Re: CREDO CXXXI Solstice

[Guest guest]

Thank you Alice. :-)

Quiet stary nights.

Happy Advent.

>

>

>

>

>

> CREDO CXXXI

> Solstice

> The first Sunday in Advent marks the beginning of the Christian year.

> These first four Sundays always come before the Solstice on Dec. 31 and there

> is a reason why. The Solstice, an astronomical feature, falls on Dec. 21,

> and marks the entrance of the Sun into the earth sign of Capricorn, ruled by

> Saturn and which gave rise to the riotous pagan Roman celebrations called

> the Saturnalia. So the early Christian fathers, therefore, chose December

> 25th not only to supplant the Romans’ but also the birth of Mithra, founder

> of a rival religion. What all of them celebrate really is the event called

> the Solstice. and the outer materialism manifest at this time really implies

> something far more significant. If you think about it, it is the

> culmination of nine months from the first sign of Aries and it takes usually

nine

> months for the gestation and physical appearance of a baby!

> But there is an emphasis on materialism as well, and I am certain that few

> of us have missed the incredible, almost exclusive, emphasis today in the

> media on the importance of material sales, profits, and competitions for

> every penny. Not a word about the Solstice let alone the symbolic spiritual

> implications involved, So it seems important for us to remember what the

> Solstice really is and to regain the symbolic import given it by all cultures

> in the Northern hemisphere through thousands of years.

> It marks the shortest darkest day in the year! This year it will be for

> those on EST at 6:39 pm. This marks the moment when the Sun appears to stop

> and move northward. [sol-stice is Latin for Sun-still] bringing Light and the

> promise, through the coldest months, that we are moving towards Spring,

> Aries! Slowly, by increments of 2/3 minutes each day this is the message of

> hope that new life will bring the greening, blooming and fertility of the

> earth again. All of this in reality is caused by the motion of our Earth as

> it orbits yearly the Sun.

> The event is recognized consciously by all the religions and is

> spiritually celebrated by Christians as Christ’s Mass; by the Jews, as

Hanukkah; by

> people of color as Kwanzaa; by the Norse as Yule; by the Hindus as Diwali.

> Moslems, Zoroastrians and Orientals all recognize it, as did the ancient

> Egyptians and Babylonians. Hope comes afresh with the return of Light.

> It seems therefore, that we should and could lift our eyes from the

> bargains being touted everywhere, and realize the grandeur of our Solar

System,

> that despite the never-ending wars and conflicts of humanity, continues to

> remind us that Light, Life, and Love are still there for us, and that there

> is a far deeper meaning to this recurring event. So maybe we could stop and

> remember that we have, like every candle, a center for Light in our hearts

> and like the wick, it carries the same flame of Spirit.

> Thus, these four Sundays of Advent give us the time to appreciate the

> wonder that awaits us. Despite all our rushing around, it is comforting,

> unconscious or not, to know that this moment links us literally with the

manifest

> depths of our Solar System, So Happy Solstice! It unites us all.

> Lovingly, ao

>

[Guest guest]

Many years ago I applied for a scholarship to a writing workshop and the lady on the phone gently and apologetically told me that scholarships were reserved for "people of color." (How could she tell over the telephone what color I was?)

I was in no condition to argue with her then but later it occurred to me that I'm sorta pink and that's a color, right? Actually, it's my most unfavorite color but it is a color. I wish I'd thought of that response then. Oh, well, I probably wasn't meant to attend that workshop anyway.

Blissings,SamSearch for Soulhttps://sampatron.wordpress.com

Just because I believe something doesn't mean it's true.Just because I don't believe something doesn't mean it's untrue.Don't believe everything you think.

i should point out that we are ALL 'persons of colour', otherwise we'd be invisible.

[Guest guest]

*Snort!* No, no, Mike, you're thinking of OOB traveling where you become somebody's ET!

Blissings,SamSearch for Soulhttps://sampatron.wordpress.com

Just because I believe something doesn't mean it's true.Just because I don't believe something doesn't mean it's untrue.Don't believe everything you think.

yep... that kinda pinkish-grey you sometimes get in dreams if there's a light source too near...

