The Everyday Mystic

Many spiritual seekers find communion with Source in nature. No wonder - nature evokes wonder and awe, gratitude and satisfaction. Its beauty is a feast for the senses. Nature reminds you of how small you are and, at the same time, how vast the interconnection is among all of life.

Music also evokes spiritual awakenings.  Music speaks to your heart and soul, invites you to sing or dance, creates a whole body awareness of the beauty of the human experience.

Enjoying music outdoors in nature is a special treat for the senses, the heart and the soul.  Some of my most sacred moments have been at outdoor concerts during the summertime.  Lying on a blanket, looking up at the night sky, surrounded by the sounds of summer and music - that’s heaven on earth for me.

Why not combine nature and music this 4th of July weekend?  Here in North Texas, you can at the Fort Worth Symphony’s Concerts in the Garden, at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. The symphony plays a patriotic concert tonight and tomorrow night, July 3 and 4th.  On Sunday night, you can hear Tchaikovsky’s explosive 1812 Overture and one of the Cliburn Piano Competition finalists performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3.  For more information, visit http://www.fwsymphony.org/concerts/concerts-in-the-garden.asp 

Wherever you are, treat yourself to an outdoor concert for Independence Day weekend!

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It’s a jungle out there right now.  The world economy is a mess, people are fearful for their jobs, and great amounts of wealth have been obliterated with the capital market’s implosion. It’s so easy to get sucked into fearful thinking. Want to be happy instead of worried?  When I’m down in the dumps, I use a special visualization to literally pull me up and out of it.  It’s my delight to share it with you here:

Sit comfortably in a chair. Imagine your worst fears: your 401k that’s in the tank, having to delay retirement so you can revive your investment portfolio, losing your job, etc. Picture a scene that represents the fears you are grappling with and picture yourself in the scene. For example, you might imagine yourself with your head in your heads as you review your stock portfolio.  Once you get a clear picture of your scene, make a clone of your spirit and assign it the job of “observer”. Imagine your observer spirit fly up to the rooftop to view this scene with its x-ray vision. What do you observe from the rooftop?

Now send your spirit up to the clouds and have it view the scene with you in it. What does your spirit observe from the clouds?

Now send your spirit up to the moon and have it view the scene with you in it. What does your spirit observe from the moon?

Now send your spirit up to heaven, where it can perceive all of the cosmos. Ask your spirit to view the scene back on earth. Then, tell your spirit to consult with a Divine entity (you might call it God, Goddess, Allah or others) to determine if there is a Divine meaning to what is going on in the scene on earth. What does your spirit tell you from heaven?

Come back to earth and slowly open your eyes.  Breathe deeply.

Did this change your perspective?  I always see my problems in a new light after doing this exercise. Coming back from heaven, I feel surrounded by the love of God and all angels.  What power can fear possibly have over me now?

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People of all times and places have had, and currently have, different views of the Divine.  Some conceive of a male God, sitting in heaven, making divine plans for all of the universe.  Others think of an amorphous Being who, having created the universe, now sits benignly by, watching the universe operate, perhaps according to Divine law or not.  Others may believe in a female Goddess, or multiple divine beings.  Or the Divine as a non-gendered force.  Within the multiplicity of Divine concepts and the wondrous variety in beliefs, there is an underlying theme to explore, which is the Divine Within and the Divine Without.  In other words, is your Divine living within you, or external to you?

The Divine Within is the deep stillness within each of us, accessible when we listen to our intuition, when we pay attention to the synchronicities in life, when we are in meditation or in centering prayer.  It is the true self’s voice within us that demonstrates positive virtues such as faith, hope, compassion and love.  It can be fierce when needed, but the Divine Within is pure and untainted by the ego’s demands. 

The Divine Without is the force of the universe that binds everything together.  It is the mastermind of the cosmos, the creator of us all, the ground of our being.  We can pray to an external God and receive comfort and support.  We might even expect this being or power to intervene on our behalf, as when we pray for healing.

Some scholars believe that this is the dividing line between different faith traditions, and that people usually believe one or the other.  Instead of drawing a line between them, I’d like to suggest a "both/and", perhaps paradoxical, perspective.  The Divine is both within and without.  When you think of the zero point field - the minute but ubiquitous energy that can be measured in a vacuum container in which the temperature has been reduced to absolute zero - it is both within and without.  It is within, because our bodies are made of matter that can be viewed at the sub-atomic level, where this zero point field is active. And, it is without, because all of the universe contains this energy.  So we are all connected at both the lowest and highest levels of conceivable thought.  We can listen to the Divine Within, to our truest self’s voice, and we can pray to the Divine Without, knowing that there is an energy that courses through all of creation.

So, I continue to pray and to meditate. I pray to the external, connective force that I perceive as Divine Without, and I meditate to connect with the Divine Within.  And yet, both concepts get mixed up inside me, producing something that is one and the same. If I soften my gaze at this subject, the duality becomes a unity. The Divine Without is actually the Divine Within, and the Divine Within manifests also as the Divine Without- they only appear to be different from my limited, humanly point of view.

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"I propose we fall in love several times a day for the rest of our lives," writes Matthew Fox. "…You could fall in love with fish and plants, animals, and birds, and with people, especially those who are different from us."

I read that quotation, and immediately began to ponder how I could fall in love multiple times a day, and what I would fall in love with.  I considered my dog, my family, the sunlight on the tile floor, the activity of writing, a phone call, the smile of a friend, a friendly or encouraging email, the singing bowl in my office.

