I have what the Sufi acupuncturist refers to as a "symbolist mind." I connect dots, look for patterns. I see everything as possibly meaningful. The world is an on-going, 24/7 divination, chock full of all the guidance and information we could possibly ever need - if only we take the time to notice. Should say, not only do we have to notice, but we have to be discerning; it is up to us to determine what merits our attention and which things we can ignore. Those who try to take in and understand everything that takes place can not function. Equally non-functional are those who adopt sound-bites from the talking heads on TV rather than trying - at least TRYING - to think things through.
If life were a dream, what would current events symbolize? What can we learn by thinking about "real" life as a metaphor?
Life as a dream in the U.S. right now is not good. First, thousands of dead birds fell out of the sky on new year's eve, thousands of dead fish washed up from the Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere. These events are worthy of attention, also totally creepy!
Before I had a chance to pray about what the die-offs meant, I began hearing the most half-assed explanations. We Americans are very susceptible to propaganda of all kinds. I've read here and there that what happened to the birds and fish is "normal." In none of these articles are the experts able to explain why this happened, just that it's "normal." We're supposed to just say, "OK," and move on. On the other end of the spectrum I've heard/read all manner of conspiracy theories to explain this event. THEY are out to get us, but THEY got the birds and fishes first.
For heaven's sake.
For me, the timing of this terribly sad event is more significant than the reasons why. New Year's Eve - the brink of the new secular year. As an auger, please understand this is Not Good, even if it's "normal."
And now poor Mrs. Giffords. If this were a dream, what would it mean? I am so sad for the families of the six who were killed, including a little girl who was born on September 11, 2001. How weird is that? What are the chances? As a second big event in the U.S. since New Year's, I'm tellin' ya: Not. Good. As a shaman, that wave of terrible nightmares I had now makes sense in terms of dancing in alignment with the prevailing energy.
Maybe this wave of creepy events is an anomaly that will pass, maybe it is a "real" life nightmare, maybe things will calm down now. I hope so. I pray for clarity, thoughtfulness, compassion and peace. Shalom.
17 comments:
Just one little rant. Speaking of half assed explanations:
"Ms Mansour [spokeswoman for Palin] said the crosshairs, in fact, were not meant to be an allusion to guns, and agreed with her interviewer's reference to them as 'surveyor's symbols'"
Really? Is any intelligent person seriously supposed to say, "Oh yeah. Surveyor's symbols. Sure."
Well? Wouldn't that make us as suggestible as the disturbed person who decided to shoot all those people? Yikes.
I've been wondering about these things too. We have a dark cloud of sadness and outrage here in Arizona right now. Just so very very tragic. I'm freaked out about the birds/fish, freaked out!
Got lost in that sad feeling for a moment and forgot to say how much I liked that first image, the light and feel of it is lovely.
Nice post! Americans (me being one myself) are so blinded by our media, we sometimes have no choice but to be naive and believe whatever the government tells us. 'Living the dream' how ironic when comparing it to your post, isn't it?
And I sometimes feel like I'm out of the loop, but what's this about birds falling dead on New Years Eve?!?! Creepy!
Praying or meditating for sanity, compassion, peace is a good thing but I don't think that will change the way people act. As long as we let people say the most horrendous things they will continue to do it. As long as we turn a deaf ear to hatefulness in political rhetoric, it will continue. No, Sarah and Rush (I add him and his ilk in here too) did not pull the trigger but their speech is inciteful and they must be held partially responsible. Until we as a people respond to hatefulness and violent rhetoric in political speech by expressing our disapproval and placing shame (not blame) it will continue. there are laws against inciting a riot. Is this really all that different?
A whole lot of people are responding verbally and in writing. Hope it works. I'm more interested in cultivating a calm clarity than in joining in the energy of anger, shame or blame. There's plenty of that going on at the moment, as least as far as I can see.
But call them out, Ellen, by all means! I salute you.
I just had a fight with my boss this morning - he used that old truism, "guns don't kill, people with guns kill." I said that is HOGWASH! If the person didn't have a gun, what then? Can we even envision a world in which it's not ok to have guns?
Add in the birds and fish & it sure has an end-of-times feel to it. I guess that's one way to get out of my credit card debt. Sigh.
Dana - ha ha!!
Oh yeah, I'm in total agreement about guns. If you have to stab or beat someone to death, that takes effort, skill and strength. With a gun, all you have to do is push the button. It's way too easy.
pulling a trigger is effortless, - in parts of our country when a child turns double digits (10 year old) it is customary, a right of passage to receive a 22 rifle. My neighborhood was loaded with them- not punny- I mean really loaded!There was respect for them and many rules- consequences if broken- There was a certain care for them, a sort of reverence. AND they were FUN! Tin can hunting- the best. Only one child died of accidental shooting when we were growing up- tragic , yes, but the odds of getting bitten by a snake and dying were much higher.
Now it's like giving guns to inmates of mental institutions and letting them do whatever- because it is easy and takes very little personal involvement to - pull the trigger. Nothing to it.Fox TV preaches hate, paranoia, violent rhetoric to those mentally ill folks, encourages illness and blame- gives them the "go ahead"- falling back on "our right to bear arms" bullshit...America is not only lame but fatally ill- in the ICU with a poor prognosis. Considering historical perspective, however- it is simply the ebb and flow of power, of corruption and greed- the pendulum swinging and taking out a good many decent lives with it.
i worry for my grandchildren... i worry for everyone. I am tired of the double talk. We must re-consider the basics of humanity. Firt; no pushing and shoving, boys and girls... now stop it. Reckon "they" were listening?
Just sending out peace and love vibes.(as an aged hippie I'm allowed to)
The American love affair with guns is horrible and tragic
as is its love affair with gasoline and the almighty dollar
There are so many good and lovely people here too
Yes, I do partially blame Fox News.
I feel Rupert Murdoch (Australian) who allows this foolishness/unkind demagoggery, that he does not believe in personally
BUT MAKES HIM $$$$$$
that's beyond cynicism if you ask me.
End of rant....
Surveyor's symbols? Holy jeez, as Ms. Palin would say.
As far as I can see, the bird and fish die-off stories are some sort of journalistic fad. I follow events like these in science news reports, and they do go on all the time, (for lots of different reasons) so I guess you could call them "normal," unfortunately.
Bless you for caring about them and remembering them, even after the reporters go on to something else.
To "The Bug"... I heard an interview on NPR with a man who gave a similar "Oh, guns, poor guns, please don't blame the guns"-type argument. The other guest (who had been discussing the gun laws in AZ)paused and said with great emotion, "I challenge you to look into the eyes of the mother of the little girl who was murdered and make that claim."
The moderator closed with those words.
Reya, thanks for an important post, a great little added rant (oh YEAH), and the healing work you do each day. You are such a force for good in the world.
Thanks for the reality check, Rebecca. Thank God for you!
Glenn YES - NO PUSHING! I'd love to see some simple civility. Please?
Rupert Murdoch ... don't get me started.
Jo are you back online? Missed you all day today.
i feel sadness for these sorry surfacings of events that are entirely predictable within the vernacular of present day american politics. my own sense has been and is that real and lasting change comes from small, intelligent, individuals expressing compassion, care, goodness without condition. steven
We are very intent on trying to make sense out of the senseless, but it is a fool's errand. Rational people cannot fathom what goes on in the minds of the irrational.
Allowing people to walk in off the street and buy weapons of mass destruction is madness.
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