November 21, 2024

When we embrace
being in right relationship
with community…

I know where I stand. But of late it’s been a bit tippy. I know myself to be rooted in the Dharma of my spiritual community, including this line from one of our fundamental prayers: I accept all people as my own and open my heart to share with them.

Then I read these words from James Baldwin. We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist. The resonance is strong.

In our nation right now, the trajectory of what is promised is absolutely rooted in oppression and the denial of humanity and basic human rights. So many people are rooted in these beliefs. How can I possibly open my heart to them? This is sorely testing my belief that everyone holds the Light of divine wisdom. It’s tempting to limit my definition of all people and just focus on my tribe. Tempting, but no. The challenge is to step away from the polarization. The challenge is to amplify the Light.

I do see all people as my human community. Yet I will not open myself to their anger and hate. I will open myself to their Light. And when they are open to their own Light, there can be sharing. For I know their Light to be rooted in love and compassion and peace, and I open my heart to sharing those energies. 

So for now, I will continue to shine my Light and pray it touches and awakens the Light in others. For now, I will continue to shine my Light and pray for collateral compassion.

Beannacht,
Judith

November 20, 2024

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

His light was extinguished too soon. Yet he left us a legacy of music that resonates, yet again, for the times in which we find ourselves. As powerful now as it was then. I find myself turning to music as salve for my soul. His brings me to tears. Because I am also a dreamer.

Just found this image in the Banksy community. Too good not to share. Too good not to weep. Tears of hope. Tears of knowing we are not alone. He is with us.

Thank you, St. John….as my husband names you. Thank you for your music and song and beautiful soul.

Beannacht,
Judith

November 18, 2024

November 14, 2024

We must build people power.
There is no other option.
Krystal Two Bulls
Executive Director
Oglala Lakota
Northern Cheyenne

I’m reminded of a huge anti-war rally in 1971. The student union ballroom was packed. The energy was high and people were chanting ‘power to the people’ when one of the speakers said, “Fuck the people. They voted for Nixon.” 

Perhaps the same could be said today, but I won’t. For the people is where our power is now. The power to resist the horrors promised by this coming administration: the concentration camps, defunding public education and health and social services, selling our national parks to private developers. OK. The list is long and you don’t need me to articulate it here. 

I can’t and won’t discount the hard journey ahead for us. But I do see a gift in where we are. I wonder whether, had the election been different up and down ballot, we wouldn’t now be sharing a huge collective sigh of relief, secure in in the belief that the future of our nation was in safe hands, and with the election behind us, turning to other concerns. 

But there is no turning away. There is no collective sigh of relief. We are coming together and galvanizing our resolve to resist, to create resilient networks, and to invest in systems and structures that can endure beyond election cycles, to build a stronger movement that can’t be ignored by the systems and parties in power.

Power to the people! For there is power in the people. And being part of what is unfolding across our nation energizes me and gives me great hope. And that is the gift of where we are. 

Beannacht,
Judith

November 12, 2024

Our laughter
will set us free
and our love
will lift up the world.

We order our sustainable toilet paper and paper towels from Who Gives A Crap. With a name like that, you can imagine the corporate culture. It’s delightful. Uplifting and playful. Each roll is wrapped with a message like the one above. Their marketing is hilarious.

The rest of the message on the roll today: Thank you for being part of our community. You’ve helped us donate millions to help people all over the world. It’s pretty incredible and we couldn’t have done it without you. Now imagine we have a rose in our mouth. And shiny hair. Maybe our shirt is ripped open? Tattered? Ok, we’re getting carried away. Yours forever and always, Who Gives A Crap. Keep the spark alive.

My point here is not to sell you on their paper products, although feel free. My point is that in the anxiety about the future of our nation and indeed the world, we cannot lose our sense of humor. We cannot lose our ability to laugh. We have some hard work and heavy lifting ahead of us, my friends. It will be a journey of passion and compassion as we work for justice for all beings and the Earth. But if we can’t add joy to our journey, then our journey will not be sustainable. 

Activist Emma Goldman said, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.” It was true then. It should be true for us today. So let’s remember to dance and sing and laugh. It will feed the creative spirit we need for our journey. 

And Who Gives A Crap, you had me at keep the spark alive.

Beannacht,
Judith

November 8, 2024

When we are in right relationship
with the sacred and community…

I’m staying away from the news right now. I choose not to go down the dark rabbit hole of finger pointing and speculation about how we got here and where we are going. For now, I choose to focus on the Light.

I have been scrolling through Facebook, downloading the many uplifting images and writings people have posted in the last couple of days. Fodder for future posts. Reminders of the essential spirit that lives in my many communities. And in the process something shifted. In the past weeks and months, I had viewed these people as like-minded and like-spirited people focused on the election. Now I view them as a tribe of people focused on manifesting a future of hope and possibility. A tribe of resistance. A tribe of Light workers. A tribe that will be sustenance for the journey ahead.

