system to work. When in danger information isn’t needed, action is! The kind of action depends on the degree of threat and physiologically a lot happens. Chemicals, like adrenaline, are released into the body that prepares us to act. Anything that is not needed for survival in that moment is temporarily put off line, like thinking and digesting.

Because we humans are blessed with a neocortex, we have the ability to remember something threatening from the past and project that thought forward into the future, preparing us for a repeat experience and an efficient response. Face a tiger once and you will remember to be wary of tigers after that. We may not see many tigers in the course of a day, but we still react to an imagined tiger, or a tiger in a movie. The brain can’t tell the difference between what is “real” and what is imagined, and this is how we can take a good thing, like fear, and turn it into anxiety, which typically occurs without any certain or immediate external threat. We feel activated, on edge, uncomfortable without a clearly defined reason why. As the saying goes: "People gather bundles of sticks to build bridges they never cross". This is the plague of our modern time. Anxiety can become an irresolvable, indefinable reason why we can’t live, rather than a threat to life.

The response to fear is very important for health, well-being and ultimately for survival in a more sophisticated sense than just running for our lives. Specific behaviors of escape and avoidance that can help if we meet a tiger or can hurt in the case of generalized anxiety. If the fear is within, stoked by inner dialog, it grows without ever reaching resolution. We become increasingly activated, agitated, frustrated, angry, blaming, threatening, controlling and depressed because of our seeming powerlessness to do anything to change things. Like the way I was feeling about the flood insurance.

An actual flood would have triggered my survival instincts, but the talk of flood triggered my anxiety, which initially prevented me from thinking clearly, taking in new information and acting in my own best interest.  I am convinced that my fear is just a small part of a greater wave circulating the globe triggered by unemployment, asteroids, 2012 prophecies, economy, famine, drought, war, revolution, terrorism, homelessness, change and the unknown. Watch the stock market and you will clearly see fear manifesting itself. The more we know, the more alert we are to internal and external events, the more prepared we will be. The more prepared we are, the less fear there will be.

What is it we need to be reminded of?  It is important to remember that we are more than a physical body. The physical need to survive is the catalyst for expansion into a shift of consciousness that is manifesting now.  People are noticing that something big is happening, a paradigm shift. Change creates challenges, and there will be challenges in the coming years. It is inevitable that there will be times of fear and important to know that it is normal and healthy. It is also useful to align with the excitement of opportunity. Just that shift in perception can take us out of survival mode and into new possibilities. We will not be blindsided by fear if we know the face of the wolf.  Remember the Hopi say to let go of the riverbank and let the river take you. The riverbank is the familiar and what we want to fiercely hang onto. The river is the terrifying unknown waiting to sweep us away. It seems contrary to survival to let go; yet that is exactly what change demands. Dorothy Bernard says that courage is fear that has said its prayers.  Take a deep breath, say the prayer of courage, and surrender to the unknown.

We need to be reminded that we are expanding into a greater consciousness awareness that is causing all of us to challenge the status quo.  The old structures will squeeze us tighter and tighter until we expand beyond them and give birth to a new way of being in the world and ourselves. Everything that is not in alignment with the new paradigm will fall away and that change can be an uncomfortable process. We are bridging the gap between physical and unitive consciousness and taking the next great leap in human evolution. Scary and exhilarating! It is beginning to dawn on us that consciousness is immortal, we are consciousness, therefore we are immortal. We are not separate from, but integrated and woven into the fabric of all things. We have influence over and are influenced by every form, function and possibility. When we can integrate our expanded nature into the physical experience, we realize that we are always in the right place and everything is always working out, there is nothing to loose and everything to gain. We can have our body, our minds, our spirit, passion, and gifts and never, ever, have to let fear stop us because our survival is a given.

We are reminded to open to the greater part of who we are, the higher consciousness, inspiration and guidance.  Trust inner awareness will lead to appropriate action. Trust that each and every moment will be responded to in a way that supports us as individuals and us as a world community. Do not walk alone, the Hopi say the time of the lone wolf is over. If you have difficulty, get support. Ask to be guided to that support and pay attention to it. Believe that you have a unique purpose that is aligned with your higher spiritual nature to support the leap mankind is making. Walk the middle path of non-attachment where there is full awareness of what is, but no attachment to a particular outcome. Be in the moment fully, let go and trust.  Remember you are so much more than whom you think you are!

