December 1, 2002
Samuel: Hello, dears.
Hello, Samuel.
S: I am thankful for you. You have just finished with your holiday of thankfulness, yes? And one of the greatest amplifiers of happiness in your life—whenever you’re down, whenever you’re feeling that you’re sort of drifting in the difficulty, do this because it amplifies your happiness. You’ve got just the tiniest seed. That’s all it takes to build it up. You amplify your happiness by consciously recognizing what you are thankful for.
Now, very quickly, I want to remind you that there is a difference between thankfulness and gratitude. You know that? Yes?
You know this is an audience of people who have undergone some major transformations of late. Well, good for you. Good for you.
Back to that: so what’s the difference between thankfulness and gratitude?
Stuart, will you do something with the lighting?
What do you want?
S: Oh, anything that will allow you to video and change the brightness of it here. [Lights dim.] That’s a nice way of doing it if that still works for you. Does it? There, that was for you—all the folks at home. Right?
Thankfulness and gratitude, what’s the difference? Aye.
Thankfulness is for a thing, but gratefulness is for an experience, no matter what may be put on it, whether it’s been considered, maybe, in the past good or bad. But gratefulness is for an experience that brought you to where you are now. Gratefulness with things in your life, no matter what they are, that made you what you are and opens the door to receiving more.
S: All right, you can go with that. Anybody want to add to it? Marion.
I will point out I’ve answered this question last year, I think.
S: About this time?
About this time, but this may not be the answer that comes out this time, so who knows? Thankfulness requires that you take action on your gratitude, and put it out there and acknowledge it in a way that makes it visible.
S: That’s true. That’s very true. And that is saying essentially that gratitude is first and thankfulness comes out of it. One thing you could say is that you are grateful to and thankful for. And I am grateful to you for caring enough about your work here in this world that you are choosing to look deeper, push harder, seek more. I am thankful for what you are doing to make this world better.
With the idea of amplifying your happiness levels, why don’t a few of you tell me something that you are thankful for? Aye.
I’m thankful that Jean Elder has wonderful woodworking skills.
S: That’s lovely.
She can transform a non-functional space into a place where I can find things.
S: Very lovely. Yes. Aye.
I’m grateful for an absolutely wonderful husband who spent all day raking leaves and cleaning up our yard in the cold weather, and he’s just such a blessing and a joy to me, and I’m very thankful for him.
S: Lovely. Both at the same time?
I am thankful for all of the wonderful people in our lives that did so many things for us over the last couple months. Anything from running to the bank for us to looking after our multitude of animals that we have.
S: While everybody in your life was dying off, you mean.
Exactly. And they were just there, and I’m just so thankful for them.
S: Yes.
And I’m very thankful to learn finally that loss is not about losing, it’s about transformation only.
S: Lovely. Good lesson. Good lesson. Aye.
I’m thankful for two families, my Phoenix family and my blood family. Over this past week, I’ve had such opportunity to be with my blood family, and it’s been delightful, absolutely delightful. And it’s always delightful to have my Phoenix family.
S: Nice. Very nice. Is this side of the room thankful at all? I am thankful you have come into town to be here right now.
I’m thankful that I’ve been working on my dissertation and, quite frankly, I’m very thankful that the first ten pages—and that seems like a small thing, but it’s a reasonable goal, I guess, I thought at the time—and I’m thankful to have achieved that reasonable goal of finishing the first ten pages.
S: Indeed. Indeed. Well, you know, with everything once you’ve got the start, you’re almost finished.
Aye, love.
I’m thankful for my mother for bringing me to my Phoenix family.
S: I am, too. Yes, indeed. Aye, love.
I’m thankful for all of the people in this family who are willing to serve, because it’s what keeps this work going. And particularly at this time when everyone is so busy, they still are willing to give to make Phoenix a place of comfort and happiness for the holidays.
S: Yes indeed. Yes indeed. Aye. You again!
Yes, I’m still not done.
S: You want to be really happy.
I do. I wanted to say that I’m also thankful for all of the people that I work with, and how much support they gave to me, too, because without them I couldn’t have been other places. And they just let me go, so that was really wonderful to me.
S: Aye. Aye. Aye, love.