Be around the Light Bringers,
The Magic Makers,
The World Shifters.
They challenge you,
break you open,
uplift and expand you.
They don’t let you play
small with your life.
These Heartbeats are your people.
These people are your Tribe.

Our Tribe. There is courage and passion and compassion here. There is love and Light here. There is cause for celebration here.

Beannacht,
Judith

November 6, 2024

When we are in right relationship
with the sacred and community…

I wrote in a recent post about helping a friend clear out his wife’s clothes. I was over there yesterday. Seemed a good way to distract myself while waiting for the election results. This morning, like so many of us, I’m in deep grief and connecting with friends and family.

In the middle of those connections, he called. To thank me for coming over yesterday. I know he’s on the far right of the political spectrum and have studiously avoided political conversations with him. But this morning he was cheerful and asked if I wasn’t also happy with the election results. I paused and mentioned that actually I am terrified. 

I won’t go into the details beyond saying that he has clearly bought into the myth and narrative that we will be saved by this new regime. Our conversation was civil as we listened to each other and at the close of it I offered that while we don’t know all of what lies ahead, it will be important to navigate that journey from a space of caring and connection with each other and in community. “I love you,” he said. 

I love you. In this, the journey has already begun.

Beannacht,
Judith

November 6, 2024

When we are in right relationship
with the sacred and community…

I wrote in a recent post about helping a friend clear out his wife’s clothes. I was over there yesterday. Seemed a good way to distract myself while waiting for the election results. This morning, like so many of us, I’m in deep grief and connecting with friends and family.

In the middle of those connections, he called. To thank me for coming over yesterday. I know he’s on the far right of the political spectrum and have studiously avoided political conversations with him. But this morning he was cheerful and asked if I wasn’t also happy with the election results. I paused and mentioned that actually I am terrified. 

I won’t go into the details beyond saying that he has clearly bought into the myth and narrative that we will be saved by this new regime. Our conversation was civil as we listened to each other and at the close of it I offered that while we don’t know all of what lies ahead, it will be important to navigate that journey from a space of caring and connection with each other and in community. “I love you,” he said. 

I love you. In this, the journey has already begun.

Beannacht,
Judith

November 5, 2024

When we are in right relationship
with the sacred and community…

It’s Election Day. And like so many, I’m holding a sense of optimism and staying away from the media circus. There will be time for that later. So for now, two stories.

I had a blood draw on Friday. A general look at my overall health. I had another blood draw today to detect the presence of cancer. It was my fifth. All others came back zero cancer so I’m optimistic. The delightful young man who did the Friday draw was such a bright light and spirit that I was compelled to comment on it. He was both delighted and taken aback, and told me no one has ever told them that before. Wow. It’s hard to miss. 

The draw today was by another bright spirit. I spoke with her about this and we fell into a wonderful conversation. She mentioned she’s had trouble focusing on the election and would rather just focus on the bright spirits she encounters through her work. She’s connecting me with another patient who she says has such a strong spiritual essence and said she would rather focus on starting a movement of Light spirits to increase that energy in the world. 

After she left I reflected on our conversation and
my two recent encounters. Regardless the outcome of this election, healing this fractured nation will be essential. And we each of us have the power to contribute to that healing. One encounter at a time when we take the time to see the Light in others and reflect it back to them.

We do have the power. We can absolutely be a shining movement of Light spirits and increase that energy in the world. Through this election and beyond, we will need all the Light we can shine. 

Beannacht,
Judith

November 2, 2024

Jellyfish. Seriously? I have never even remotely considered jellyfish as a spirit guide. Never heard of anyone claiming membership in the jellyfish clan nor being a jellyfish shaman. But here I am even wondering if I might get a tattoo. OK. Not. But the wisdom is compelling.

In our sacred sisterhood, the sisters spend much time in the natural world. Weaving with the nations of stone, fire, water, air, plants, and creatures. One of the sisters spends much time on the beaches near her coastal California home and her recent encounter with jellyfish in those waters opened up profound spiritual insights about these creatures. When she shared her insights with me I was inspired to create a graphic.

In the midst of this election, it might seem ridiculous to consider this gentle creature. Yet there is an energy of deep peace here, an energy that calls us to be strong in shining the Light of our essential nature but also to have the strength to ride the currents. There is wisdom that calls us not to be so attached to outcome that we lose the flexibility to face whatever comes. And in the struggle ahead, we are counseled to remember we are not alone; to remember that our power to navigate the challenges we will face comes through surrendering into and aligning ourselves with the sacred energies of the ancestors and the natural world. There is power in this Sacred Alliance, power we need for what lies ahead.

Jellyfish? Seriously. In this time, I welcome this new spirit guide.

Beannacht,
Judith