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and a blessed holiday season filled with joy and possibilities.

Next time: What does it mean to prepare?  

Trust Yourself!

Hello Everyone. We have just experienced a freaky weather pattern here in New England that dumped snow on green leaves and left many without power. I have that  haunted deja vu feeling because it hasn't been that long since we faced the effects of hurricane Irene.

I have been noticing general advertisements from the state here in Connecticut and from FEMA, advising people to be prepared for disasters. Is it just because the weather is so freaky?  Maybe.

Add to that the fact that FEMA has just re-mapped many coastal areas, including my own, to assign them high flood risk when in the past they were low risk. Curious.

It makes me wonder if there is a process in motion that we may not be informed of because no one is really sure what will happen next, or maybe because we are hoping for the best. No sooner did I have that thought there was a note from Mitch Battros at Earth Changes Media saying:

"There has been a sharp increase of background noise in the science community. This is to say I am receiving whispers, nods, and winks - that something significant has begun to unfold."


I don't have any specific information other than observing the strange happenings and that feeling in my gut that I need to pay attention. We have already talked about trusting our instincts and paying attention to guidance. That is all we need to do. The reminder is to be alert, trust your instincts and be prepared!

Coming Next: FEAR - Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask!

Koyaanisqatsi: Post Hurricane Irene Reflections

Koyaanisqatsi: Post Hurricane Irene Reflections

In the Hopi language, the word Koyaanisqatsi means “crazy life, life in turmoil, life out of balance, life disintegrating, a state of life that calls for another way of living”

As I sat in the dark following hurricane Irene there was time for reflection without any of the usual distractions. It is very quiet when the power goes out. Except for the throb of a generator down the street, there was no refrigerator hum, no appliance buzz, television chatter or ringing phones. Until the power went out, I didn’t notice how loud ambient sound is. Not only was it quiet, I discovered I had time to think, wonder, muse and rest, unlike my normal state of hurried and harried. When I considered what was different I realized that under normal circumstances I have a land line (that wasn’t working) a cell phone (that was working but I was conserving the battery) and an office phone (didn’t go there)., internet (not functioning), and television (no power) pulling at me constantly. Add to that all the other activities life requires and it is no wonder I felt rushed and breathless. I discovered it wasn’t that I lacked hours in the day, it was that time was being absorbed by the very things I thought freed me up. My relationship with the internet is like kudzu, winding its way in, around and through all the minutes in my day, checking email, searching, and getting lost in places I had no intention of going. Apparently I am not alone, college students recently surveyed reported that the internet ranked in importance with food, air and water and was more important to them than dating! To be fair, there are benefits to technology. Vast stores of information are at my fingertips, I have been able to work with clients anywhere in the world, and as I write this blog I am ecstatically grateful for computer word processing. Rarely is anything ALL good or ALL bad. Balance and awareness protect us from Koyaanisqatsi , and as I sat in the dark I was gaining new awareness.

After I got over flipping the light switch on and off a hundred times to no avail, I enjoyed going with the natural flow of light and dark, night and day.  My body sighed and said, yes, this is how it was meant to be, let the light of dawn rouse me and I will reward you with sound sleep when the sun sets.  Consider how we have managed to wrestle natural cycles to the ground by creating artificial environments. People keep going all hours of the day and night, insulate themselves from all kinds of conditions and forge onward with 4 wheel drive no matter what - until the power goes out. I noticed how each modern convenience, even though I love them, takes me farther away from a relationship with the natural world.