I’m grateful for a weekend I had alone with one of my sons. They’ve usually been together in my life, and Jerod is very different by himself than when he’s with his brother, and I got to see a different side of him. And I’m thankful for that.
S: Aye. A side you really appreciate. Yes indeed. Gwendolyn.
I am so thankful for this group, and I keep saying this, but the feeling of the flow of love that is exchanged here fills my life, makes everything have a magic to it, and sharing that, it expands my thankfulness to be a part and to experience it.
S: Yes indeed. Jean.
I’m thankful for the many aspects, many levels, of abundance in my life, and I’m thankful that I recognize it too.
S: Aye.
Finally.
S: And, just as a reminder to everybody, particularly when you are wanting more of the more specific material—you call it money—version of abundance in your life, it’s always a very good idea to allow yourself to become very aware of the many ways you are experiencing abundance. Give me a couple of for-instances. Abundance of . . .
Friends.
S: Friends. Yes. Lovely. Abundance of . . .
Time.
S: Time? Time! Anybody in this room feel they have an abundance of time? A few. Good. Good. Suzie and Marion have it all. All right though, but yes an abundance of time. What else?
Weather.
S: Abundance of weather. Do you mean good weather or just weather?
We always find weather available to us.
S: Well, darling, it comes with living on this planet.
I’m saying, it’s over-abundant.
S: All right, well that is indeed recognizing abundance. It wasn’t exactly where I was going, but we’ll let it work. Aye.
I have an abundance of laughter in my life.
S: Lovely. Lovely. Mary Claire.
An abundance of love.
S: Good.
From my family, my friends, but also from the world. I find in my daily life there are smiles that greet me, and that’s an abundance of love.
S: Very nice.
Everyday magic. I have an abundance of everyday magic.
S: Excellent. Excellent.
An abundance of joy and love from three dogs.
S: Very nice.
An abundance of creativity. Not enough time, but plenty of creativity.
S: Very good, and with the right amount of creativity you can do something to help work out what you need to do in that time.
Abundance of help whenever I need it.
S: Good. Good. Yes.
Allow yourself to see how you are rich already. As a manifestation technique, it’s important for you to remember that your brain has a lot to do with your magic. Now, that should be a fairly scary thought for some of you, because, you see, your brain has everything to do with your willingness to believe “I really can do this.” Or not.
Therefore, what you want to do is allow yourself to see all of the areas in your life in which you are already doing it: I am experiencing abundance in this area and this area and this area. I am rich with these gifts. And your brain says, Yeah, I can do this. Or your brain says, Sure, this is just one more thing. I’ve done it already, I can do it again.
Regularly remind yourself how rich you are. Accelerate it by being thankful for the abundance that you have. Get yourself into the habit of seeing how you have already accomplished in many different ways what it is you are seeking to do now. Get your brain into the magic so that it won’t hold you down with its fears and disbelief.
Good work. Good work.
I’m going to be talking tonight about the treasure of these holidays. The greatest gift. And I think that it’s very fitting that we began by talking a bit about gratitude, thankfulness and abundance.
This holiday season is—well, it’s literally that, it’s a holiday season. It’s not simply one holiday; there are very many holidays all wrapped up, right now, right here. What are the holidays of this time?
Hanukkah.
S: Hanukkah. All right.
Ramadan.
S: Right now.
The solstice celebrations.
S: That’s right.
Qwanza.
Christmas.
S: Good. And good.
New Year’s.
S: And then you’ve got New Year. And, of course, you know that around this world there are probably several more that fit into that, but in this culture, those are all of the ones that you are familiar with. And it’s always this culture that I make reference to when I’m speaking to you, because you live in . . .
This culture.
S: This culture. Aye. It’s your version of the tales. It’s your version of the experiences. It’s even your version of how it happened—over and above how it happened—that really matters, because a part of you is made up of the mythology, history, and magic of your time. And that may never be more true than it is during the holidays at the end of the year.
More often than not, over the last few years, I have been working to put every one of the holidays into line and talk a bit about each one of them. But I’m going to fall back on an old one this year, with only references to the others. I’m going to talk about Christmas. I know, isn’t that strange?
