Playing God...?

The other day I caught a glimpse of two children playing on the sidewalk. It was just an instant...almost like a flash- frame that I just happened to catch...as the bus I rode on, moved by quickly.

A memory was triggered...something from childhood I had not thought about in years.

When I was little, I used to observe ants. For hours I would watch as they crawled around in their private little world, sometimes carrying bits of grass or crumbs...or whatever other tiny things ants carry around with them. Most seeming much too large or heavy for one little ant to handle all by her/him self! This intrigued me so much. I wondered how they "knew" to build, to have their little meetings at the edge of the lawn..and whereto turn or take a detour.

Who gave them directions?

I would test them! Sometimes I would get a leaf...and place it right in front of them...blocking their path. Some of the tiny creatures would stop instantly, noticing that what was a clear path an instant before, was now blocked by an enormous obstacle. I would wait to see how long the ant/s would "access the situation", before they would decide how to continue. One might pause for just a brief moment..and then "decide" to simply walk around the obstacle. Another would wait and wait and wait...too long sometimes, for me to even wait to see what the little traveler would eventually do! Another..would climb over the obstacle...struggling...but eventually arriving at their destination anyway. At least I think they did.

Did they know that they were ants? And that there was strange beings living in another private world of their own, watching them?? Did they KNOW that it was a HAND of one of those strange beings that had placed the obstacle in their path? Did they care? Were they upset by this unexpected event slowing them down? Did anything matter to them at all? Did they believe in an ANT GOD? Was IT...US?

Or were they like robots...just mechanically moving through their lives...no thought, no "ideas" just existing in automatic pilot mode. But who turned the auto pilot on? And was that a bad thing...that they didn't actually think...but simply "knew, without thought" what to do next?

Yes, I really did wonder about these things when I was little.

Now, I wonder why, of all the childhood memories that could have been RE-viewed that day......why was it was this one..that pulled me in.

SMOKE & MIRRORS

So much for keeping my BLOGS simple and succinct!

Well...seems as though I may have found my niche here. Combining words, art and music...IS a passion. And...on the LIGHT-screen, too? Can it get any better? The following are several little ramblings that I just HAD to share with you. Life has been full of interesting little tidbits, just popping in from all sides lately. Can't complain...if it had not been so "interesting"...I would have had to THINK more about what to write!! But first... Speaking of words...here are some lovely words sent to me from Grace Chapman who was moved by the RANDOM ASCENSION article:

How Conscious Can We Become? 05/06/07 If consciousness is self-awareness, then self will always limit one. This self, though always expanding through experience, is limited by the interplay of sense perception and thought. If consciousness is pure Being, then consciousness is all encompassing and no-thing simultaneously. This Self/Being is incomparable and cannot be described in relative terms. Evolution is a movement from self-awareness to pure being, and its expression is all form, sound, taste, smell, touch, feeling and thought. As human beings we are a borderless moving medium flowing as one with/within a borderless moving medium; and the state of equilibrium, the integration of stillness in action/reception in giving, is present consciousness - Being. self is me a ripple in a boundless sea not part, not whole yet being trough and peak a fluid movement on the surface of eternal deep As being, we are limitless. As defined beings, we are limited by perspective.

Thank you Grace, for taking the time to share your thoughts. OK, here we go...........

