We Are All Connected

http://anthonyuu.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/yoruba-religion-and-the-rapture-of-being-alive/

In the process of doing online research on the Pygmy Tribe, I came across this website http://www.survivalinternational.org/ explaining the battles of indigenous people being removed from their ancestral homelands. 

The reason for the removal is “progress”, corporations needing the lumber, minerals or the water source that is on the land. 

What gives one group of people the right to decide what is civilized?  What gives one group of people the right to remove a community of people so others can use the resources?

Today I attended a Tenant Association meeting at my local library.  The topic – a redevelopment plan that will demolish the apartment complex I along with thousands of families live.  We didn’t get any notification prior to this meeting that we would be removed the earliest by September 2013.

Our community is being redeveloped and a group of people decided it was better to have a higher income population replace a working class population.  Our community is ideally located by I395 and not far from I495 between 2 metro stations and plenty of bus lines. 

Across this globe including where we live, for the priority of profit, one community is being removed for another more “desirable” community to move in with higher income.  That is capitalism.

Democracy is the opposite of capitalism.  The challenge we are in the midst of is that Capitalism has more power than Democracy.  It is Profit that reigns supreme and people are merely game pieces to use to make MORE PROFIT.

We are a peaceful community as many communities are across this globe, raising families, contributing to the society with our labor, skills and taxes.  

We contribute with our purchases and consumerism to our own demise.  We support corporations and businesses that don’t’ care about us.   We are only of value as long as we can pay the price increases.  We are only of value as long as we pay.

I am frustrated tonight. I see the connection of the battle of the Awa Tribe in the Amazon facing extinction because of business goals that value minerals, land, lumber and not people.  I am one with the Bushman in Botswana, the Maaisa in Tanzania, the Batak in the Philippines, the Innu in Canada, Khanty in Russia, Columbia Heights, DC, Harlem, USA, Brooklyn, USA, and so many more communities.

And so it continues there is a group of people that have the power and financial means to remove another group of people increasing homelessness for a profit.

Today reinforced for me to look to My Creator, My Ancestors, My Orishas for guidance through a world that daily is controlled and manipulated by those who see no value in my life and the lives of people just profit.

It is unethical.

We live in a society that places value on success, not value on ethics and values. 

The ecological design of Nature vs the imperial design of man.

The funny thing is they are pitting us against each other: those who make less than $45,000 vs those who earn $50,000 or more.

"First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me."    — Martin Niemöller

"In the absence of Sacred, nothing is Sacred and everything is for sale."  Onodonga Nation.

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

http://spirithouses-shrines.ucdavis.edu/content/lessons/readings/images/osunde.jpg

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.

Forgiveness - Academia and Spirituality

Yemaya
by OshunWater, LLC, Artist Divine Claiborne

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/163419_138718006189716_2162105_n.jpg

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.

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

http://www.tarot.com/astrology/moon-phases/waxing-half-moon

Learning a new way to live.

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.

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.