And I’m going to talk about Christmas because in all likelihood every one of you knows enough about the story to be able to fill in blanks and get this teaching in the way—out of the way! All right, in the way. Maybe if the teaching is in the way, you’ll remember it well. And I want you to remember, as I said, I’m talking about the treasure, the greatest gift.
Now who wants, just for a moment, to do the brief Christmas story? And I will start by saying that it’s not the one that begins “Once upon a time, long, long ago, far, far in the north, there is a tiny workshop.” It’s not that one, all right? Just the bottom line of it? The Christmas story, what’s it about? Why do you have it? All right, Frank.
I think the story starts with Rome sent out a decree in which all people had to go back to their birth towns in order to register.
S: Good.
And at that point Joseph and his betrothed, Mary, were heading back to Bethlehem to register. It turned out that around that time Mary was visited by and angel who told her she was pregnant, and . . .
S: And she said, “Uh oh.”
She ran to the drugstore and got her little kit. [Laughter]
S: The local [. . . ]
And so as they went to Bethlehem, she was of child, and before they got there she went into labor, or was getting ready to go into labor, and it was night, and they went to the town, and . . .
S: Frank’s having trouble here. Can anybody help him with this?
Can I just add quickly that when the angel comes to Mary—and this is real important—says, “You’re going to give birth to a child, and you’re going to call it ‘God is with you’.” And the whole story of Christmas is about the birth of God among us.
S: That’s the very bottom line, indeed. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Now let’s give a slightly less shortened version of it and help Frank out with this. Also, let me go back just a bit in that context. The angel that came to make that visit wasn’t right at the same time that they were going to go on this journey. It was a little bit before that. Just a bit. All right.
Nonetheless, the point is accurate that it came about time that she said, “You know, Joe, I think we’d better stop and find a place where we can stay for a bit, because I believe it’s time.” And he said, “Darn it, Mary, you always pick the worst times for this stuff!” You didn’t quite get it that way, did you?
Then on top of that, they couldn’t even find a place. All the inns were full.
S: All right. Aye. Yes, indeed. The inns were full, therefore . . .
Wait. Back a little bit, we discussed this a few years ago, I think, that it was a really tight spot, because at the time they weren’t married, and even being pregnant at all in the situation she was in, and if Joseph wasn’t such the understanding, trusting, good guy he was, she would have been in a whole lot more trouble.
S: Yes. Indeed, that is true. Now, do realize that there was a different form of acceptable marriage at that time amongst that tribal society. And although it is so that they were not married, they were betrothed, and betrothed was somewhat like a handfast marriage. Oh, that is not your time either, is it? All right. Wrong century. It’s a little bit more than an engagement for you; it’s more of a binding agreement. But, nonetheless, the point is very well taken that there she was, pregnant, and had to tell Joseph that she was pregnant. “And, guess what? It’s not your baby.” That’s not where I’m going though.
Let’s get to the part where they have been pushed aside by all of the innkeepers. And finally one said, “Well look, I’ve got a bit of a spot back at the manger. We’re really pretty full. It’s not unusual, you know, to house people in the barn. It’s very clean. It’s very nice. Just move the cow over.”
So they went to the stable, moved the cow over, and had a baby. Yes? What happened then?
An angel appears up on the hillside with the shepherds, saying, this is the most miraculous thing that you’re going to find the son of God born, and unto you is born this day, and all this kind of [. . . ]
S: If it’s custom, I would be delighted to hear them again.
“For unto you this day is born in the city of Bethlehem a savior who is Christ the Lord.” Isn’t that right?
S: No, but that’s close enough.
I’m sorry.
S: It’s all right. That’s all right.
“Worship on the highest, peace on earth, and goodwill to all men.”
S: Good.
Sorry.
S: No. No. You did that very well. That was good.
It’s not just the angel trumpeting this announcemen. The wise men of the East were also able to read the same news in the sky.
S: Good. Excellent.
And it seemed to be a pretty well known fact around, and somewhat expected, and so there was a convergence on this . . .
S: Good. Good.
. . . on this stable area.
S: And for what purpose was this convergence? The first Harmonic Convergence?
To celebrate.