~REAL-EYES~

I have experienced recently the gift of being a witness to true Unhappiness. It is a subtle thing you know...Unhappiness. It shows itself as fear and doubt. As distrust and blame. Cruelty and coldness. Control and manipulation. We all have our moments...of being not quite in the light-hearted space that we would like to be. Surely, we must feel our feelings. Life is not always EASY. This is why we are here, to EXPERIENCE and grow. But there are those...who cannot seem to lift them selves up and out of their self created chaos...not even for a moment. The density that lurks in their hearts has become their best friend. It seems as though they have covered their hearts with a thick fog and poured it into their minds, this odd, dense, smokey ethereal liquid... that dampens any hint of joy and dims any point of light that might try to permeate their familiar darkness. This might sound a bit dramatic......but there is a method to my drama! You noticed...I called this witnessing a GIFT. And truly it is. Surely, we are human and we feel human emotions... But ... ask yourself...how do you really feel? What is the basic emotion you feel, most of the time? What is your level of contentment? Trust? Happiness? Peace? How far off "center" does the "unexpected" in your life throw you? In watching closely those who simply cannot seem to take on a different perspective or even want to try...and do not appear to have the desire to look into their hearts and ask...WHY AM I SO MISERABLE....?( because certainly... all their Unhappiness must be the fault of the events and people around them), I cannot help but wonder...what horrible, dark human misconception has led them to this lie? This very sad lie. What have they NOT real-eyes-ed, yet? What is it about the FREEDOM of seeing TRUTH, that scares them so much. Does the light threaten them ...because they truly have become permanent residents in their self made heart of darkness on earth? And the flicker of some light of truth that may begin to enter their surroundings...to help heal...or to show them another way...doesn't only send them running away in the other direction..... but some would do all they can to squelch that light. Because you see, that LIGHT cannot be trusted, either. Yes, I know...this does sound dramatic...and perhaps judgemental, too. But...let me soften it all by telling you what I truly believe... Nothing is random. All is purposeful. A path is THE path, whether one knows it or not. And so....if NOTHING is random...(and I do believe that), and if ALL is purposeful, then THOSE who feel that deep discontent in their hearts are ON their path too...purposefully and completely IN their lessons. And if they never come out of the seeming darkness into the light...well then..their PATH is theirs to claim. And who am I to judge what is the RIGHT thing for them in their personal life experience? Am I saying that some humans are here to simply be miserable? Hmmmm. What kind of GIFT is that for them? I really do not have the answer to that...even if I may be tempted to teach, preach, help, heal. I do not know what their path is SUPPOSED to look like. All I know is THIS: I am gifted with new sight... in witnessing those who appear to be...the blind ones.

VANISHING ACT

In my opinion...one of the misconceptions of the Ascension teachings, is the idea that one is "waiting" to ascend. That we are simply preparing for the GRAND FINALE and in the meantime we need to do as much energy work, take as many workshops as possible, cleanse our "systems" continually, breathe only fresh air, drink the purist of water (certainly neither of which would be found in the city:-), and pray and meditate and tone and dowse ourselves with essential oils every day..and certainly...if we do good..really discipline ourselves in all these ways and more..........THEN we can ASCEND. LIFE is not good enough right now...and so...we have this higher dimensional carrot of light dangling in front of us... (what a visual)...just knowing that once we get that carrot, all of life will magically, dramatically change and it will then be "worth living". No more problems or pain. Some Ascension "seekers" seem to believe that some kind of 5th Dimensional Escape...is possible. That all we are doing right now in the moment is "preparing" for the big day. Much like the "Rapture" scenario that some Christian sects entertain. Or HEAVEN as the final resting place where one can finally be with GOD. That is if you are GOOD while you are on this earth. And even so...we are all sinners anyway..some would say. Some ASCENSION addicts, oooh, that sounds harsh. Oh well too late now...some ASCENSION addicts think that one can OVERRIDE the 3D...by pretending that the things we EXPERIENCE do not matter. That since it is all an ILLUSION anyway...all we have to do is DETACH from the IDEA that it matters at all. So what I would hope to shed light on in my own little way is to remind you that ASCENSION is HAPPENING. It is the light and the dark. It is the PAIN and the contentment. It is the experience of LIFE and how we perceive that experience in every MOMENT. Ascension is NOT about reaching a destination...like Going to HEAVEN. No, in fact it is bringing the truth of HEAVEN, the IDEA/ideal down to earth. DESCENSION is bringing the light into our awareness...here, right now. We are HUMANIZING THE LIGHT, remember? How can we do that if we are always waiting to LIFT OFF? :-) There is no MAGICAL remedy for the malady called LIFE on earth. And the Spiritual path is not meant to "take us away" or "out of life". More so...it provokes us into "diving deeply" (There's that phrase again, ) into what we are feeling, seeing and being addressed with...in our everyday, "mundane" lives. Ascension is about the illusion of MAGIC transforming into the MIRACULOUS. A Magician creates illusions to lead us to believe that something has changed. Well, it does have it's purpose. Even the teasing affect an illusionist has on our senses...changes our perception somewhat in regard to what is Real ...and what is not. And the mystery of how he/she does it...tweaks our curiosity and prompts us to "want to know more". We wonder about it, ask questions, try to "figure it out". We are fascinated with the Magicians illusions! Our illusions have their purpose, too. Time is an illusion. Space, too! Get the drift? But, when the idea of the Miraculous is introduced.....we are allowed to see all of the illusion...witness the incongruencies as well as the fascination and the mystery..AND...embrace it ALL as perfect. Not worrying so much of HOW it is done or why or how we can figure it out. Ascension writings tell us of how we are waking out of the dream...into a new reality. Now...even that reality is a dream in itself...as long as we reside on this earthly plane..we are dreamers of the dream within the dream called life. Where does it end? I do not think it does. But a new consciousness can emerge...when we even hold the IDEA that that we are dreamers of THE dream. Even thinking the possibility opens us up...expanding our awareness...so that we may experience the Miracle of life itself. Thought is real. That new consciousness that can emerge is the MIRACULOUS consciousness. The MIRACULOUS permanently shifts our perception so that we may LOVE the illusion as it is. The MIRACULOUS IS the shift, itself. Do we live an ILLUSION called life? Yes. We ARE illusions, intricately designed holograms...that are divinely imbued with the potential of becoming real. WE ARE illusions. We are MIRACLES. We just forgot. We are here, in this life, on this earth...in the grand illusion... so we can remember. All beautiful. All purposeful. All one and ALL NOW. He was right. BE HERE NOW.

