Shadows Introductions

Part Two

a Kether Muse

(copyright)

 The headdress is amazingly dazzling and magnificent. Beautifully beaded in intricate and colorful designs. It's age and origins unknown but images of ancient ritualistic ceremonies flood my minds eye. Tibet, Africa or Peru? But then again I also see a smiling young flapper dancing across the floor with total abandon donning the accessory in accordance with the Egyptomania of the times. Whimsical thoughts as I run my finger across its surface and note where repairs have been made over the years to salvage this object of obvious special intrigue. That last thought brings me back to my present surroundings and out of the mini-trance I was swept away in. Still caressing this treasure I look up from my chair and gaze out the window to the sunny morning. I see Shadow standing outside near a tree, motioning for me to follow him. I rise obediently, for when my love, my guru, beckons I respond. I am eager and have no pressing matters to distract me from my lessons. And it has been way too long since my last. I exit the house with quickened step because Shadow has already almost disappeared at the edge of the tree line and I do not wish to lose sight of him.

 My pace, still a bit quicker than my norm, takes me down one of the winding, and fortunately, familiar pathways through the forest. I sense where it is Shadow is leading as I catch glimpses of him ahead in the filtered dancing sunlight. The birds are singing their morning greetings to the light and I hear my name in their melodies. It makes me smile knowing they recognize me and add me to their song. Not too far off is a little open meadow which Shadow often makes the classroom of the day where he instructs and guides me. I am out of breath a bit and am glad when we draw near our destination because I know there is an old stump at the meadow's edge where I can sit and gather my body and my thoughts in preparation for whatever Shadow has in store for me. Anxious to sit I see my appointed seat and approach. But before I can sit, there is an object there I must remove.

 “How very odd and unusual” I think to myself in an astonished tone while I plop down hard on my seat as I am a bit exhausted from our hike. I smile at my surprise, because I should be accustom to things being odd and unusual when it comes to Shadows teachings. As I settle myself I begin to examine my prize.. It is a conductors baton. It is about 16 inches long, but shaped in a taper more like a extended chopstick than a baton, but in my mind I am told it is a baton by an unrecognizable voice. Beautiful black ebony wood or so it appears and decorated with flowing designs of inlaid mother of pearl. Such a lovely object, but what is its purpose for today? I look up, scanning the meadow for Shadow. I do not see him. But there in the middle of the arena is a surreal scene that gives me a momentary start, causing my heart to skip a beat.

 Seated in a half moon array is a stringed quintet, dressed in fine clothing fit for any noteworthy performance stage. It is difficult to ascertain the sex of the member of the group as their clothing seems to fade in and out, male to female from one member to the next. Their hair styles and faces to are ever changing in a sort of seamless flowing motion. I am confused as to if this is significant or a sign that it matters little to the lesson. Each has his/her music stand with sheets of music in front of them. In front of that is a solitary stand and I m prompted by Shadow in his voiceless manner to take my baton and and my appointed post.

 Unsure of my ability to take on the unfamiliar role I stand before my musical podium, raise my baton and begin, assuming the musicians have practiced the music and my plan being to adjust my awkwardness and inexperience accordingly. Abruptly the players begin. Expecting to be lavished with some moving composition of indescribable sweetness, I was applaud at what issued forth. It was the most discordant and near painful echoing sound I had ever experience! I continued in my play actor conductor mode for a few minutes, hoping and praying that this agonizing overture may magically find some semblance of harmony. Quickly I recognize that this is not going to happened and I wave my arms frantically in the air motioning for the players to cease. They stop as abruptly as they began.

 Looking down at the sheet music in front of me I found myself staring in wonder at a totally blank and unmarked page,, I pick it up and thumb through the remaining pages to find the same empty canvas.  Stepping over to the stands and music of the musicians I begin the same process with their music, each in turn.. Their pages reveal music, unlike my own pages, but I note that each has a different piece than the others. I look to them and they sit motionless but attentive and do not reveal any indication as to what they are thinking, seemingly unaffected by what has just transpired. I turn my gaze outward, scanning for Shadow turning 360 to no avail. Shadow appears to be gone. Confused I choose to return to my faithful stump, baton and “music” in hand. The players sit patiently as before, the only movement is the continuous smooth flowing of their dress and appearance as before.

I struggle to absorb what I have just experienced and sit up straight and close my eyes allowing my questions to echo about, awaiting an answer of some sort that rings true to explain to me the purpose of  the morning events. Holding tight to my new found touchstone, baton and “music” my mind reaches out to my love, my guru for just a little guidance. I immediately I sense a sigh from Shadow in his characteristic telepathic manner. He is encouraging me to not be so impatient and to sit a bit longer with it all. I feel a moment of being perturbed at the reply and suddenly every note of the previous discordant “concert” comes back into my awareness further adding to my distress. It seems impossible to even convey the depth of the soulful agony of hearing it a second time.

