GOLDEN AND DARK SHADOW REFLECTED IN OTHERS, WAIT WITHIN US, FOR OUR FREEDOM

All of us at some time in our lives, are confronted with parts of ourselves that get in our way, that limit us, and keep us from becoming more than we are.  It might be a manipulative behavior, or avoidance.  It might be an unexplainable attraction to bad boys, or even attraction to a “golden child” or person who seems to move in complete grace.  This is our shadow in action, and our ego instinctively looks away because shadow holds the limited portions of our personality and habits developed in the past that no longer serve, and are not part of conscious awareness. These are the parts of ourselves that we have learned to repress. 

Our dark shadow holds repressed negativity while our golden shadow holds our repressed potentiality.  These two aspects of shadow are the Guardians of the Threshold to spirit, to non duality, and to living in grace.  They prevent us from being all we can be, from reaching our highest potential, and from living our lives in the experience of heavenly, loving spirit. 

When we come to the same place with our science and our mysticism, the importance of understanding our viewpoint and our place in it cannot be denied.  That threshold of fear, where our own shadow keeps us from the non dual experience, is where I find most verbose folks whose need to rail against the world's ills might be threatened by taking responsibility for the world in a new morality.  This anxiety can be difficult to let go of, like the fear that guards the threshold.  Letting go of the need to find the world wrong so that we can feel right is releasing our own golden shadow.  What we cannot know without crossing the threshold, is that releasing the shadow is also stepping into it, and opening the door to infinite possibility for ourselves and our experience.  We choose possibility with our viewpoint, creating our experience, and when we cross the threshold and accept the will of God as infinite possibility, we accept all that is as our own.  The paradox can be unimaginable, especially to those who hold tight to fear, good and evil and its sweet fruit, me and not me.  The promise of the Kingdom and infinite possibility is just beyond, and so much more...

Excerpted from All About Living by Molly Brogan

Without a Word, an excerpt

Word

If only I could get into their minds, get to their words, since I cannot leave this chair to accept their offering.  If only I could understand, could know exactly how they color me, color themselves, then maybe…

Light

If only I could crawl behind their eyes and see what it is they select for their minds, select for the feelings that flow from their senses beneath their soft white skins.  The feelings that build and subside like ocean waves.  Together we could ride those waves.  And in this togetherness we could create a life for the ocean, a level for its motion.

Word

We would ride those waves as I do now, alone, in dream…Imagine – floating on top of the surf that rises, in rhythmic, undulating changes.  Rises to meet the white sky.  And as it descends, the sky is cast with the color of a prismatic sunset.  But now, in this space, my thoughts sink through coherent light, falling lower and lower into my darkness, searching for a semblance of time.  And as it sinks, my mind tells me that there is no connection.  That my thoughts cannot be theirs, even in word, in knowing, in screaming…for my scream is silent.

Dream

Space sinks in mink like a semblance of screaming connection, like a silent thought that falls to meet a final word, the word that sinks in sunset

Their my sinks in thought like darkness, searching the silent light for connection, for semblance like a scream searching for space

My mind sinks, searching for connection, searching for the light of thought in space, lowering the scream into a final, knowing heart

The connection sinks in word, a final, even darkness as in my heart a sunset screams for light, searching for a silent knowing

Shadow

During dream, shadow moves across the stage using her/his arms, in almost a swimming motion, reaches the door, and claws it with his/her hands like a dog paddling. 

Mirror

The door opens, mirror appears with a mask painted with the colors of a sunset.  Mirror rocks head back and forth a few times, then slams the door.

Shadow

 Shadow rolls back to the rug.

Word

Oh, that door…

Dream

That door that door that door that door that door that door that door that door

Word

Thoughts and visions

Dream

Thoughts and visions thoughts and visions thoughts and visions thoughts and visions

Light

Thoughts come in vision. 

Word

That’s it!  What is known is know through vision.  I take it from me, and give it to their words, so that they may have it.  But how do they take it?

Dream

Take it take it take it take it take it take it take it take it take it take it take it take it

Word

Take this silent offering that screams in word.  How can this window be?  When what I see within, they see without.  Without me, but with me.

Shadow

Shadow stands and begins to shuffle in circles.

Dream

Within without within without within without within without within without

Word

I am within, I am without.  Here in this space, now looking to see the vision welling up inside in waves

Light

I see it, I feel it, I understand it, I know it, I take it, I give it, they see it, they feel it, they take it, they give it…

Word

Yes, I dreamt it last night.

Light

I dreamt myself sitting above a massive white sphere, with color revolving, the color mine, evolving around it.

Word

And in the dream I reached for the color and as I reached and touched, the color entered me, entered my body and rushed through my veins like a surging stream.  And as the color took shape in my mind, the shape of a million faces, color poured out of my eyes and returned to its orbit around the sphere.

Shadow

Shadow approaches the door in circular steps as dream:

Dream

I you he she it we you they I you he she it we you they I you he she it we you they

Mirror

The door opens, Mirror appears wearing a white, circular mask painted with orbital colors.  Shadow and Mirror meet in motion.

Dream

Me you him her it us you them me you him her it us you them me you him her it us you them

Mirror

Mirror recedes, the door slams.

