Hello again gentle readers
Lately it's become trendy to revile Barack Obama in the blogosphere. When he was elected there was general public euphoria ~ now it seems the honeymoon is over, and because instant Utopia has seemingly not emerged, the public are gradually turning on the man.
Can I urge a little balance here people. Frankly I too was glad to see him elected ~ not because he was any kind of saviour, but he was at least a well-spoken, articulate man of apparently, at least, some sensitivity. Surely it's better we have someone in office who is interested in the future as opposed to simply maintaining a worn-out status quo.
My view is simply this ~ you wanted him to solve all your problems, now you are blaming him for what is still not fixed. Can I suggest that as the man himself said in his inaugural speech, it really is up to each one of us ~ yep, that's right - you! ~ to address our personal and collective problems. I am not advocating the radical individualism of the past. I am reminding us all that we have the power in our own hands to improve our personal reality.
The way to do this, in my humble opinion, is to realise that much of what we do is dysfunctional. This is not to condemn anyone, but rather to help. We need to stop trying to solve our problems at the level of the mind ~ because it's our overactive, self-deceptive, monkey-chattering minds that ARE the problem.
More and more, I find I am craving a better way of living ~ not, in the first instance, a "better life", which is the well-worn egoic mind's perpetual external-seeking of something "better". I crave for myself more objectivity, more inner stability both of my mind and persona. I really feel I need to get out of the way; to be the observer rather than the reactor. As I cultivate this inner observer more, I can see that others sense the change in me. I cease to have any particular agenda, therefore I get back from the universe a positive reaction, smiles from strangers, and a greater sense of inner peace.
All this can be done while being active in the world. We just need to come back to square one ~ which is our very self. Let's tear down the idea of "my-self"; this entity that needs constant fulfillment and distraction. Let's try to return to the sacred inner source where all our needs are already met.
I am constantly reminded of the words of Eckhart Tolle ~ such simple, nourishing words that being me back to first principles every time. That's what I believe we need right now ~ in a world that wants to take us away from our inner self, let's remember that without our inner self we can never have the truly better quality of life we all crave. Blessings and peace to all
Anthony
Friday, June 12, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
May Musings
This post is more of a journal-stroke-musing entry, as I reflect on where I'm at currently.
For a long time I've really struggled to find either suitable or even just ongoing work, not just with the economic climate but really throughout my life since university. I have a lot of interests and fields of study that I engage in, but my biggest theme has been trying to integrate my passions and interests into some kind of meaning and also into work.
I'm glad to say I have an interview today for a job and I feel my prospects are good. To try to cover my bills I've been doing a lot of temp work but boy am I tired of that. When you temp you never know from week to week if you'll have an assignment, and therefore an income. The job I'm going for today is a 9 month contract to fill a role vacated by secondment. It would be great, if the role seems suitable, to have that kind of rare stability at this time!
I find that parallel with my economic situation, my inner world is just as active and in a process of flux. Right through my life and especially now I find I am really continuing to question what is real and what is true, in terms of the world of spirit and how it applies to actually living your life. The Buddhists say, before enlightenment, chop wood carry water - after enlightenment, chop wood carry water. This is so true! Its the human condition to carry on living one's life even while undertaking an internal spiritual quest. It doesn't make the inner world any less meaningful - in fact I consider it a blessing to have the external world in which to anchor my senses and my perception of reality even while I search my inner self for meaning.
One thing that frustrates me about the "modern" world of ours is the materialist interpretation of reality. So many so-called "experts" peddle the line that all things - including our consciousness - have emerged from matter. As well as this being philosophically absurd, to me its a deliberate insult to the human spirit. I feel grateful that I carry a knowing within that the spirit world is very real - the realm of clear knowing that we all originate from exists, and it has no need to justify itself to the world. I can't help but feel angry when the militant, scientific materialists deliberately downplay the importance of the clear light of the spirit world because right now I believe as humans in a materialistic age we need to be connected to our spirit more than ever. I know it's silly of me to take it personally but occasionally I can't help feel that way.