 The sounds fade. Quietly I sit and sit for a seemingly endless time awaiting revelation. Like the rising moon, quietly and silently the task and purpose is revealed. I open my eyes to the twilight of the setting sun.  With my new feeling of relief and purpose I return to the Meadow Quintet who remain patiently sitting and awaiting my direction. I assure them that I shall return with a score that can be played by all. I am unskilled at this task, but I know it is necessary and good. The why still eludes me but in time my lessons teach me about who I am and I remain thankful in my unsureness. Beyond this I have little to say. The players look to me with eyes that are not there and let me know they understand and will continue to wait. I turn to find the path back through the woods as I feel/see Shadow, my love, my guru smiling...

Shadow's Introductions
Part One

(copyright)

Rain.

The spring sits awaiting weeks away. So why does our Mother tease us in such a manner? The white bird in my dreams last night also seemed to be toying with me, flickering about and alighting on my shoulders. I was straining to hear what it was saying but the message eluded me.

Rain, tobacco and coffee. Welcome guests to start a new day with. The incessant clamor in my head is beginning to dominate over the pitter-patter of the gentle rain, insisting I begin making plans for the day that awaits me, heretofore of little or no concern. Slightly startled I see that familiar movement at the edges of my peripheral vision. He often comes to me this way, especially after times of long absence. My love, my teacher, my friend.

I assume he has been busy with his other students, as I am not arrogant enough to believe I'm his only one. I do wish at times his visits were not so brief, but being an excellent teacher his lessons are always conveyed with focused and efficient intent. Aloud I speak, “Ah, Shadow, welcome.” I know he heard a bit of dismay on my voice, as I am a little miffed at having been left to my own devices for so long without his guiding hand. I can almost see him smiling as he ducks around the tree out of sight for now. And isn't that a thought! Surprising because in all these many years I have never really seen Shadows face..

Excitement and anticipation are sprinkled with a garnish of apprehension. Apprehension because Shadows visits are sometimes painful, as my lessons reveal my fear to me, like the rising sun that I cannot escape from or make retreat to the other side of the horizon. I stand, taking a deep breath of resolve, ready for what may come.. I salute our Mother. I reach out from the porch and touch the gentle rain..

Ah, the rain.

THOUGHTS ON BEING GREEN

Author Unknown

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days.”

The young clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.”

She was right — our generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.

But too bad we didn’t do the green thing back then.

We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that young lady is right; we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she’s right; we didn’t have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.

But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?

Thoughts On 911

 I remember well the events of 911. As the early riser I am, I was watching early morning news as I had my coffee and played on the computer. Hearing that a plane had apparently hit the World trade center, I was mildly interested and looked up to see. Little did I know how that moment would change the world we knew in so many ways.. Is this still current news or is it now history and part of the new American mythos?

There is a quote that goes, "The owl of Minerva only takes flight as the dusk begins to fall." The meaning is that “understanding, insight, wisdom arise when the object to be understood has played itself out, when it has actualized and thus exhausted its potentialities, and now faces only decline.” The “Little Owl” accompanies Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom and is considered a sign of wisdom. Will we gain wisdom from 911, or are we still in the midst of it so deep that it will be left to our children or our grand children, who have more distance from the event, to fully grasp how it has changed the world?

Has this endless war on terror now become the norm in the minds of the humans of the planet? How can we give the understanding to the younger generation that this is not theway it has always been? How can we stir the memories of ourselves to remember and foster an attitude that makes this change unacceptable? The war on terror cannot be won, especially when we cannot even define what a terrorist is. You cannot fight an idea. And in this post 911 world I see our country’s military becoming no different than any other “terrorists” out there with the exception that we have many more weapons than anyone else to terrorize with and “we the people” pay for this terrorism.(this is an older chart, but you get the idea)

Is this the world that we wish to resign ourselves to? I sure as hell don't. It is a daunting task to work for peace when the tide of war seems to be constantly rushing toward us with a mighty force, but I for one am going to continue to speak out, demonstrate, make phone calls and write letter advocating different solutions to this endless world of war. I hope you do also will, otherwise what world are we going to leave to our future generations? Join the Peace Movement and do what you can for peace. Locally here in Idaho join the Idaho Peace Coalition (facebook is best).

In closing, please visit the page of  9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows >>> "The vision for September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows was born when a small group of family members of those killed on 9/11 became connected after reading each others’ pleas for nonviolent and reasoned responses to the terrorist attacks."