S: Good. Good. To celebrate the gift of God in form. All right. Now, you’ve got the basics there. I want you to shift gears for a moment. What is Hanukkah about?
Well, the Greeks had occupied Jerusalem and the Temple under Alexander. I forget. I might have that part wrong, but anyway, there was conflict going on.
S: Time’s a bit off, but that’s all right.
And Israel was occupied. There was a family of Jewish warriors called then the Macabees, and they kicked butt. And when they managed to drive the Greeks away and take the temple back, they wanted to purify it and light the sacred lamp. But there was only enough oil for one night, but it takes eight nights to do that.
S: To purify the temple. To ritually purify the temple as it should be before it is put back into use.
Right. So they went ahead and prayed, and then they lit their one night of oil and it lasted for eight nights, and so the festival is the festival of light to celebrate or commemorate that event.
S: All right, I’m going to make just a couple of corrections in that. Does anybody want to do it? Let’s just expand the story a slight bit, just a small bit.
Tribe of warriors, ultimately, who fought to regain the temple. But upon regaining the temple and recognizing that it would require eight days with only one small vessel of oil, it was determined that it would be necessary for somebody to go and get more oil in order to do the official purification. However, they went ahead and lit the lamp they had, which, of course, is the miracle of Hanukkah. With the obvious lack of supplies, they went ahead and did what they needed to do, and had a miraculous continual light, in spite of the warrior not returning with the other seven days of oil. So, that’s a very important aspect tonight for this one.
Now, what is Ramadan? Bunch of heathens. You again.
Or Steve. Ramadan is the holy Muslim month of fasting that was specified to Mohammed by the angel Gabriel . . .
S: Good.
. . . as a month of purification and penance, and kind of clearing everything out and getting ready for the new.
S: That’s the important one.
And also a celebration . . . and it’s actually a celebration of abundance that you’re so happy to have what you have when you have it.
S: And that the day is only so long. It is a feast of mind and body. Ramadi. A feast of mind in that the physical body can overcome the physical hardships that you are given, and of body in that when the day is over, you come together with family to celebrate and eat again.
It has definitely become even more than the original set-up, has definitely become a penance sort of thing, but that was not the idea at all. It was strengthening the warriors of God. And that is, indeed, what it is about.
Now, Qwanza. Let’s see if anybody else has a chance here. Anybody been listening the last few years? Jennifer.
It came out of an African tradition of recognizing the gifts of abundance and the different aspects that those abundances appear in our lives. And as an alternative to a fully religious celebration of this time, it’s more a lay-community . . .
S: Key word right there. Say it again.
Community.
S: Community. Yes. It is an event centered around the gifts that community, that the greater family, offers one another.
Now, what puts all of those stories together into one weave? What floats through all of them? Frank.
People coming together.
S: All right. Very much. Very much. People coming together. More.
A spiritual focus.
S: A focus beyond the day to day working moments, yes. Yes.
Thankfulness towards something.
S: A recognition, a gratitude, a thankfulness. Yes. Recognition. Attitude. Thankfulness. Yes.
Taking action.
S: Taking action. Very much, yes. Taking action.
Hope, you know, the hope for the future.
S: Yes. Absolutely.
Faith given form.
S: Yes! Yes! Very good. Faith given, put into, form or working in the world in one way or another. Yes.
That we have enough and that we are enough.
S: As a part of that abundance. That you have enough, that you are enough.
That in difficult times they were taken care of, and that they were safe, and that it was okay to believe what they believed, even though other people didn’t believe, maybe, the same things.
S: A trust. A trust that they would be taken care of in time of need, that they would have what was needed at the time, and as a result could go on and do what they needed to do. Jennifer.
There’s always an aspect of miracle involved, because of expecting one thing and getting something more than it.
S: And, of course, the miracle which is ultimately more than what they expected in one way or another. Sure. All that works.
Each of these stories talked to a part of you. Each of these stories represents you in this world now. Now when I say you in this world now, I want you to remember that I do not talk to spiritual babies. That does not mean I would not if they said hello; I mean that my work is not with those who are not awakened. Look at you. You know this.