The next step of this journey, was lack of refrigeration. My heart broke when I had to throw out food. “When in doubt, throw it out” became my mantra. My thoughts wandered to how people have gone from growing their own and visiting the local farm to a food industry that disconnects us from the process of nourishing ourselves in a lot of ways. There is an epidemic of obesity in this country and I wondered if there is a hole in the belly that isn’t being filled by packaged food, chemicals, preservatives and big business. In the past, people had to work to grow food, hunt and forage, which balanced effort, caloric intake and a sense of satisfaction. City living leaves dense populations dependent on the food industry. The power outage prevented gas from being pumped, trucks from deliveries, and emptied shelves fast.  I became aware that I am completely dependent on a food delivery system that was looking extremely fragile.

When the hurricane hit and brought the pace of life to a grinding halt, I noticed how fast we were going just trying to keep up. Frazzled nerves and entitlement demands that THEY get life back to normal NOW. Dependency on the government, the power grid, the food industry left many frustrated, helpless and disempowered. The system seems too daunting and too complicated for individuals to affect.  People screamed at power company workers, demanded investigations into why this disruption of life was taking so damn long. 

In the quiet darkness I discovered a longing for simplicity that I didn’t know I had.  Apparently I am not alone because when I Googled  “living simply” over 48 million sites came up! In the Hopi language, the word Koyaanisqatsi means "unbalanced life", or a crazy, chaotic life that needs to be lived another way.  Traditional Hopi look at our way of life and shake their heads in disbelief wondering why we subject ourselves to such stress.  In the Hopi culture, Maasaw, the Guardian Spirit, came to the people and gave them instructions and warnings. If  they followed his way, they would do well.  

Maasaw

The instructions were simple and included making a covenant with Maasaw committing  to a relationship with the Divine, living simply, practicing self denial, practicing self-sufficiency, changing priorities, recognition that the Creator’s wish is to help us and that the world can be rescued. The Hopi thrived for centuries living the simple life Maasaw outlined for them.  Many Hopi have been lured away by modern western life and traditionalists are concerned this will lead to the fulfillment of the prophesies, many of which have already come to pass. What is powerful about the warnings is that we are always given a choice and a means to come back into balance. The warnings are about responsibility, not punishment. Not many of us would be willing to live the life Maasaw outlined, armed only with the clothes on our back, a digging stick and seeds, but if we consider the possibility that how we live affects not just ourselves but everyone and the future of our planet, I for one, am willing to make a few changes.  There are many ways we can simplify and come back into balance and right relationship with life on earth.

I made this list of reminders to help me focus.

1.Commit to a spiritual practice.  Welcome an authentic, deep appreciation for all the mysteries and magnificence that surround us. Meditate. Pray.

 2. Down size.  With my newly found time, I cleared everything out of my house that I didn’t use, didn’t need, was holding onto because I should, or was afraid to let go of. I filled my car and donated everything to a local organization having a yard sale. I admit it was hard to let go, but the feeling of lightness and space more than made up for it. 

3. Be mindful of consumption.  Notice if open space starts filling up again. Reuse old stuff in a new way. Get creative. Purchase items of quality that last. Get along with less. Avoid disposable items.  Share. Recycle.

4. Turn off the cell phone (sometimes). Before cell phones I had space to wander, get lost and be out of touch for a bit. We need space to be inspired.  Use the power button and find a slice of uninterrupted time.

5.  Stay out of debt. It feels liberating to pay for what I want. It feels really good when I get a credit card statement saying I owe nothing.

6. Omit the unnecessary. Commitments, possessions, distractions, whatever.  Disengage “auto pilot” and start choosing what works. Decide what is important and make space for that.

7. Care for mental health.  Hope. Be optimistic. Breathe. Be inspired and inspiring. Be conscious of the moment. Choose thoughts that feel good.

8. Slow down. Drive at the speed limit. Do one thing at a time really, really well.

9. Consciously choose activities that nourish self, others and the planet. Make bread. Grow a garden. Plant herbs and cook with them.  Sing. Walk. Drink tea as a spiritual practice. Learn something new. Help someone. Make a difference.