Shadow

Shadow returns to rug in circular steps and stands while dream:

Dream

I me you you he him she her it it we us you you they them I me you you he him she her it it we us you you they them

Word

But what if…loathsome chair, I am not a child again.

Dream

Am am not am am not am am not am am not am am not am am not am am not

Word

But what if…

Artwork Robert Parker    Many thanks.

Excerpted from Without a Word by Molly Brogan

To Resist, or Resist Not - Does It Make a Difference?

RESISTANCE RECONCILES OPPOSITION AND GUIDES US FROM DUALITY TO NON DUALITY

Resistance itself is a tool for learning.  At the age of two, we learn the wonderful power of NO, and continue to use it until sometime as an adult we learn, that there isn’t no, there is only yes.  Because even when we use the word no, we are consenting to something – either feeding our ego by insisting that things go our way, or allowing our experience to flow with grace by offering “no” to others as a learning tool.  When we know the difference, we know that there is no other.  And no becomes yes.

Resistance itself is a measure of opposition, and there are enormous lessons to be learned and skills to acquire in reconciling opposites.  Indeed, many of the sacred teachings see the soul as having a function of reconciling opposites in fulfilling karma, repenting sin or mastering kundalini. On the conscious level, problem solving, conflict resolution and negotiating are all basic skills that are learned from childhood to adulthood.  They define our resilience and efficacy, and require mastery of resistance.  It is in the reconciliation of opposites as, often through paradox, as in the practice of Tao (“The cause and the effects are aspects of the same, one thing.  They are both mysterious and profound.  At their most mysterious and profound point lies the "Gate of the Great Truth.")  The practice of Tao requires that we can finally let go of our need for resistance and move in unity.

If we are living in a state of mind that is peaceful, does not judge, allows each their own view, and can hear and see spirit in all of experience - our direct experience will reflect peace, not violence to us. Each step of the process is formed by who we are in the moment.

Artwork Wassily Kandinsky  Black Violet.  Many thanks.

Excerpted from All About Living by Molly Brogan

Guardians of the Threshold

OUR OWN FEARS GUARD THE THRESHOLD TO SPIRIT AND OUR ENTRY

I love Rudolph Steiner's story about the Guardians of the Threshold, who guard our entry into spiritual awareness, until we understand that one Guardian is the golden part of us who's beauty is too blinding and we must look away (or accept our self worth) and the other Guardian is our dark nature that holds the archetypes of the thief, whore, and all other undesirable natures that we look away from and cannot own up.  Until we do, we cannot cross the threshold.  Once we do, the guardians vanish, because they ARE us. 

I think it is worth noting, that according to the Steiner teaching, once the threshold is crossed, the experience of the seeker changes to one who's experience does not contain direct violence and chaos - because duality is transcended, harmony can rule the day.  It does not mean that duality no longer exists, only that it is no longer the experience of the seeker who has crossed the threshold. 

You cannot cross the threshold into integration until you know that you can illuminate darkness yourself.  The first Guardian contains all of our fears in aspects of good and evil. These fears prohibit our crossing the Threshold until we reconcile all good and evil within and see them interwoven into our whole being.  The unseen then becomes seen. 

The second Guardian, our golden shadow, is a sublime, luminous beauty impossible to describe.  It holds our highest potential, and our low self image and our perceived limits keep us from embracing this Guardian and crossing the Threshold.  To embrace the second Guardian we must realize that our highest possibilities (unseen) within ourselves creates our character and that our world of sense is a seed ground for the higher world.  By embracing the second Guardian, everyone is redeemed and all are connected.  We cannot cross the threshold in separation.

Excerpted from All About Living by Molly Brogan
Artwork by Alejandro Silveira Bruno.  Many thanks.

Color the World With Generosity of Spirit

UNCONDITIONALITY OF LOVE AND FORGIVENESS IS EXTENDED WITH GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT

Have you ever had a day when you felt completely in love with life, when you could see and feel spirit all around you, in everything and everyone?  When you feel like this, you are generous of spirit.

Generosity of spirit can also be accomplished with thought.  One of Neville Goddard's sayings is "Think of something wonderful for yourself and another."  If our thoughts create our reality, then being generous in our thoughts will bring a generosity of spirit into our life that translates into peace and joy.

Giving our loved ones the space and love they need to work out their difficulties without agency or intervention can be generosity of spirit.  Often, if we see someone struggling, we feel compelled to do something for them, fix things, or give our opinion or words of wisdom.  Almost just as often, this makes things worse. 

There are those times when we can be helpful.  Usually if someone needs our help they will ask for it.  It sometimes isn’t easy to stand by and watch someone struggle.  But sometimes – our generosity of spirit is all that is needed for others to feel loved and supported.  Knowing that someone is in our lives that we can ask for help when necessary, who loves us enough to allow us to try and fail and try again – empowers us to continue to try.

If you can look out at everyone, and see them as becoming, remembering their highest potential and, in spite of their apparent mistakes and foibles, as doing the best they can in grace with their state of mind and stage of life - then you truly do have generosity of spirit.