I am here to activate the awakened ones, the Guardians. That’s what my work is about. Those who are here to make a difference in this world, who know that there is something you have to offer. And if you will forgive me what could probably sound rather blasphemous—which is not my intention at all, because I just don’t like to throw off your childhood preferences—but in a very real sense, my work is with those who are here to give birth to God in this world by living love, by being the vessel, by doing what you are here to do, which is to guard and guide life force, to be a part of that which changes the world. In that sense, I’ll call you all Mary, because, indeed, you are here to give birth to something special.
And in this coming year, you are going to find that you are called just as she was. A little knock on your head in the middle of the night that says, “Hello! Janette. I’ve got to tell you that a miracle is going to happen, and it’s going to happen to you. You are going to give birth to that which changes this world. Hello, Catherine! I’ve got to tell you—you need to know—you are going to bring forth something new and special.” Just fill in your name there. Yo! Your name now. Yo, Stuart. Give it to me now. Don’t you think that’s how the angel would do it today? Makes sense to me. About as much as “Hark!” As if the angelic realm speaks King James English. That, indeed, would be a miraculous gift.
Each of these represents the giving forth of something new, be it a new way of purifying, a new recognition of abundance, a new gift of life, of God’s life, into this world. Be it a gift of recognizing community and unity, be it the gift of an internal power, a discipline that leads to strength and awareness. All of these represent bringing forth something new out of that which is old.
In order to bring that about, each one of these also represents, interestingly enough, in one way or another—slide with me here—represents having to make decisions about what you’ve been told to do. What is the decision that Mary and Joseph had to make? All right. What were they told to do?
I think it’s go to Egypt.
S: All right. Why?
Because . . .
S: No, that’s later. Not Egypt.
Oh, I was just thinking [. . . ]
S: Right.
Because they were summoned to Bethlehem by the law.
S: That’s the one. Why?
Because the law required them to go there for tax purposes.
S: That’s the one. Their government said, You need to do this. You need to be counted. Now, they had a decision to make, didn’t they: Do it or not. Obey or not. They chose to obey it, and as a result of that things started falling into place.
If they had not obeyed it, would things have not fallen into place? Be careful; it’s a trick question. If they had said, “I’m not going there; I don’t want to go to Judea; I’m busy; it’s bad timing,” would that have changed everything? Never mind! You’re not pregnant. Has to be born in the city of David. What would have happened?
The venue would have changed.
S: Probably not in that case, because, you see, the prophecy said here is where this one is going to be born.
I think they would have found themselves there for a different reason.
S: You’re right. You’re right.
Thank you.
S: You’re welcome.
And that’s an important thing for you to realize. When you are called and you say no, you’re going to get called again. If you say no again, well the voice changes, the call doesn’t. Remember that. That’s going to come back.
What were the Macabees called to do?
Purify the church.
S: Very good. What before that?
Retake the temple.
S: Right. Now, what does history say they did there? Do you know? I’m asking for you to tell me here, because the fact of it is they did not actually retake the temple in a battle sort of situation. They came back to it after it had been taken, and the temples weren’t actually being overtaken; they were being disrupted. All of the statues, all of the writings, were being destroyed so that essentially all that would be left would be the building itself. Anything that represented a holy aspect of their belief was removed, and as you know that has been done, including by your own government, ever since . . . and before. That is a very typical thing to do to destroy a civilization. Let’s not say civilization; that’s too big. To destroy a community. Why? Why?
It disrupts the power source.
S: Yes.
Because that is the focus for everybody as a unifying factor that’s common to their community culture. And that’s where the events would need help.
S: And in that case that’s exactly true in today’s case, it may not be the source, but it might be hope. It might be a place of strength or a place of history. Nonetheless, destroying it without knocking the walls down is what they were doing. In doing that, that left the tribe a choice. They had lost the battle, and yet, in a very real sense they won it. They won it because they made a decision, and that decision was . . .
To act.
Retake, repurify the temple.
S: To go back in and make it good for now. In doing that, the first step was to follow their sacred law for purifying the place and beginning the eight-day process. In beginning that eight-day process, that is where the story usually begins for most, with the recognition that the oil vessels have been destroyed. There is no way to get any more sanctified oil. We must go to the nearby temple, which was weeks away, to get more.
