Thursday, May 31, 2012

Ancestors and Healing Family Ties

The thorny branches on the monuments to the deities Osun and Eziza represent the realm of the unknown. Photograpy from Wild Spirits: Strong Medicine,page 62, photo and copyright Norma Rosen



Our families are challenged with broken relationships, miscommunications, hurt feelings, childhood wounds and the Ancestors are there to help us heal.

I am learning of the interdependence with my Ancestors and my family

I have so many questions.  Do we control our destinies by opening our hearts? Is that the place we
Connect with the Ancestors
Connect with the Orisha?

Is it unlimited manifestations?

What guides the manifestation?  Our intentions we have to always check our intentions. 

We are human and it’s so easy to give in to fear.  Flowing learning the flow the resolution I seek. 

As I think about the challenging times and emotional struggle of caring for a loved one who becomes incapacitated I remember how terrified I was then.  My mom internally taught me to be strong with the way she lived day to day. 

No matter how stupid I was to internally criticize as a child and now, Treasure as an adult.

Our intentions how we view our Blessings either builds the Blessing or not.

We elevate the Divine in our Ancestors and the Deities who come to walk with us with our intentions and actions and meditations as we journey through the unknown.

I have so much to learn.



Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Forgiveness - Academia and Spirituality

Yemaya
by OshunWater, LLC, Artist Divine Claiborne


Forgiveness, we all agree forgiveness is important and we need to forgive.  How do we forgive?  What is the process?

Just saying I forgive you or them doesn’t equate forgiveness.  Is forgiveness a process happening over time? 

According to Robert Enright, professor of educational psychology and president of the International Forgiveness Institute at the University of Wisconsin, forgiveness is not the following:

·         Forgetting past wrongs to “move on”
·         Excusing or condoning bad, damaging behavior
·         Reconciliation or coming together again (forgiveness opens the way to reconciliation, but the other person must change or desire to reconcile)
·         Reducing the severity of offenses
·         Offering a legal pardon
·         Pretending to forgive in order to wield power over another person
·         Ignoring the offender
·         Dropping our anger and becoming emotionally neutral (Johnson, 2009)

How do we truly forgive?


My forgiveness journey started with releasing my right to resentment, negative judgment, and the most challenging, indifferent behavior toward the person who caused me pain.

It takes time for me to let go of being indifferent toward the other person. 

Avoidance is not forgiveness.

There must be a balance of positive energies with this process.  At the same time embrace compassion, generosity, and even love toward the other person.  It’s not about being right.  This doesn’t happen immediately, but once you embrace forgiveness regardless of the response of the person who hurt you. 

So often we have forgiveness conditional upon the other party’s response, admission of guilt, signs of remorse.  Forgiveness is unconditional.   The process that takes place over time involves emotions, thoughts, and behavior. (Johnson, 2009)

Enright and his fellow researchers suggest the above occurs in four-stages and developed a model to help people forgive.

·         First phase – uncovering.  You may initially deny a problem exists.  When you do intense feelings of anger, shame and betrayal exist.  You rehash the offense and compare your condition to that of the offender.
·         Second phase – decision.  You recognize you are paying a high price for dwelling on the injury, and consider the possibility of forgiveness, and commit yourself to forgiving.
·         Third phase – work.  Forgiveness requires you to understand the background and motivation of the person who injured you.  You may experience empathy and compassion for the offender.  Absorbing pain is the key to this stage.  This is the difficult part, the forgiver decides to endure suffering rather than pass it on, thereby breaking the cycle of evil.  Forgiveness is a gift of mercy to the wrongdoer.
·         Fourth and final phase – deepening.  You may find deeper meaning in suffering, realize your need for forgiveness, and come to a greater appreciation for support groups.  The person offering forgiveness may develop a new purpose in life and find peace. It is also requires commitment to restore the broken relationship.  At first it may be toleration and then evolve to full reconciliation. (Johnson, 2009)

This process is used with survivors of incest, rape as well as war.

Yemaya’s nurturing energies work with me through the process of forgiveness.  The depth of her wisdom slowly reveals itself as I am ready to receive it.  It takes time and is not a fast process, it is a thorough process. In the academic fourth and final phase, the deepening, embracing your need for forgiveness, enabling you to develop a new purpose in life and find peace.  This requires much Spiritual meditation, prayer, emotional & spiritual maturity to seek a higher Divine purpose.
It is not easy, it is necessary.


References
Johnson, C. E. (2009). Meeting the Ethical Challenegs of Leadership. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Family - The Ancestors - Life

Gogo And The Ancestors Painting - Gogo And The Ancestors Fine Art Print - Marietjie Henning
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/gogo-and-the-ancestors-marietjie-henning-.html

Family, we are all challenged with the dynamics and demands.  We all have so much hurt feelings, miscommunications, pettiness, gossip and jealousy to deal with.  As I learn to live seeking Spiritual Guidance, The Ancestors have my focus on healing family wounds and reconnecting.

The doors are opened and I am learning about the words and actions that have caused so much hurt and pain.  As I learn my choice is do I embrace the gossip?  Does the gossip define me?  Why do people choose the gossip over knowing?

The Ancestors have a mandate heal the wounds, improve communications choose words that heal and comfort.  Choose understanding instead of judgment.  Act with compassion.  Parents nurture children, be mindful of your communications with each child.  Parents create the relationships between their children.

As we get older, we need to view our childhood as an adult, not through our childhood eyes with our childhood mind.  