There are so many thoughts, theories, and unnecessary diversions today clouding the knowing of spirit. Just as our cities are being clogged with physical pollution, the mindstream of human consciousness is logjammed with extraneous thought. Fortunately I am of the conviction that most people have a deep-down sense of what is true and right ~ it may be only a whisper within their souls, but I am convinced that it is there. To me it's vital to maintain this kind of tentative optimism even in the face of a seemingly heedless march into a technologically-based false ecstasy. Personally I look forward to a time when this orgy of technology is replaced by a more sensitive, receptive and thoughtful outlook, based on a knowing that something higher and more "true" is there, just outside our noisy, rushing lifestyles, waiting for us to simply tune in and acknowledge it is there.
So while we chop wood and carry water, we can at least carry an inner joy, an inner peace, content that the true reason we are here is to grow in wisdom, to refine our inner knowing, and to bring more of that quiet joy and peace into our world. That way, no matter where we are or what we do for a career, we can infuse this world with more of the spirit of consciousness that flows from the finer realms. And to me that is the reason we are here ~ to help gently uplift and refine this material world, and our very being.
Peace be
Anthony
For a long time I've really struggled to find either suitable or even just ongoing work, not just with the economic climate but really throughout my life since university. I have a lot of interests and fields of study that I engage in, but my biggest theme has been trying to integrate my passions and interests into some kind of meaning and also into work.
I'm glad to say I have an interview today for a job and I feel my prospects are good. To try to cover my bills I've been doing a lot of temp work but boy am I tired of that. When you temp you never know from week to week if you'll have an assignment, and therefore an income. The job I'm going for today is a 9 month contract to fill a role vacated by secondment. It would be great, if the role seems suitable, to have that kind of rare stability at this time!
I find that parallel with my economic situation, my inner world is just as active and in a process of flux. Right through my life and especially now I find I am really continuing to question what is real and what is true, in terms of the world of spirit and how it applies to actually living your life. The Buddhists say, before enlightenment, chop wood carry water - after enlightenment, chop wood carry water. This is so true! Its the human condition to carry on living one's life even while undertaking an internal spiritual quest. It doesn't make the inner world any less meaningful - in fact I consider it a blessing to have the external world in which to anchor my senses and my perception of reality even while I search my inner self for meaning.
One thing that frustrates me about the "modern" world of ours is the materialist interpretation of reality. So many so-called "experts" peddle the line that all things - including our consciousness - have emerged from matter. As well as this being philosophically absurd, to me its a deliberate insult to the human spirit. I feel grateful that I carry a knowing within that the spirit world is very real - the realm of clear knowing that we all originate from exists, and it has no need to justify itself to the world. I can't help but feel angry when the militant, scientific materialists deliberately downplay the importance of the clear light of the spirit world because right now I believe as humans in a materialistic age we need to be connected to our spirit more than ever. I know it's silly of me to take it personally but occasionally I can't help feel that way.
There are so many thoughts, theories, and unnecessary diversions today clouding the knowing of spirit. Just as our cities are being clogged with physical pollution, the mindstream of human consciousness is logjammed with extraneous thought. Fortunately I am of the conviction that most people have a deep-down sense of what is true and right ~ it may be only a whisper within their souls, but I am convinced that it is there. To me it's vital to maintain this kind of tentative optimism even in the face of a seemingly heedless march into a technologically-based false ecstasy. Personally I look forward to a time when this orgy of technology is replaced by a more sensitive, receptive and thoughtful outlook, based on a knowing that something higher and more "true" is there, just outside our noisy, rushing lifestyles, waiting for us to simply tune in and acknowledge it is there.
So while we chop wood and carry water, we can at least carry an inner joy, an inner peace, content that the true reason we are here is to grow in wisdom, to refine our inner knowing, and to bring more of that quiet joy and peace into our world. That way, no matter where we are or what we do for a career, we can infuse this world with more of the spirit of consciousness that flows from the finer realms. And to me that is the reason we are here ~ to help gently uplift and refine this material world, and our very being.
