On life and death - consider this

 A video with things to consider...

The Egg Story by Andy Weir Animated by Kurzgesagt A Big Thanks to Andy Weir for allowing us to use his story. The original was released here: http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/thee... Visit his website here: http://www.andyweirauthor.com/

Celebrating Joanna Macy

 

WATCH • READ • LISTEN • ENGAGE Photo by Adam Loften Honoring Joanna Macy “You are not a separate being. You belong to the living body of Earth. You are the Earth, looking up at the stars. You are the Earth, becoming conscious of itself.” –Joanna Macy On Saturday, July 19th, eco-philosopher, Buddhist scholar, and dear friend Joanna Macy passed away at the age of ninety-six. Undoubtedly one of the most influential leaders of deep ecology, she dedicated her long life to the Work That Reconnects—a body of practices fostering a remembrance of the interconnectedness between people and the greater web of life; and frameworks for alchemizing despair, anger, and apathy towards loss and harm into constructive change and action. Of our current cultural and ecological polycrises, Joanna said, “The darker the circumstance, the more brilliant the invitation.” Joanna’s voice was one of the first we sought in our early publishing days, and she repeatedly offered insight and wisdom over the years through her writing, and as a teacher for our Seeds of Radical Renewal leadership program. In her interview with us, she traced the ways a life-long heart connection with the living world cultivated a resounding ecological awareness within her work, alongside a recognition of what she called “the Great Turning”—the possibilities of societal transformation that exist at the core of our unfolding destruction. “I have a lot of grief for what we’re doing to our world and to the future,” she said, “but I know at the same time that whatever happens, there’s nothing that can happen that will ever separate me from the living body of Earth.” Her exploration of how we might return to this “ecological self” as a way to be of service amid the climate catastrophe was central to many of her books, including World as Lover, World as Self, Coming Back to Life, and Active Hope. Joanna was also a seminal translator of Rainer Maria Rilke’s work. Moved by his contemplations on the entwinement of grief, beauty, and spiritual life, she often quoted a particular stanza from Book of Hours:   I live my life in widening circles that reach out across the world. I may never complete this last one, but I give myself to it. I circle around God, that primordial tower. I’ve been circling for thousands of years and I still don’t know: am I a falcon, a storm, or a great song? Through her work and life, Joanna imparted a way of being that does not shy away from collapse, but listens for what is emergent within it. She reminds us that grief is not a failing, and that to feel sorrow for the burning world is to be awake to its beauty: “In the face of impermanence and death, it takes courage to love the things of this world and to believe that praising them is our noblest calling.”

Thanks Emergence Magazine. Other touching obituaries have been shared by many others who's lives she impacted.

Here's a Substack article which just popped up in my In-Box.

https://drewdellinger.substack.com/p/bodhisattva-of-the-biosphere-a-tribute?utm_source=multiple-personal-recommendations-email&utm_medium=email&triedRedirect=true

Mindfulness meditation class

 Topic was anxiety and pain.

I went and joined 4 others as well as a licensed teacher, where we had 2 episodes of meditation. A bit of discussion of pain and anxiety, and treatments of same.

It was a good hour for just $5.

I will try it again. 

Did I get an answer to a question I posed?

Not really. The anxious awakening in the night and not being able to go back to sleep.

One woman said 4 cups of sleepy time tea. (and didn't mention how my bladder would respond to that).

I do like the idea of doing some mindful breath focus, just to get my mind away from worrying about the state of something that I did, or am about to do. I'll see how that works before the next class.

Channeling

 When a word catches your attention, it's meaning says "this should be considered more deeply, more fully," there's a wonderful thing that starts to happen. It reappears in other contexts. It seems to be like a gnat that comes by and then disappears, but only to reappear later. Bothersome. But perhaps that's just because you really need to do something about it. Built a gnat catching hotel for it. (whisper that a bowl of old fruit skins with a piece of plastic wrap stretched across and a few holes punched will entice your tiny friends into their own happy capture.) For the word "channeling" I just sit and wait.

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ... No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others”― Martha Graham

Another quote goes with helping us through traumas, like floods, accidents, fires, political destructions. 

Opening to that which is most naturally myself, then healing the structures which have been damaged.

That's where my thoughts this foggy morning are.

Getting clarity. Letting go. But still doing householder's tasks. I threw out the pretty nectarine which suddenly bloomed with a big patch of mold on one side, the side I hadn't been looking at. Fuzzy greenish grey says "danger, beware, do not breathe the spores which emanate from me."

Meditate on what is most healthy. I am just part of the whole that is.

A Kimmerer tale

 Robin Wall Kimmerer is such a great author. "Braiding Sweetgrass" was my first joyfully owned reading of hers. 

She is published often by Emergence Magazine, who has Sunday sharings on their newsletters. Here's one from last Sunday, the trees and life, and microbiology! Such images!

Becoming Earth: An Experimental Theology

The Trickster

 A podcast…about the trickster. The Emerald with Joshua Sherei.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-emerald/id1465445746?i=1000701811853

I took my time listening to this podcast…and about 3/4 way through I was struck by the metaphor of the body and culture. So I’m going to go back and listen to that again…it seemed to go very quickly, while talking about looking for slowness.

Summer Solstice

I may do a ritual for Summer Solstice this year...which I don't believe I ever have. Let's see, just have a circle to represent the elements and directions (N,S,E and W.) Earth, air, fire, water. Easy to find in all my collections. I can set this up as an altar, a place to meditate upon as the longest day of the year offers all that sun-time! Music helps set the mood of reverence, probably some sunshine songs.

"Sunshine on My Shoulders" by John Denver (from the Wildlife Concert)