[Thespiritexpress] Equinox musings.....

[D. Sangraal]

Dear beautiful Ton,
I love you and your open, flying, expanded heart.  Words fall short.
Tender and precious is the night and day too.
Ommm shanti ommm
Dyana

On Tue, Sep 22, 2020, 3:19 PM Toni Bernbaum via Thespiritexpress <
thespiritexpress at lists.mcn.org> wrote:

> Dearest Spirit House Community,
>
> I write to you on the eve of the Autumn Equinox, on the heels of
> facilitating a very moving memorial gathering for Christie Holiday on zoom
> this morning.  I am open. Cracked open. Feeling a depth of vulnerability in
> the realization of my own mortality as I identify with this body, and also
> feeling deeply empowered by
> the infinite love and connection I felt today, that I know I am, as we are
> joined together, in this case, to honor the life of our beloved Christie.
> Thank you everyone who took part.
>
> Today is a powerful day. (and isn’t everyday, afterall?) This being the
> International Day of Peace. there are celebrations going on all over the
> planet.   I am feeling a gravity of peace and acceptance more than my usual
> sense of it, even as i am equally aware of how much resistance there has
> been within me at times, to “what is.” And isn’t this a time of paradox, of
> the tension of opposites? Aren’t we ever more aware now,  of the dark and
> the light and the contradictions within and without?
>
> At this onset of the next seasonal transition, I greet the Autumn Equinox
> honoring a day balanced with equal darkness and light. This is the first
> time in 13 years we are not celebrating this occasion in Spirit House.  And
> so, instead,  I invite you all to hear the call of this seasons ritual….to
> let go…. fall into the power of fall…. right in this moment.
>
> Fall into the groundlessness of this very precarious time where there is
> so much fear and doom and gloom….so much out of our control.
>
> It’s more important than ever to be able to surrender and let go….and
> trust. See where we land. See what holds us, even as we fall. We look
> within for how to do that.  Autumn resides in the west on the medicine
> wheel, where first we have the courage to look within to assess ourselves
> and see where grasping or holding on to something could actually be causing
> us or some one else, suffering.  In taking the journey of self examination
> we have the opportunity to own ourselves more fully,  pull in our shadow
> projections based on believing ourselves to be separate, and enter into
> that “in between place” where we surrender old beliefs, habits, identities
> or conditioning in order to release ourselves into more peace, love and
> happiness.  In the west we realize what is in the way,  IS the way.  We
> cannot stop what is dying but we can honor ourselves in the activity of
> willing surrender to a greater process.
>
> The judgements, the regrets, the playing too small, the things unforgiven,
> old identities that no longer serve…..can I let them go?  Can we honor the
> necessity of this process that is here to liberate and purify us?
>  Ultimately, and literally, we ARE entering a darker time.  We can’t change
> that. But we can respond to this cycle of change in a multitude of ways.
> What way will you choose?
>
> From where I sit,  we are now, in what could also be seen as the autumn of
> our human evolution.There is so much happening that is bringing darkness to
> everyone on this planet. In the cosmos, the astrologers are forecasting
> quite a bit of upheaval in the next few months.  In the collective we are
> experiencing grave unrest. At the personal level we are dealing with
> multiple losses of every kind….everything is so clearly affecting and
> connected with everything else. At last, this truth is more obvious than
> ever. And that is a good thing.
>
> But as we watch our liberties being threatened, seeing changes happening
> so fast, many of us are feeling ourselves being pulled into a vortex of
> futility, fear and helplessness. It’s a scary time.  This season is
> associated with death, witches, bats, spiders and the devil. Halloween,
> afterall. But now especially,  there is very little place to look outside
> of ourselves that is not fearful.  To stay in balance, we must find that
> within each one of us, that is peaceful no matter what is happening.  But
> how do we do that?  How do we face the boogie man who is in the way?
> Well…..dress up in the character inside you that scares you the
> most……become one with it……or in transformational terms, accept it, face it.
> Notice what your reaction to your fear creates for YOU…….bring it close and
> personal, own it and ultimately,  look deeper……see it for what it is. Let
> go of the power you’ve given it. This is the work of the west.
>
> This is also an amazing and awesome time associated with abundance and
> gratitude, to honor our families……and give thanks for the endless flow of
> love and inner light that is always available within us to share.
>
> So the question of this season becomes……how DO we stay in balance?
> Especially now, when what we had depended on is untrustworthy. When death
> is defined as a hug away. When standing up for equality and justice becomes
> life threatening. What are we doing to stay in balance?
>
> Herein lies our sovereignty, our strength, our abitlity to make conscious
> choices.  We can tap the courage it takes to be steady like the trunk of a
> tree even as the winds of change are blowing off our leaves and breaking
> our branches. How can we be strong and flexiblebe like the bamboo. First we
> can root, even deeper, into the ground of our Being. Look within.  Its in
> there. We can be like mycellium in the underground network of the invisible
> realm, joining, nurturing, communicating and supporting each other with our
> loving vibrations, intentions and extensions. Yes.  Look within. The
> answers are there.
>
>  I am feeling very strongly, and many people agree,  that each of us here
> now, at this time,  is here for a very important reason. We each have a
> part to play, a unque gift to offer as well as answers to give and share.
> Why now?  Because it is only in shining our brightest love light can we
> bring balance to the impending dark.
>
> I want to use this format so each of us can offer something in some way of
> joining in our ability to stay in balance now, and in the coming months.
>
> We know that love is the answer……and yet…..the imperative now,  more than
> ever, is to discover what are those roadblocks and obstacles to love’s
> presence right inside my own heart? Where am I being seduced by the media
> or any person or any situation to believe my source of peace and happiness
> comes from events outside of myself? Where have I forgotten the truth of
> who I am? When did I stop taking responsibility for the energy system I am
> generating into the “field?” Where am I pretending NOT to be the powerful
> essence of love I AM?
>
> This can no longer be something I am reading about and discussing as
> “possible"….or something we think is “out there” that others are doing.
> This is an amazing community. Having the privilege of knowing many of you
> intimately I can say, without a doubt, each of you has a gift.  Where is
> your expression of love finding a home within you, everyday? How are you
> lighting your own way on your path of truth and integrity.
>
> Where is your song? Where is your poem, your painting, your dance?
> What I am suggesting,  is a challenge to REALLY look within this season.
> Find the brightest light you can shine. Now that we are going into the
> darker time, everyone is needed.   It takes courage to let go of what might
> be in the way of shining that light… but what else can we do? How else will
> we keep the balance?
>
> So thank you for reading this far. I had no idea when I started writing
> where I was going but as a writer its good to trust that and just
> surrender, extend this
>  invitation to look within as I looked within my heart this morning during
> Christie’s memorial service and saw something
> inspired by sharing our hearts together. So here is my heart share.
>
> Whatever breaks you open this season, bless it. Honor whatever is dying or
> needing to break, to bring more light, more love, more balance.
>
> Happy Equinox.
> Blessings  on this deepening and darkening part of the journey.  May we
> look within, find ourselves opened with grace,  and be released.
>
> With endless love,
> Tonijean
>
>
>
>
>
>
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