Peace be
Anthony
Friday, May 8, 2009
Symbolism in the new Star Trek movie
Well I had a day off work yesterday, so I went and caught the new Star Trek movie. It was certainly entertaining, a little violent at some points but otherwise enjoyable.
Watch out ~ spoiler alert!
I noticed some interesting symbolism right from the get-go. The movie takes place in a slightly altered timeline from the original series, due to the arrival of a huge spacecraft from the future. George Kirk, father of James T. Kirk, is forced to assume command of a starship. His pregnant wife is on board, and she goes into labour as George, alone on the ship with everyone else evacuated, attacks the enemy vessel. He dies heroically, and his wife escapes - giving birth to the future James T. in the escape pod.
This reminded me of the many Sun King legends from pagan and Egyptian traditions. George can be seen as Osiris - the father who dies, and is reborn again in his son Horus, who goes on to be the new King (James Kirk of course going on to become the legendary captain of the Enterprise). George's wife is like the Mother Goddess, or Isis, who gives birth to the new Sun God ~ just as in pagan tradition, the summer Sun dies in winter and is reborn again from the earth in spring.
As the movie went on I realised another connection to occult symbolism, one which I explored in my last full-length post: that of the number 7. Kirk and his core crew, the main cast of the original series, are seven in number: Kirk the Sun King, Spock, Uhura (Venus), McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekhov. Its amazing how often groups of 7 turn up - as above so below, I guess. Also, its said that soul groups travel in groups of 7 throughout various incarnations.
Til next time
Watch out ~ spoiler alert!
I noticed some interesting symbolism right from the get-go. The movie takes place in a slightly altered timeline from the original series, due to the arrival of a huge spacecraft from the future. George Kirk, father of James T. Kirk, is forced to assume command of a starship. His pregnant wife is on board, and she goes into labour as George, alone on the ship with everyone else evacuated, attacks the enemy vessel. He dies heroically, and his wife escapes - giving birth to the future James T. in the escape pod.
This reminded me of the many Sun King legends from pagan and Egyptian traditions. George can be seen as Osiris - the father who dies, and is reborn again in his son Horus, who goes on to be the new King (James Kirk of course going on to become the legendary captain of the Enterprise). George's wife is like the Mother Goddess, or Isis, who gives birth to the new Sun God ~ just as in pagan tradition, the summer Sun dies in winter and is reborn again from the earth in spring.
As the movie went on I realised another connection to occult symbolism, one which I explored in my last full-length post: that of the number 7. Kirk and his core crew, the main cast of the original series, are seven in number: Kirk the Sun King, Spock, Uhura (Venus), McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekhov. Its amazing how often groups of 7 turn up - as above so below, I guess. Also, its said that soul groups travel in groups of 7 throughout various incarnations.
Til next time
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Comments issue now fixed
Hi everyone
Recently two of my readers told me they could not post their comments on my blog ~ I'm just writing to advise you this problem is thankfully now fixed.
Please by all means go right ahead and post!
Thank you
Anthony
Recently two of my readers told me they could not post their comments on my blog ~ I'm just writing to advise you this problem is thankfully now fixed.
Please by all means go right ahead and post!
Thank you
Anthony
Friday, May 1, 2009
Justice League - Gods of the Solar System?
One of the more fascinating connections I have found in popular culture of late concerns comic book superheroes. Virtually everyone in the Western world is familiar with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc. But does anyone realise that these superheroes represent modern mythmaking - and that the core 7 heroes are but the latest embodiment of the 7 planetary gods?
In one of my favourite books, The Secret History of the World, the author points out that all through history there has been a perennial philosophy - a vision of the spirit worlds and the creator gods based not on dogma but ancient tradition, connecting the creation of the world with the spirits of the Sun, Moon, and five classical planets (Mercury through Saturn). Recently I realised that you can quite easily see how these gods - the same gods of the Olympian era - have been reincarnated in comic book form in the twentieth century.