10. Come back to basics. Pretend it is 1900. Stop trying to keep up, and live life on my terms.

How is this information relevant to embracing change and the times we are facing? There is a lot of intriguing information from indigenous people around the world saying, and they are generally in agreement, that we are in a unique time of change. That is interpreted as everything from the dawn of a new age to global destruction of the planet depending on who you ask. It is my belief that we are facing an opportunity and as the Hopi say, we have options.  To take advantage of those options we have to know what they are. The way IN is THROUGH, as the saying goes. Paying attention, being introspective and honest with ourselves, and having courage to follow through are crucial to making a smooth transition. There is no credible information that I can find that leads me to believe that the earth will experience cataclysmic destruction on 12/21/12, but I can see with my own eyes the path we are on and where it is headed.  Some may hope that catastrophe will take responsibility for change out of our hands but it seems unlikely. I doubt that there is something coming at us from above, below or afar and believe we are facing the consequences of choices we have made up to now. The greatest concern I have for 2012 and beyond is increasing violence and greed, which is rooted in a dualistic perspective.  Up until now, duality, good/bad, black/white, right/wrong has been the status quo of this physical experience. As a species we are coming out of the ego centric terrible twos and growing into a time of co-operation for the greater good, unity consciousness.  It is directly opposed to the generally accepted theory of “survival of the fittest”. Bruce Lipton, author of The Biology of Belief, points out that survival is enhanced when we co-operate.  If our purpose in being here is to shift out of duality and toward unity consciousness then a simple life that is more connected to wholeness of spirit seems an obvious choice. 

That is my esoteric reason for believing this information is relevant and important.  On a more practical note, as modern technology increases in complexity breakdowns are going to happen that affect large populations of people.  Consider the impact of hurricane Irene, and the recent power outage on the west coast that plunged more than 1.5 million people into darkness. It makes sense to pay attention and be proactive by preparing mentally, emotionally and physically for all sorts of eventualities.  Gone is the day that we can sit idly by waiting to be rescued by the government, FEMA or the Red Cross. Yes, they are there to help, but it is critically important, as we have witnessed in New Orleans and Japan, that we first need to help ourselves and from there assist others. We are all in this together and as Ghandi said, we are invited to BE the change we want to see in the world.

The Hopi prophecy says that a time will come when common people will become concerned and frustrated because they can no longer tolerate living in a hectic world.  I think we are there. As life speeds up they advise us to slow down. Let’s remember that we always have a choice how to live. Even if circumstances feel beyond our control, we still have the ability to choose how to perceive it and respond.  What do you need to thrive? What do you reasonably need to feel less disrupted personally if “the system” goes down? What skills and abilities do you have that enable you to function with grace in any circumstance? Maybe we do not require complicated technology or more “stuff” to live better lives.  Let us be reminded that the outer experience reflects the inner one and the choice is ours. 

The Truth Is Out There!

Hurricane Irene has come and gone and I am proud of how we have helped each other and deeply grateful for the support from volunteers, businesses, utility workers, emergency rescue teams, and neighbors who helped get everyone through the storm and beyond. My prayers go out to those still struggling and grieving losses as a result.

Slogan from the TV show X Files

Say not, 'I have found the truth,' but rather, 'I have found a truth.'   ~ Kahlil Gibran (1883 - 1931)

It is time to speak your truth.  Create your community.  Be good to each other. 

And do not look outside yourself for the leader.  The leader is within.

This could be a good time!     ~ Hopi Elders of Oraibi

You may have noticed that the name of the blog has been changed from Earth Changes to Embracing Change. In my exploration of truth, I realized that identifying the blog with earth changes might hook people into reading it, but it wasn’t truly aligned with the intention of the Reminders, which is getting clearer as I go along. Change is a part of life, and it is something humans can have a hard time accepting. We can embrace change,  “let go of the river bank and … be carried downstream” as the Hopi Elders advise or we can resist change and struggle to push the river. As we approach 2012, earth changes and prophecies are certainly a part of the discussion, but not the entire focus of the Reminders.

Recently, I was working long distance with a client in California as a small earthquake hit. Californians are used to quakes and they say they “eat 5.9 for breakfast”, but she noticed the curious combination of the Colorado quake, the Virginia quake and then the California quakes. She knew there was a lot of prophecy talk going around the internet and asked if it could be true. The only reply that feels accurate is that it is true for some people and for others it is not true.  So, after writing the last blog that the truth is within, I am also saying the truth is out there. Rather than a contradiction, it is a paradox.