I AM CONVINCED THAT THE PATH IS LINED WITH MIRRORS

Some things, you would never discover about yourself, unless you take some risks. The SPIRITUAL PATH is only "safe" in that we are continually guided. But not "safe" in the human distinction between what will or will not necessarily feel "good". Yes, there ARE signs along the way to direct us. Not force us IN to a specific direction...against our will. But signs as reminders......to pay attention, listen and perhaps...step forward, or backward, or sideways...in order to embrace the fullness of this life. Walking, running, gliding, sometimes "stumbling"...on a Spiritual Path, we learn about certain traditions, ritual, belief systems...and work very diligently to become the person we think, we are supposed to be. More enlightened. More compassionate. More successful. More SPIRITUAL. And so...along that path, that one might stumble or glide...after decades perhaps of running into some walls, tripping over rocks...crashing into mountains of obstacles... we learn of course, all of those seeming BLOCKS, detours or "accidental collisions" were part of the path...uniquely designed for us. Designed for ...each of us individually ...allowing every opportunity to discover... remember, our unique purpose/s in this life. ) When we finally understand that the path, the Journey is NOT about BECOMING...but remembering...WHO we ARE, right now in this moment.... We may then... have a revelation. We have been looking ahead. We have been looking behind us. Gaging our past and future...taking inventory of how much we have raised our lives, minds, hearts...spirits. Have you looked...along the way...to either side? Left, right...what lines the path? Look..... we have sometimes very unconsciously been shown our reflection...the clearest reflection of our deepest self...not in the obvious lessons, or the NEON signs, but in the eyes of those people we meet along that path. As they too...are the path itself. We are all connected in some way...words cannot really capture the vastness of our ONEship. So...look deeply into the eyes of one that that you meet along the way. One that may not be aware that you have been trying for so long to BECOME...or trying so hard to AVOID your truth!

The eyes of those who walk with you...the reflectors...you see, makes the path what it is. With out them...we would simply be walking around in circles...wondering when this journey will end.