Work for Peace

Prison Reform Mini Rant

I stared this conversation on Face Book but quickly realized the issue was too large to clutter up my home page with. This will be brief but may expand as time goes on...

First off is this short article about the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) is offering cash-strapped state governments to buy up their penitentiaries and manage convicted criminals at a cost-savings if they will sign a 20-year contract and assurances that the state will keep the prisons at least 90% full.!!! They sent these letters to all fifty states. Fortunately recently they lost the contracts in 4 states, Idaho, my state, included. So perhaps there is hope on this front... The Huffington Post has quite a few articles on this issue. CCA has been sued many times over abuses. Here in Boise they call it "Gladiator School"  because the guards allow inmates to batter each other with disregard as a control technique. Hmmm..

The next little thing is the issue of so many people being sent back to prison for minor parole violations. Things like changing jobs without permission. Or even having a girlfriend/boyfriend without your parole officers permission. This is totally ridiculous! In these times of financial stress on states why do they do this? Fine them instead. Make them do community service hours instead. But send them back to prison at an average cost in Idaho of $19,545 per inmate ... In California it is a whopping $47,102!! In Idaho the budget for the Idaho Department of Corrections is $143.2 million. The actual cost to do the prisons is actually $144.7 million. Do the math. Who suffers with this shortfall? Certainly not the state employees. It is the prisoners.

So one more issue that needs changed drastically. It is about what is called Street Time. if you are revoked, and you were on parole, mandatory supervision, or conditional pardon as described the parole board then you will not receive credit for the time from the date of release to the date of revocation (your street time.) This absolutely needs to stop. I knew people in prison who did well on parole for 3-5-7 plus years and made a mistake that violated them and they were sent back to prison to do their time losing all street time.. Last I heard I think there were 20 states that still take street time.. I will have to do further research on that. Here is some Street Time Conversation.

A Tidbit for thought and further conversation.. "Despite more relaxed attitudes among the public at large toward non-violent offenses like marijuana use, the number of people in federal prison for drug offenses spiked from 74,276 in 2000 to 97,472 in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The punishment falls disproportionately on people of color. Blacks make up 50 percent of the state and local prisoners incarcerated for drug crimes."

So to close for now I just want to say that the issue of reform of our judicial system and prisons can't come soon enough. I hope this gets you thinking about it a little and you join in some way to campaigns to do this reform. Thanks for reading. Start the conversation.

In Brief Some Prison Reform Resourses

  

Ritual of the Hair

He gathered up the tools. Feather, paper, ribbon, dried leaves, seeds and the ball of hair from the past mingled with the hair of the day. The Moon sat waiting patiently, observing his mindful preparations as an owl in flight graced the scene. Fire, Earth, Water and Air were also gathered there in waiting. It seems to him that all is well as the Circle is cast with reverent intent and he takes his place at the focus.

As he takes a breath as deep as an ocean and his exhalation fills the starry sky, he wonders if he noted this as a sigh or just a life affirming action? It matters not, as the ritual now has begun. He begins to write his meme upon the paper in a script that the Gods can understand, all the while with focused intent upon visions of his past, those that seem best forgotten, because they hold ones soul to the ground when you wish to fly. Continuing on he repeats the process on another paper and fills it with visions of the future. Daydreams full of contentment and love. It seems to him such a simple request and he ponders for the moment why it appears many have so difficult a time magnetizing such into their lives. Another breath, this truly a sigh, escapes his lips.

There is no answer to his query as he ties a ribbon, the dried leaves and the feather to his musings of the past and casts them to that starry sky, sending those unwanted anxious memories to the wind, that they may blow far away, never to return. Picking up the paper of the future dreams he wraps the seed tightly in its embrace and holds it up to the Moon as to say, “Remember this is here.” Digging a hole in the dirt before him, he places this magical bundle at the bottom and covers it with the rich soil with the faith that these dreams will take root in the womb of our Mother and manifest their magical destiny.

He stands feeling satisfied that all is well, closes the circle and then walks away, full of hope for the future and waving goodbye to the past... Shanti

Human Rights

Today on the Boise Weekly Forum a thread was started in regard to a video of an exchange at the United Nations between the UN Watch and the UN Human Rights Commission.

Israels own  Association for Civil Rights in Israel reports that Israel should be looking in its own back yard. ( Actual report that is referenced to in the previous article ) I do not disagree that the UN is not doing enough about many places in the world, Congo, Sudan, China and on and on. But the Fact remains that the Israeli and Palestinian Conflict has major effects on the world in regard to peace and war. In my opinion one of the most important issues on the planet.

Please visit my website for more on the issues of War, Peace and Human Rights. Work for Peace