Let's start with Superman. He draws his power from the Sun, and has a big golden "S" on his chest - which stands for the Sun, Sol, or Sol Invictus. He flies across the blue sky - blue being the main colour of his costume. His birth name, Kal El, comes from the character's creators Jewish heritage and means "voice of God"; in esoteric philosophy the Sun God is equivalent to the Logos or the Word - the spoken Word that in the beginning manifested all of creation. Superman is therfore clearly a solar hero; strong, noble, doing all his work in the bright light of day and working to bring all criminals to justice.
Batman meanwhile is his cosmic counterpart. He is an Earthling, cannot fly under his own power, and does all his best work at night. His animal totem - the bat - is a night creature. Batman uses fear and illusion to snare his foes. All this is highly suggestive of the Moon. Batman is therefore an incarnation of the Moon powers.
The Flash? That's simple- the golden wings on his helmet give the game away immediately. He is an avatar of Mercury, the winged messenger of the gods, fleet of foot, fast as quicksilver.
Wonder Woman is clearly Venus; not only is she female, and is a warrior princess (as were some early versions of Venus, or Astarte), but she bears the pentagram of Venus on her tiara.
Mars, again a no brainer: the Martian Manhunter!
Jupiter is a little trickier to spot in this bunch, but for me Aquaman takes the title. In Jupiter or Zeus' earliest forms he was a fish god - and otherwise known as Poseidon, god of the seas.
Now - Saturn had me bamboozled for quite some time. The hero Green Lantern suggested himself, but I thought how is he connected? I couldn't see it for the life of me. Then I read that at one point in the DC comics' history, they killed him off and replaced him with a demonic entity called the Parallax. This entity travelled from world to world feeding on people's fear, destroying whole civilisations. This is surely a primordial representation of the ancient god of death, Saturn.
And there you have it! The Greek gods are alive and well, folks, and we are re-telling their myths every day, in comics and in movies.
In one of my favourite books, The Secret History of the World, the author points out that all through history there has been a perennial philosophy - a vision of the spirit worlds and the creator gods based not on dogma but ancient tradition, connecting the creation of the world with the spirits of the Sun, Moon, and five classical planets (Mercury through Saturn). Recently I realised that you can quite easily see how these gods - the same gods of the Olympian era - have been reincarnated in comic book form in the twentieth century.
Let's start with Superman. He draws his power from the Sun, and has a big golden "S" on his chest - which stands for the Sun, Sol, or Sol Invictus. He flies across the blue sky - blue being the main colour of his costume. His birth name, Kal El, comes from the character's creators Jewish heritage and means "voice of God"; in esoteric philosophy the Sun God is equivalent to the Logos or the Word - the spoken Word that in the beginning manifested all of creation. Superman is therfore clearly a solar hero; strong, noble, doing all his work in the bright light of day and working to bring all criminals to justice.
Batman meanwhile is his cosmic counterpart. He is an Earthling, cannot fly under his own power, and does all his best work at night. His animal totem - the bat - is a night creature. Batman uses fear and illusion to snare his foes. All this is highly suggestive of the Moon. Batman is therefore an incarnation of the Moon powers.
The Flash? That's simple- the golden wings on his helmet give the game away immediately. He is an avatar of Mercury, the winged messenger of the gods, fleet of foot, fast as quicksilver.
Wonder Woman is clearly Venus; not only is she female, and is a warrior princess (as were some early versions of Venus, or Astarte), but she bears the pentagram of Venus on her tiara.
Mars, again a no brainer: the Martian Manhunter!
Jupiter is a little trickier to spot in this bunch, but for me Aquaman takes the title. In Jupiter or Zeus' earliest forms he was a fish god - and otherwise known as Poseidon, god of the seas.
Now - Saturn had me bamboozled for quite some time. The hero Green Lantern suggested himself, but I thought how is he connected? I couldn't see it for the life of me. Then I read that at one point in the DC comics' history, they killed him off and replaced him with a demonic entity called the Parallax. This entity travelled from world to world feeding on people's fear, destroying whole civilisations. This is surely a primordial representation of the ancient god of death, Saturn.
And there you have it! The Greek gods are alive and well, folks, and we are re-telling their myths every day, in comics and in movies.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Lost ... and Found!