Are these "human sign posts" randomly placed? No. They are strategically placed along your path, so when you are ready..the reflection you need to see, at that moment will be seen. If you look. If you dare. If you for one small moment in time...take a risk...let down your guard...and get a different perspective... What you see in that reflection may surprise you. It might sadden you. It might give you great joy. Watch your responses. Feel your energy as you look into the mirrors. IS that reflection familiar? Does that reflection remind you of something you cannot relate to? Does it remind you that there is something more than meets the eye? Either way...we will see clearly, what defines us in our reality. Even when those eyes are filled with Unhappiness... ...there YOU are.

in the eyes of another. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RISING DEEP

At the end of the Ascension article for March 11, I left you with a question:

"How conscious may we become?"

So do you have a minute? :-) Free will is a gift and a learning device for us to use on our human adventure. Of course you know that already. But do you know how this tool becomes manifest in our daily experience? It is an interesting phenomenon, this LIFE...where we are posed with questions, ideas, choices...every where we turn. And even within our minds and hearts...apart from the world at large, we are constantly given opportunities to choose...and then to choose again. Each response to every new moment is an opportunity for choice. A new perspective. A new IDEA. If we find ourselves in the same or similar predicaments, over and over again...as if we were repeating some unfriendly pattern...that will just not let up...perhaps it is time to consider that we just have not chosen from the depth of BEing, yet. That the reasons why repeated patterns keep haunting us like ghosts from our past...is that we have been unwilling to touch the level of consciousness at our core...the place where finally...one new choice could help to weave an entirely new chapter...within this story of our lives.

But we are humans and we learn this way. Bit by bit, layer by layer. And every different arena in our lives...has it's own set of layers...issues...choices.

It takes time...to humanize the LIGHT! What is it that you have not looked at yet? What is it that you think you really HAVE done already...not understanding at all, that the reoccurring design keeps spiraling back to you because there is within that particular issue...a level... you have not addressed yet?

Remember, after all...everything that we have experienced thus far, has served us well. No matter what it is..even a seeming "failure"...has the potential to be one more lesson in remembering who we are.

Every little event, adventure, twist in the tapestry of lives... has been there for a reason...and it has not been a mistake. Therefore, our continual re-choosing is a necessary step on our path. Some of you have heard me say this before...

You cannot really skip steps on this path, because the path will catch up to YOU!

So...denial or avoidance, whether it be conscious or not..is an "illusion" of control!

Wherever we step...THERE we are!

So now you have a heartfelt urge to finally, once and for all..step lightly but fully.

And maybe even find a way to blast those boulders you have been stumbling over, on your path....away. Sometimes though, those boulders are not as stubborn as we think. And with the sincere willingness to dive into deeper levels of your SELF......and move through them.... not just creatively navigate around them...those boulders, turn into rocks... what may appear to be rocks blocking your path....when diving to an even deeper state of willingness...all of a sudden are stones on the road. Taking on a new perspective or consciousness as you navigate your way through the depth of you being... they begin to simply disintegrate...blow away... away...like bubbles. Only bubbles created by our own Resistance is what keeps us seemingly separated from our essence.

it might take you some time..to actually get from BOULDER to BUBBLE...

but what else are you doing? This is why we are here...

to REAL-EYES...the TRUTH about life...spirit...SELF.

What bubbles have you mistaken for boulders? It might take you some time to get from one to other..but, what else are you doing, anyway?

Respect the process...it is divine.

This is why you are here.

To REAL-eyes..YOUR truth. Bit by bit...

layer by layer.

Just a little willingness to see more clearly, hear more fully and dive deeply...takes you a long, long, way...back...to where you began. And it is only in that deep place...where healing and growth can occur. Only to resurface...breathing new air...new consciousness.

In that way you are truly born again.

(see one of my new digital collages, "Born Again", by clicking below.)

http://parellelvisions.blogspot.com/

End of rambling for today...check out this music/video from the movie: "CRASH". I loved this movie, but ...if you are feeling a little sensitive, you might not want to watch the trailer. In that case...just close your eyes and listen. The audio is clear and her voice and lyrics are lovely.

"IN THE DEEP" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_FRluQgYpI