There is a decision to be made for Qwanza.
Actually it is a holiday that has to be consciously lived.
S: Perfect. And exactly as Ramadan, it is about consciously choosing to do that which imbues, brings strength, allows the inner self to grow and be. It’s about choices to do that.
All of these stories have to do with—as somebody said a bit earlier—a miracle, a miracle in the story of the birth of Jesus who became the Christ. What is the miracle there?
The virgin birth.
He made the decision.
S: He who?
The person Jesus made the decision, and these other people did, to go ahead and take on the mantle of Christ, and no one else had.
S: And, of course, that was a bit later down the road, but at the time of that birth, what’s the miracle? Well, the birth works.
You know, I think it’s a miracle that those shepherds believed the angel and weren’t afraid, because, I mean, you know, to be told that God’s down there in the stable was sort of a rough one to take.
S: Not at that time. Not so very much. However, yes, that’s true. There is very much miracle in that. Miracle in hearing, accepting, believing and acting on that. Did you get that line there? Hearing, believing, accepting and acting on that.
There is the miracle of the birth itself, because at that time within all of the philosophies, teachings, spiritual religions of the world of that time, the idea of God being born as a baby was fairly outrageous. Being born as a baby. God became. God showed up. God was. But God choosing to come into form by what was considered at that time the filthy process of birth and being a baby was quite a miracle.
Being vulnerable.
S: Again.
Very vulnerable.
S: Vulnerable. Sure. Sure. Accessible, which was, of course, the purpose of Christ’s work altogether. Accessible. Accessible in the barn. Accessible to the shepherds. Accessible to the kings. Accessible to the angels. Accessible to the people.
Making the temple accessible allowed that miracle. Making the spirit accessible through the fast. Making oneself accessible to the community for the purpose of unity. The miracle of being there.
Each one of these involves a telling. Christmas involves the telling of the angel to Mary, and then Joseph. You could go back further—the angel to Elizabeth, then the one to Mary, then the one to Joseph. “Really, don’t give up, it’s true what she said. Don’t be rude. You have a place in this, too. They’ll remember you, don’t worry. “
You said a bit earlier that the kings sought in the stars, and in a sense even the heavens spoke of it. They spoke of a great event happening, a time of great importance, the birth of something new.
The speaker in the case of Hanukkah is what or who? Think about it for a moment. You’ve got a tribe. They’ve got something to do.
It could be the person who said, “Why don’t we start this?”
S: You’ve got it. That first person that said we can do this. We can make it work. Maybe that was the same one that said somebody’s got to go, and stood around long enough to say and somebody’s got to stay. It was the person willing to lead, ultimately.
In Christ’s birth story, those are the angels allowing the work to happen by saying it’s all right. In the story of Hanukkah, it was the leaders who said, “This is what needs to be done. We can do it. It’s all right.” At Ramadan, what is it there? Who is the speaker? I’ll give you a hint. You’re wearing their clothes. Who is the speaker?
The sheep.
S: Not the sheep, it’s you, because that is a choice you are making, a recognition of your own power and self. I will do this. I chose. And at Qwanza?
The community.
S: The greater world. That which comes from coming together to make one. Every one of those gifts is recognized as a part of the —in one way or another—a festival of light. Every one of them, ultimately, is expressed through the festival of light, a time in which a light is going to grow in the world .
You will have access to it, depending on the choices that you make. You can see it as the overwhelming darkness or the beginning of light—in faith, with trust, moving forth into the world, even though it certainly doesn’t look like there’s more light in the world, and saying, “I will do this with you. Together, we can make it happen.”
Every one of these holidays tells the same story. Now, these holidays are not centered around the end of December. They’re all centered around the solstice. They’re not. Ramadan and Hanukkah are not based on the cycle of the sun, or the birth of the Son either. But they’re all saying the same thing. They are saying you have before you a great gift, and that gift—I’m going to dance around that for a moment—you have before you a great gift, and that gift involves you. Having that gift involves you. It involves you speaking to yourself, to the warrior you are, to others, the leader you are, it involves faith that there is more than this, that a beginning new and fresh will come when an end happens. Faith that you are what is needed, that you can make a difference.