My partner and I are working in the same part of the city at the moment, and as it was raining I suggested we get a taxi to work. As we only live 10 minutes away this is not too expensive.
As we arrived I got my out wallet to pay with a card, but Susan managed to put together the exact fare in change, so we used that. I thanked the driver and we got out. I went to work thinking no more of it.
It wasn't until 11am that I realised there was nothing in my back pocket. My wallet was gone! I realised I must have dropped it in the cab and somehow just not realised. D'oh!
Naturally I called the cab company to report it, and also the banks where I have my cards and stopped them...usually I would be in more of a panic state, but with all my occult studies I knew to just chill and be cool. I knew there was no point getting in a big state, because after all the situation was what it was. The good thing was there was no cash in the wallet. The downside is the taxi company said it could be two or three days before I heard back from them.
As I was leaving work (I got to leave early today) I felt a prompting to say a prayer to the Goddess, whom I recognise as Isis. I've been studying the Egyptian myths lately, and as a former tarot reader I've long felt a connection with Isis. I offered the prayer, giving thanks to the Most High God (as I always am sure to do first up) and then to Isis, as the patient & faithful protectress of us here on earth. I asked if what was lost could be returned to me, but of course to let God's will be done. (Little did I know that at the same time, my partner was saying a prayer to St Anthony, patron saint of returning lost items - and my namesake!).
Imagine my "shock and awe" when I got home, checked the mail and found - my wallet! Sitting comfortably right there in my letter box. Wow!! I could hardly believe it. I walked inside holding the recovered wallet in a semi-daze. It was going to be a pain in the behind to replace the cards, the ID, etc etc - but now here it was.
Obviously then taxi driver must have got my address from my ID. I presumed two earth-plane possibilities: that the kind cab driver waited till he got a fare back to my suburb and dropped it off on his way through; or that he very kindly drove all the way back here and dropped it off. Either way, my prayer was answered in pretty short order!
So folks - got any problems that need dealing with? Well send off those prayers to the divine beings you feel most comfortable with and get them into action for you! That's all the heavenly ones are waiting for - for a human being to ask for their help. No questions asked!
With thanks to the nice cab driver - and the heavenly hierarchies.
As we arrived I got my out wallet to pay with a card, but Susan managed to put together the exact fare in change, so we used that. I thanked the driver and we got out. I went to work thinking no more of it.
It wasn't until 11am that I realised there was nothing in my back pocket. My wallet was gone! I realised I must have dropped it in the cab and somehow just not realised. D'oh!
Naturally I called the cab company to report it, and also the banks where I have my cards and stopped them...usually I would be in more of a panic state, but with all my occult studies I knew to just chill and be cool. I knew there was no point getting in a big state, because after all the situation was what it was. The good thing was there was no cash in the wallet. The downside is the taxi company said it could be two or three days before I heard back from them.
As I was leaving work (I got to leave early today) I felt a prompting to say a prayer to the Goddess, whom I recognise as Isis. I've been studying the Egyptian myths lately, and as a former tarot reader I've long felt a connection with Isis. I offered the prayer, giving thanks to the Most High God (as I always am sure to do first up) and then to Isis, as the patient & faithful protectress of us here on earth. I asked if what was lost could be returned to me, but of course to let God's will be done. (Little did I know that at the same time, my partner was saying a prayer to St Anthony, patron saint of returning lost items - and my namesake!).
Imagine my "shock and awe" when I got home, checked the mail and found - my wallet! Sitting comfortably right there in my letter box. Wow!! I could hardly believe it. I walked inside holding the recovered wallet in a semi-daze. It was going to be a pain in the behind to replace the cards, the ID, etc etc - but now here it was.
Obviously then taxi driver must have got my address from my ID. I presumed two earth-plane possibilities: that the kind cab driver waited till he got a fare back to my suburb and dropped it off on his way through; or that he very kindly drove all the way back here and dropped it off. Either way, my prayer was answered in pretty short order!
So folks - got any problems that need dealing with? Well send off those prayers to the divine beings you feel most comfortable with and get them into action for you! That's all the heavenly ones are waiting for - for a human being to ask for their help. No questions asked!