Truth is not just a rigid fact but also a complex interaction between the energy consciousness system (beliefs, defenses, ideology, ego), physical reality and deeper awareness. There is truth from outside and inside each of us and each person’s experience of truth varies with time and experience, but will always contain within it the thread of commonality that arises from a shared ground.  

The experience with hurricane Irene is a perfect example. People of sound mind accept the truth that Irene was a big storm that came right at us. Beyond that, “truth” diverges in a myriad of different directions depending on the individual you asked. Responses ranged from “this will be fun” to “pack up and evacuate”.  It seems like truth should be clear, but as Oscar Wilde said, the truth is rarely pure and never simple. 

Truth is an integration of outer fact and inner awareness. Take for example the story of the man in a flood. He saw the news broadcast that warned people of rising flood waters (physical reality). The man was not concerned because he knew God would save him (personal truth). As the water started to rise a rescue worker came to his house and urged him to evacuate. He said, not to worry God would save him. The water continued to rise, and the man moved up to the second floor of his house where another rescue worker came by in a rowboat and urged the man to leave with him. The man refused, saying God would save him. Finally the man was on his roof to escape the swirling water and a helicopter hovered overhead lowering a ladder to the man. He refused the ladder, saying God would save him. Next thing the man knew he was in heaven with God. He asked God why he didn’t save him. God said he sent the warnings, the rescue workers, a boat and a helicopter, what more could he do? The man was invested in his perception of truth to the exclusion of outer reality. Here is where it gets complicated.  You might say he was stubborn and short sighted. Some might admire his faith while others feel his betrayal. All true, depending on your perspective.

Right action comes from the ability to acknowledge urging from the body, assimilate and sort through information in the mind, then run all the “data” through the inner guidance system.  The result is the discovery of a truth that is far greater and wiser than facts alone. Being aware of the greater aspect of who we are aligns us with our unique purpose and transpersonal truth. There is great opportunity here, and as always it is a choice to accept or not.

So how is this relevant and important for embracing the changing times we are living in? One of the Reminders members asked in frustration how we can ever figure out what is true when there is so much information out there; prophecy, channeling, fantasy, scientific projections, theory, beliefs, and media drama. First, finding what is absolutely true may be a frustrating impossibility, so work to find what is true for you. While I have declared truth to be complicated, knowing what is true for us is relatively simple.

Here is my KISS (keep it simple sweetheart) method for finding truth and creating right action:

1. Pay attention to everything. The news, friends, the way the air smells, how the clouds look, what the animals are doing, feelings in your belly. Gather all the information you need, within reason. We are not separate from the physical world and it is important to know what is going on. If global information is too much to assimilate, focus locally. If theory and speculation  is frightening rather than motivating, stick to factual information. As was the case with hurricane Irene, knowing the storm is coming, allows for preparations that make physical life safer and more comfortable. 

2. Notice feelings in the body. The mind is great for some tasks but can also spin information, rationalize desires and confuse issues until we are headachy. Feelings in the body are the most accurate indicators of what is true or not. Reading prophecies about the world coming to an end feels fascinating yet scary. Reading about the culture of the Hopi people feels positive, and empowering. It is up to us to choose what we fill ourselves with.  Gather facts, then bring attention to the body, go inside, everything we need to know is there. Cultivate a strong relationship with guidance and inner knowing and without a doubt what is true will be known. 

3. Have a plan. A couple of weeks before the earthquake and Irene hit, I sent an email out to my children asking them to join me in making a plan. When they were little we had a plan to meet by the big tree if there was a fire in the house. Now that they are older and spread out over three states, I was feeling the urge to find our big tree. We exchanged all our contact information, my hotel in Miami, the dates and flights when I am away, phone numbers of significant others and work places. I asked that we keep each other informed of comings and goings. I mentioned getting what the Red Cross calls a disaster bag together. It can take some time to figure out what to put into such a bag. Imagine trying to do that when you are in a rush and frightened? As it turned out, it wasn’t long before we were in need of some of our preparations, and I was greatly relieved to have had a plan in place.  Each one of us needs to do what feels right and true when we run information through our inner guidance system. 