As adults we know life is not black and white, but grey.  There are very few absolutes.  We have lived enough to have endured challenges, fallen, been overwhelmed and sometimes lost.  With this we can look back and see our parents as human beings instead of expecting perfection of mythical beings – Mom and Dad.

My Ancestors are guiding our family’s journey of healing and reconnection, this new generation; the babies must have a healthy loving family life.  We are all learning how to love.  We are all learning how to love ourselves and our families.  

We all have so much to learn.

Moon Phases First Quarter by Tarot.com

Friday, May 25, 2012

It's A New Day and Time is Running Out



We have to learn to compete to survive or perish.  Listen Carefully to Dr. Claud Anderson.


Reality, we must understand our reality and then we must change how we think, live and behave.


Know how institutions participated. 


Sankofa... in 765 Muslims enslaved Africans through Holy Wars to get access to the resources.  In 765 Arabs enslaved on average 1 million blacks every 100 years.  13 million blacks shipped out of Africa as slaves for over 1300 years.


900 to 1400 the Arabs continue to work on further penetrating Africa.


Pope declared blacks could be enslaved in the 14th century when the Arabs conquered Timbuktu.


Self examination is very difficult.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Learning about Loving Energies

Oshun by Oshun Water, LLC
Artist Divine Claiborne

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oshun-Water-LLC/135214239873426 
Learning how to love.  Oshun is guiding me in understanding we are always learning how to love. We are always learning how to release fear.  We are always learning, learning, learning, 

We just have to open our hearts and embrace this reality.

There is so much we don’t know. 

How different would life be if we lived in the reality that we are always learning and there is so much we don’t know?
Thank you for your gentle guidance.
Releasing fears, releasing fears, releasing fears.

Today such a Blessing, learning so much about the way Spirit works with me and through me.

Accepting and embracing the Blessings to see their Manifestations. 
See the Blessings. 
Always see the Blessings, there you find Love.



What Am I Creating?



The Yoruban deity Obatalá, whose name means "King of the White Cloth", is also known as Oxalá in Brazil.

This self-assessment thing is not easy at all.  I am finding my preconceived ideas about many things weren’t true.  Specifically, I mean relationships.  I have seen only my side for so long, I have much to learn.

We are all wounded souls in some shape, form or fashion.  It is why we seek a Higher Being, God, Allah, Olodumare and the countless ways humanity sees The Creator of All.  We are fragile in so many ways.  When we embrace and accept our fragileness, we can see how fragile others are with compassion. 

Compassion is missing from too many hearts.
The first step I have be compassionate with me.  I am only human, as the song goes, born to make mistakes.  We all are.  So why do we want to destroy each other so easily? 
Why do I allow fear to dictate my responses?  What harm do I create when fear is my guide?
Did I act based on fear? Or Did I act based on Faith or Knowing or Courage?

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

One of Today's Lessons

Artist-Kevin L. McIntosh

Learning how the Orisha work with me is a daily lesson.


Obatala is teaching me discernment is the way to maintain a calm cool head.  Today, Obatala showed me to stop, breathe and assess before reacting during a lesson from Oggun.


This is my continued prayer, Orisha please be gentle and kind with us as we learn and falter.  In this time in our evolution as human beings we must pray for each other.  It is no longer enough that I am “blessed and highly favored”; it is about my family, my community, my village, my country, humanity, my planet.


The Orisha come for community working through the individual.  Yet too often when things go wrong or we fear, the reaction is to attack someone or somethingToo often it is about revenge, control or manipulation. The Orisha are so much more.


I learned today about how they lovingly guide us, direct us and correct us.  Always keeping in mind there is no one true path.  
We each grow and learn differently journeying along different spiritual paths.  


Problems Increasing - Time to Check Yourself



When problems continue to increase then it is time to stop and look at yourself honestly.  It is time to ask yourself questions:

How am I contributing to these problems?

What are my thoughts?  Do I address people respectfully, and then curse them out in my head?  Do I say one thing when I really mean something else?  Is it always the fault of someone else? What are my illusions and delusions about me?

Is this my thought or what I have been told to think?  Is this my internal dialogue or am I repeating what I heard that sounds good?  Did I just yell at my children because I am frustrated or angry?  Did I argue with my partner because I feel scared or insecure about our relationship?  Do I judge people based on what I would do in the same situation?

One thing is for sure, we can’t create change with the same patterns of thinking, acting and living.  Did you check your intentions and internal dialogue today?  I did.  

I have so much work to do with me.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Sharing My Story

















Moon Phases: New Moon | Tarot.com

Moon Phases: New Moon | Tarot.com

With the news focusing so much on lack of resources it is easy to fall into depression.  We are the Co-Creators of our lives.

It is time to reinvent yourself, be bold, be courageous.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

I Give Thanks

It is time to focus on the other side of the story. Time to be thankful for the Blessings! I give Thanks for sustainable businesses being developed that build and sustain all communities. I give Thanks for families healing, for Divine Love to guide all families. I give Thanks for our children’s spirits, bodies and minds being engaged and nurtured through an educational process that builds and strengthens all communities. I give Thanks for the wisdom and guidance of our Elders as they strengthen us to wisely resolve issues. I give Thanks for food, medicine and water that heal all illness. I give Thanks for Divine Sight guiding us. I give Thanks that we receive and act on the Divine Guidance. I give Thanks for the gift of Free Will. I give Thanks for the responsibility of Free Will. Peace and Blessings

Thursday, May 3, 2012

George C. Fraser (12-2-11)

He lays out what we must do this century for our own community. It's economics and the power is in our hands. It is how we live and how we spend our money. Time to build generational wealth. Important, interested in your feedback.