And in order to gain that, it requires one thing. It’s broader than you think. Don’t dig below the surface when I ask you what that one thing is, because you’ll dig too far and miss it. It’s a broad answer. It involves one thing. The greatest gift of this season. What is it?
Belief.
Love.
S: Belief and love, yes. Those are very good answers, and they certainly are very necessary components. Jennifer.
The vision.
S: And vision works exactly with this.
Willing to choose. Focus.
Knowing.
S: And willingness and choose both play into it, because the word is action. Action.
This season is about taking action. Whether that action be saying Yes, yes I will be a vessel for Source in this world. Yes I will go through a war-torn territory to bring the sacred to the tribe. Yes, I believe a miracle can happen. Yes, I know there’s enough. Or action that is stepping outside of oneself to recognize the power that comes by linking together in faith, in love, harmony, the powers of community. It’s all about action. Giving birth, having faith, trusting oneself, and reaching out to others. The actions of this time bring gifts to this whole world.
You have just come through a year that in so many ways—and I mean good ways—is unlike any you have ever been through. I will remind you again, I mean good ways. It is absolutely true that many of you have gone through some very hard things to have that year. Do not forget that very, very often your pain is a measure of your strength. When you are able to look and see it as pain, you have claimed its strength.
Remember that. When you are looking back over this year, and you are saying, “That was too hard. That was too much. I would not do it again,” you have come through it. You are made better by it. I wish you the gift of no longer needing two-by-fours and four-by-eights, so that you know the strength that pain can give you, but nonetheless you have come through a year that has brought great change into this world.
And you have had a part in those changes. You’ve had a part because you’re you. Yes, indeed. In the great ocean of this world, every individual has an effect on every individual, but you’ve also had an effect because of what you are. Everything that has gone on in your life this year has worked toward one purpose.
And just for a minute, think through everything that has gone on in your life this year. Think about the times that you have been innocent and dumped on. Hello, Mary. Think of the times you’ve been a warrior and gone beyond what you thought you could to do what was needed. Think of the times you’ve been the leader, knowing what was needed and arranging for it to be done. Think of the times you have been looking out for yourself and taking care of you, because that was the only way you were going to be able to gain the strength you needed to keep going. Think of the times that you’ve had to make the choices to move outside of you for the greater good of the whole.
This year has molded you, changed you, and this year has changed this world. And it has all been toward tomorrow—not tomorrow Monday after Sunday—your coming year, because if this is the time in which the light is slowly fading, as the old ends and the new prepares to come larger and fresher, if this has been the time in which every aspect of your Guardianship has been tested, and you’ve been finding out what really matters to you and you’ve been learning what really matters in your world, if this has been a time of letting the old die—and it has—your coming year is all about the new. Yes indeed, the New Age—pitiful phrase that it is—a new time, a new you.
Into this world, right now, are bursting forth energies of recreation. What has been is passing away, and you—you—are opening the door for the new. You the leader, you the warrior, you the community, you the solitary, you the virgin, you the babe, you the angel, you the king. You.
This is your year, and during this year you have been given all of the ingredients to become what is needed to make the best use of what this time is about. And the great gift of this season is action. The gift you give yourself. Action. What do you need to do—no—what do you need to be to bring the light into the world? Do you need to take on the actions of the angel proclaiming what is coming? The actions of the warrior fighting through the old? The actions of the mother giving birth? The father giving safety? The kings giving hope and recognition? The priests giving light with miracles and magic? The strong and aware self seeking discipline and strength to follow through? The strong and aware self releasing ego to establish communion with all?
What action? Every one of them, every one of the pieces of you is found throughout the stories of this month, and your action as each one of those powerful beings is needed, all for the purpose of bringing light into the world. The sun is setting. It has been a dark year. Will the sun rise tomorrow? And if it rises will the light be longer? Well, God birthing into form says yes. The warrior moving through a war-torn land to get oil says yes. The leader saying this is what is needed, do it now, says yes. The community says yes. The family says yes. The individual—do you say yes?
You can change this world, but you will only change this world by changing yourself, and you can only change yourself with love. The action of love.
Glochanumora. Happy trails.