4. Trust yourself, how you feel, what you know to be true in your heart and gut. Don't let yourself get pulled off track trying to prove or disprove every piece of information that comes your way. Let go of the riverbank and know the river has its destination. The elders say we must push off and into the river, keep our eyes open and our head above the water. See who is in there with you and celebrate.

We are being reminded to  pay attention to our environment, to be open to new information, but not to get attached to or distracted by facts or beliefs that contradict our own knowing. Truth is out there, and it is important to be able to recognize it, take it in and evaluate it.  Discern what is valuable by running it through the inner guidance system and feel it in the body. Integrate observation and information with personal awareness and beliefs to determine right action. If the weather report says you do not have to be concerned about the big storm coming, but your gut is telling you something different, trust the truth in your belly. When outside information is in conflict with inner knowing we feel anxious, unsettled, and uncomfortable. Truth is felt in the body as comfort, confidence without attachment to outcome, clarity, personal empowerment and peace.  Trust yourself first and foremost because only you know your purpose in being here, whether that is conscious or not. You will know the truth when you feel it! 

Be safe. Be well.

For your information:

The American Red Cross

The Truth is Within

This blog has taken me a long time to write. The more I struggled, the more blocked I became and the worse it got. I couldn’t find my focus and wandered all over without a point. Finally, in frustration, I surrendered my arbitrary deadline and sat still long enough to be with what I was feeling.

At the “Reminders” group meeting we talked about the Mayan prophecy, which according to Carlos Barrios, Mayan elder and author of The Book of Destiny, states that we will experience "a colossal, global convergence of environmental destruction, social chaos, war, and ongoing earth changes” among other things. Earth Changes Media just reported that the Mayan Elders issued a warning that the predictions had already begun and the last ten days of August will reflect the prophetic predictions from ancient text with a special caution to “watch the waters”. As a physical being fully invested in survival, it is contrary to my biology not to react to that kind of information.

If you Google “2012 prophecy” it will return over 9 million hits. The looming date of 12/21/ 2012 is a very hot topic among spiritual teachers, new agey folks, film makers  and those hoping for a better world. While not the only prophecy, it is well known, especially now. The mass murders in Norway, London burning, drought, weird weather, famine in Somalia, war, and the stock market dropping like a rock, can all be interpreted as signs supporting the predictions. The Mayan warning appears to be a real and scary fact. When we discussed it in the group, one member asked the question “Who are those Mayan elders and how do they know what will happen?”  The question jolted me awake and my first response was that THEY are the ELDERS, and of course they KNOW! But do they?

The next morning I went for a walk along the Niantic River, appreciating the salty scent of the air off the water. I opted to unplug my iPod in favor of being in the peaceful quiet of nature. The halfway point of my loop is a little strip of deserted beach used mainly as a kayak launch. My habit is to settle myself at the solitary picnic table and observe the river and the life it supports. The river flows unconcerned, the geese, ducks and cormorants conduct business as usual while I am agitated by my thoughts. I remembered Byron Katie and Eckhart Tolle teaching that thoughts are responsible for upset and suffering. The Dalai Lama says that fear is the greatest destroyer of personal peace. It is true, and yet, how does one stay aware of what is happening in the world without it having an effect? 

As I mulled over the situation it surprised me that I would so easily and unconsciously accept  prophecy as fact. I completely accepted the words of the elders without a moments pause.  Some of that was bred into me as a child of the cold war 50’s and 60's. In rural upstate New York we lived every day afraid of atomic warfare and invasion by the USSR.  My stepmother went so far as to build a bomb shelter in the basement that thankfully never got tested. In school we had drill after drill of silently marching out to the darkened hall, coats over our heads, leaning up against cold lockers waiting for the flash. I was trained to expect disaster and part of why my body reacts like Henny Penny to these prophecies. The Bay of Pigs situation was especially intense and after living with fear day after day, I remember having a new thought. SO WHAT? In that moment of illumination I realized that what ever happened I would deal with it. That moment gave me an entirely new perspective and freed me from the fear I held every day.  There are many visions of the future, most of them catastrophic. The important thing to remember is that predictions are not facts, they are warnings of possibilities, perceptions and beliefs.  