With thanks to the nice cab driver - and the heavenly hierarchies.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Chiron - the Alchemist of the New Age
I've not posted for a couple of weeks as I was waiting for something good to say. Then today I feel like I had a fascinating realisation about Chiron, that little understood member of our solar system.
In Greek mythology Chiron is a centaur, in fact the most educated and civilised member of that race. He is a healer, a herbalist and a wise mentor to men. He is famous for having been accidentally shot by Heracles' (Hercules) poison arrows, and for suffering constantly because as an immortal god he could not die. With Zeus' intercession Chiron gave up his immortality to Prometheus, who was chained to a rock. So Chiron was allowed to die rather than suffer for eternity, and Zeus placed him in the sky as the constellation Sagittarius (some sources say Centaurus).
Chiron the asteroid was discovered in 1977. It was soon realised that Chiron is in fact part icy comet, part rocky asteriod that travels between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus.
Chiron's physical makeup is a big clue to his function in astrology. Many astrologers feel that Chiron partakes of the energies of both Uranus and Saturn; the icy part ~ and his erratic orbit! ~ represent his connection to the cosmic energies of Uranus, and the rocky, materialistic part to the energies of Saturn.
I believe Chiron has a major role to play in helping humankind to enter the Age of Aquarius. Many people in the "new age" community believe the Age of Aquarius heralds a new era of relations between humans, and with humans to the heavens. The trick is that Uranus and Aquarius represent having access to cosmic wisdom which could help facilitate this change; but Saturn represents the existing forms we all struggle with, the status quo that's been in place for so long, the things we see around us that depress us and make us pessimistic about the future.
The good news is that a change IS due, and we can all play our part in this. Chiron in the birth chart can help you see where you can channel the cosmic wisdom into an acceptable form in your life. Chiron, as the mediator between Mind and Matter, can help us to transform our ideas into reality.
For example, this blog is one attempt at activating my own Chiron. I have Chiron in the 5th house, which is creative expression, and in Aries, which is indepedence and assertion. By having this forum for my desire for creative expression, I am doing something to satisfy my need to transform my life.
In Greek mythology Chiron is a centaur, in fact the most educated and civilised member of that race. He is a healer, a herbalist and a wise mentor to men. He is famous for having been accidentally shot by Heracles' (Hercules) poison arrows, and for suffering constantly because as an immortal god he could not die. With Zeus' intercession Chiron gave up his immortality to Prometheus, who was chained to a rock. So Chiron was allowed to die rather than suffer for eternity, and Zeus placed him in the sky as the constellation Sagittarius (some sources say Centaurus).
Chiron the asteroid was discovered in 1977. It was soon realised that Chiron is in fact part icy comet, part rocky asteriod that travels between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus.
Chiron's physical makeup is a big clue to his function in astrology. Many astrologers feel that Chiron partakes of the energies of both Uranus and Saturn; the icy part ~ and his erratic orbit! ~ represent his connection to the cosmic energies of Uranus, and the rocky, materialistic part to the energies of Saturn.
I believe Chiron has a major role to play in helping humankind to enter the Age of Aquarius. Many people in the "new age" community believe the Age of Aquarius heralds a new era of relations between humans, and with humans to the heavens. The trick is that Uranus and Aquarius represent having access to cosmic wisdom which could help facilitate this change; but Saturn represents the existing forms we all struggle with, the status quo that's been in place for so long, the things we see around us that depress us and make us pessimistic about the future.
The good news is that a change IS due, and we can all play our part in this. Chiron in the birth chart can help you see where you can channel the cosmic wisdom into an acceptable form in your life. Chiron, as the mediator between Mind and Matter, can help us to transform our ideas into reality.
For example, this blog is one attempt at activating my own Chiron. I have Chiron in the 5th house, which is creative expression, and in Aries, which is indepedence and assertion. By having this forum for my desire for creative expression, I am doing something to satisfy my need to transform my life.
Chiron is associated with healing, and by activating our Chiron we can begin the work of self healing.
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