[Guest guest]

i very rarely feel the need to correct you, my friend, but i do feel (perhaps because i grew up in a country based on this very distinction and therefore feel more sensitive to it?) that i should point out that we are ALL 'persons of colour', otherwise we'd be invisible.

aside from which, as Deb says, amen!--

Look on this life as the illusion of

appearance–emptiness,

rely on the unborn nature of mind

and pray that you will

be of benefit to others.All practice is summed up in this.

~Spontaneously sung by Dechen Rangdröl (Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtsho Rinpoche)

Not one atom opposes us.~Ch'an Master Hongzhi ZhenjueNo wind is favorable to the sailor who has no destination in mind

~Old saying

The more alert we become to the blessing that flows into us through everything we touch, the more our own touch will bring blessing.~ Steindl-Rast A Listening Heart

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

[Guest guest]

yep... that kinda pinkish-grey you sometimes get in dreams if there's a light source too near...--

Look on this life as the illusion of

appearance–emptiness,

rely on the unborn nature of mind

and pray that you will

be of benefit to others.All practice is summed up in this.

~Spontaneously sung by Dechen Rangdröl (Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtsho Rinpoche)

Not one atom opposes us.~Ch'an Master Hongzhi ZhenjueNo wind is favorable to the sailor who has no destination in mind

~Old saying

The more alert we become to the blessing that flows into us through everything we touch, the more our own touch will bring blessing.~ Steindl-Rast A Listening Heart

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

[Guest guest]

1

as darkness edges

deeper into daylight

the sun pauses

and we each raise

a solitary flame

in praise of the solar

return

remembered

2

as darkness edges

deeper into daylight

a couple

unremarkable

(encircled

with dreaming)

in no particular place

(at the center

of the universe)

offer the divine

newborn

and we each raise

a solitary flame

in praise of the sacred

return

remembered

3

what approaches now

emerges from the darkness

first wearing the face

of what we imagine

was left behind

an ancient father's face

perhaps

replaced

by the face

of a still more ancient mother

but as we edge closer

what approaches

from the darkness

wears the revenant face

of some one unknown

and we stand face to face

with the encompassing mystery

inside each of us

4

let us each

on this long night

also raise

a solitary flame

in praise of what we

do not remember

and yet recognize

in praise of what we

could not anticipate

but for which we ache

with apologies for misposting,

Bruce

bruce4j

[Guest guest]

*Snort!*  No, no, Mike, you're thinking of OOB traveling where you become somebody's ET!*heheheh! --

Look on this life as the illusion of

appearance–emptiness,

rely on the unborn nature of mind

and pray that you will

be of benefit to others.All practice is summed up in this.

~Spontaneously sung by Dechen Rangdröl (Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtsho Rinpoche)

Not one atom opposes us.~Ch'an Master Hongzhi ZhenjueNo wind is favorable to the sailor who has no destination in mind

~Old saying

The more alert we become to the blessing that flows into us through everything we touch, the more our own touch will bring blessing.~ Steindl-Rast A Listening Heart

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

[Guest guest]

Beautiful! a keeper...........

thanks n blessings

ao

1as darkness edgesdeeper into daylightwe each raisea solitary flamein praise of the solarreturnremembered2as darkness edgesdeeper into daylighta coupleunremarkable(encircledwith dreaming)in no particular place(at the centerof the universe)offer the divinenewbornand we each raisea solitary flamein praise of the sacredreturnremembered3what approaches nowemerges from the darknessfirst wearing the faceof what we imaginewas left behindan ancient father's faceperhapsreplacedby the faceof a still more ancient motherbut as we edge closerwhat approachesfrom the darknesswears the revenant faceof some one unknownand we stand face to facewith the encompassing mysteryinside each of us4let us eachon this long nightalso raisea solitary flamein praise of what wedo not rememberand yet recognizein praise of what we could not anticipatebut for which we acheBruce bruce4j