At times, the world can be a big, unfriendly, cold place to live, full of darkness and shadow.  Relating to others with respect and kindness is to be generous of spirit.  Encouraging others around us to shine is a gift that we all can offer each other.  In fact, when we extend this gift to others, we extend it to all of life. When we remember that it is more important to extend love than to be number one or front and center, we express our generosity of spirit.

All material copyrighted 2010: excerpt, All About Living, Molly Brogan

Age of Ethics

extending us at once internally and externally, technology ushers us into the age of ethics

The transition into the age of ethics has just begun and will take decades to emerge.  It will be, I think, a fascinating transition.  Our notions of trust will, out of necessity, become central and evolve.   The transition from the information age to the age of ethics is a dynamic dialectic.  Trusting ourselves to know that despite our fallibilities and mistakes, we will persevere and grow is essential.

Just as the personal computer ushered us into the age of information, the personal communication device will usher us into the age of ethics.  With communications technology developing at an accelerated rate, there is little happening in the world that can be hidden anymore.  Sure there are areas of the world that are underdeveloped, without technology and operating at the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy.  Yet, as this is the age of global experience, they will be carried along.  Could this be part of life’s grand design as well?  Can we trust that it is?

All material copyrighted 2010 All About Living, Molly Brogan 
Artwork by Ron Isom, The Oracle of Gadfly.  Many thanks.

Forsaking All Others Brings Us to Unity

WE ARE REALIZED BY BEING THE GOD WITHIN

Most of us feel that there is a source or creator or God or ultimate order to life.  Connecting to this for some of us, is fleeting, takes effort and may even be something we think very little about.  How do YOU connect with the spirit within you?  How often do you connect?  How does this connection effect your life?

Do we have to have a God?  I believe God is.  God is within us all. Not all of us recognize or understand that it is this God within us that creates our experience according to our own filters of belief and viewpoint.  Our experience is created whether we recognize this aspect of it or not.  I believe that the quality of our experience improves with peace, harmony and love, if we do.  Does this mean that folks who don't believe in God are doomed or suffer more or are wrong?  No.  It simply means that some of us believe in God and some don't.  I believe that everyone is living to express who they are and moving into their potentiality that will be included in their expression.  This is change.  I can feel the harmony and completion of the entirety.

We all live a different experience.  Our relationship to our experience creates it.  This includes our relationship to ourselves, others, God, the earth etc.  That is the many.  There is that part of life where we are all one.  Some say this is the God within us or Christ consciousness.  Paradoxically, the oneness doesn't negate our individuality, it empowers it. 

My viewpoint is that nothing is external to God, and God is not external to me.  God is an essential part of who I am.  God is I AM in me.  The paradox is that I am both differentiated (individual), and undifferentiated (God).  I am God (Father), myself (Son), and my experience (Holy Spirit), expressed in states and stages and dimensions of consciousness.

All material copyrighted 2010: excerpt, All About Living, Molly Brogan
 Artwork by Ron Isom.  Many thanks.

Free Will Is and Is Not

ALL POSSIBILITY EXISTS ALWAYS.  OUR FREE WILL ALLOWS OUR AWARENESS OF POSSIBILITY WITH A CHANGE IN VIEWPOINT

I think the notion of free will is simple. God is the realm of infinite possibility. We choose possibility (free will) to create our individual experience. At some point in the journey, the two are integrated - the one and the many. Some people argue that free will is not the same as choice.

I think that all possibility is the realm of God, and we choose possibility, according to our viewpoint in the moment. Yet, if we are coexisting in an infinite number of possible realms, we are, in the same moment, living all different possibilities, each from a different viewpoint. As space time opens and all possibility is reached, each one limited viewpoint is simultaneously one in the all possibility. Everything you can imagine, you are. As you are experiencing yourself in separation from others, you are choosing, with free will, which possibility to include in your viewpoint to shape your experience. You can change by choosing again. As long as you are separate and limited, the choice remains. There is a state of being where all possibility and all viewpoints are realized. Here, the choice is all of everything. This is the God within us.

We cannot change what is, which is everything possible. But we choose our state of consciousness, our viewpoint, and in this, exercise our free will. By doing this, we change our experience of who we are and live our potentiality of all that is. This is how we, as some say, co create. We do by making the possible real. We don’t really change what is possible, we change our experience by changing our viewpoint, and that changes what is possible within our experience.

We generate meaningful connections in our experience of consciousness, not the intellectual speculation of consciousness. States like cosmic consciousness (experience of all time and all others and all that is) can and are experienced in sleep and deep meditation or contemplation. Also, the undifferentiated, ineffable, omniscient, realm of all possibility can be experienced in sleep or deep meditation and contemplation. Once accessed, these states are in our awareness like a background programs, running though all our experience. Like this, they become a part of our complete experience. We all have the potentiality for this. We recognize and then experience when a change in viewpoint allows the possibility to manifest as real in our experience. Intellectual speculation may lead us to a change in viewpoint, or it may not. Our viewpoint manifests the experience. Our free will allows our choice.

All material copyrighted 2010: excerpt, All About Living, Molly Brogan
 Artwork by Beth Nash.  Many thanks.