Beliefs are repeated thoughts and reality reflects back those beliefs by showing us what we are focused on. Beliefs are not made true because we think them frequently, but it may seem that way. The more we believe in something, like a prophecy, the more energy is invested in it and the greater the likelihood it will be perceived as truth and have a self fulfilling nature. My “belief” that the Mayan prophecy is fact, made it true for me. It colored my experience and perception of events and the thoughts I had frightened me.  That is not to say that prophecy should be disregarded as fantasy. I remember futurist Gordon Michael Scallion saying that a good prophet is never correct because his warning is heeded and events change. A prediction is accurate, for the most part, in the moment of time it was perceived. Possibilities, choices, circumstances change with each passing moment. Even one tiny shift in the field can change the whole picture and future outcomes.

According to my understanding of quantum mechanics, everything exists, or doesn’t exist, in a huge field of potentiality or possibility. This is an interpretation of the famous double slit experiment, which demonstrated that matter and energy can be both a particle, what we call stuff, and a wave, what would be potential stuff. A great Dr. Quantum video was made by Fred Allen Wolf that describes the experiment clearly.  It was interpreted that a wave would become a particle in response to direct interaction between the observer and what was being observed.  The theory is that everything exists in an energetic field of possibility just waiting for consciousness to focus attention and bring it into form. There is a possibility of global disaster and a possibility of global peace and everything imaginable in between and all around, just waiting to be brought into form. Put simply, what we focus on, we get.

The power of prophecy is not to paralyze us with fear and hopelessness, but to motivate change. The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, as Simon and Garfunkel wrote. They are everywhere if we pay attention and are not carved in stone events, but wise reflections of cause and effect meant to inspire us to change. Rampant epidemics of depression, violence, disease, environmental disasters and greed are potent consequences of living out of balance, disconnected from our true selves and deeper meaning.  Might that be what the prophets are trying to bring our attention to? Let us focus on the world we want to live in, be accountable for what hasn't worked and responsible for change. We are creators of our experience and change begins within ourselves, or not, it is always a choice. If we change we will have one experience, if we carry on we will have another. Neither is the “end” game, right or wrong, both offer lessons to be learned.  Sometimes we learn the hard way and we are free to make that choice.

The reminder I got through this experience is that I need to remember that truth is within and that while I am human and subject to all that entails, I am also spiritual and need to be mindful of a broader perspective.  My purpose is not to be a harbinger of doom, but a gentle voice reminding each one of us what we already know deep inside.  We are so much more than physical beings and from time to time we will get off track. Let the detour bring greater awareness of what the track is and how to get back on it.

Be still, silent and listen to the truth within.  Everything you need is available to you. 

Solar Flares Affect Our Mental State

How have you been feeling lately? I noticed I was irritable, edgy for no known reason, that isn't my usual nature. That made me curious so I did a little research. We are experiencing the effects of a very active sun cycle. Since the beginning of August there has been an M-class flare just about every day, some so large that if the sky was clear the aurora borealis would be seen as far south as NYC. 

Solar flares arise from magnetic storms on the Sun and appear like the photograph to the right.  Solar flares eject huge amounts of high-energy particles and gases thousands of miles beyond the surface of the Sun. There appears to be a connection between the Sun’s solar storms and how we feel. These surges cause  a solar wind that affects the magnetic field of the earth creating erratic weather, geophysical effects and disruptions to satellites, and communications systems. They also affect the human magnetic field which is resonant with the earth's field. Solar flares can affect the Central Nervous System, brain activity, behavior, mental and emotional responses.


If you have been experiencing unexplained and unusual nervousness, anxiety, worry, irritability, fatigue, short term memory problems, prolonged head pressure or headaches, solar flares may be the cause. 


Be reassured that this too shall pass.