How does falling in love differ from gratitude or appreciation?  It seems like they are all close cousins in the family of spiritual virtues. "Falling in love" implies something that comes from a deeper part of our hearts and, indeed, involves our whole body: nerves, hormones, neurons in the brain, tingles all over.  It is a visceral feeling. Falling in love is complete immersion, if only for a moment, in the perfection of the object of your affections.  It is adolescent yearning, innocent yet covered with acne, stupid love in the moment.  It is abandonment to beauty.

I want to fall in love that way everyday!

Mother/Father God, how can I fall in love with you daily?  You are no object, except of my desires.  When I thank you for the daily synchronicities that you bless me with, I shall take time to fall in love with you again. I deeply desire to live a life of falling in love again and again and again with You.

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"True faith can only grow and mature if it includes the elements of paradox and creative doubt," says Anglican priest Kenneth Leech in True God. Paradox and creative doubt - it is so nice to know that other seekers find their spiritual path littered with these nettlesome thoughts. True faith cannot be blind or unquestioning, or it wouldn’t be true to the inquisitiveness of the human spirit. True faith must be fired in the oven of critical thinking, vexing emotions and life experiences.  Only by those means does a faith gain strength.

Creative doubt - I love that term because it is so positive.  If you allow your doubt to become creative, it is not destructive, it is constructive. Or, it destroys in order to build something beautiful and vibrant.

One of my friends experiences the concept of creative doubt as two voices, embodied by the image of a positive person on her left shoulder (the "white knight" in my parlance) and the image of a negative person on her right shoulder (the "black knight"), both whispering in her ears.  As soon as I heard her explanation, my thoughts went back to a time when a counselor encouraged me to explore those two voices in me.  I could relate totally.  Here is what creative doubt about my spiritual path, as embodied by the black knight and the white knight, might whisper in my ears:

So, what do we do with creative doubt?  We examine the black knight’s thoughts to reveal some truth about our faith, to help us refine our thoughts and approach, and to help us understand how others less sure-footed on their path might feel.  We thank the black knight and tell it, "Thank you for your opinions. I have gotten as much benefit from them as possible. Now go home, you are no longer welcome here."  Then we shine a bright light on the expressions of the white knight.  We turn to the white knight and invite it into our home - to linger for a glass of wine, a good meal and long conversation.

How do you experience creative doubt?

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"It takes practice to see the grace of God in everyday life," says Marjorie J. Thompson in her book, "Soul Feast".  By noticing the Holy One’s hand in our lives, we count our blessings. And - I swear this is true in my life - by noticing the wondrous synchroncities we are blessed with, we increase their frequency.  It is as if heaven delights in our gratitude and wants to send us more blessings.  Or perhaps it is just that we become attuned to recognizing the grace of God in ever smaller ways.

It seems that when I least expect it, I sense the presence of the Divine in my life.  I might feel a tingle on my chin - a sure sign that angels or the Holy One is seeking my attention - or I might receive an email or phone call that just seems too perfect, too divinely timed to be entirely of this world.  It is then that I know that I experience the grace of God.  Even when I feel like I’m not paying enough attention to my relationship with God, I’ll notice or feel or sense something that I just know comes from the Divine.

Sometimes it is quite dramatic.  Yesterday, I was a little discouraged with my work - experiencing writer’s block and feeling overwhelmed with a number of half-finished projects. So I went to the gym at lunchtime to get some endorphins flowing and started my usual workout on the elliptical machine.  I was trying to read a magazine to divert my mind, when all of a sudden, I felt a presence.  I looked up from the magazine, out the window to the trees, and suddenly I had an inner knowingness that I was being spoken to. The Divine message I received was this: "I have gotten you this far, so how could I abandon you now? I will bring you everything you need. You need only give up your burdens and worries to me. Remember the passage from Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." 

I started to weep right there on the elliptical machine at the gym.  I felt so loved, surrounded and supported by the love of God.  And then I felt stupid - getting all choked up at the gym! Get a grip, girl! I bit my lip to stop the tears and finished my workout. I walked out of the gym a changed woman - with a smile on my face and a lightness in my step.

How can you practice recognizing the grace of God in your life?  Here are three questions that you can ask yourself at bedtime as you examine your day.

• How did the Divine work in my life today? 
• When was I the recipient of God’s grace today? 
• What am I grateful for today? 

You can answer the questions in your journal, talk to someone about them, incorporate the questions into your evening prayers or just think about them as you prepare for bedtime.  Of course, God doesn’t send just cheery, hippy-skippy messages to us all the time.  We also receive challenges through divine messengers. Consider the message in your challenges - what is it that I need to learn in this situation?  Is there another perspective that I can adopt here to see this differently?  Where is the miracle in this situation?

By noticing, we are blessed.

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I was flying home on Friday night after a long week of work with a client.  It was late and I was tired, eager to get home but feeling good about the week’s work.  During the flight, I finished writing a report - another accomplishment in a busy week. As I felt the airplane start its descent into my home town airport, I happened to look out the window.  Just slightly behind my glance was a half-moon that was blood red.  A harvest moon in August - I couldn’t believe it!  I sucked in my breath and just stared at its glamour.  Right there in that claustrophobic airplane seat, I had a luminous experience in which I was one with All That Is.  In that moment, there was no separation between me, the moon, God and all earthly beings. In other words, I experienced God.

The moment passed. I smiled and drifted back to my physical reality, packed into a late-night flight, homeward bound.

What is it about nature that so often enables us to experience our connection to God?  I have a partial theory.  The beauty of nature takes our breath away because it is freely given.  We do nothing to deserve a beautiful red moon, a colorful sunset or the crash of waves on the beach. It is a gift given for no reason. It surprises us, like a friend who brings an unexpected gift.  The lavishness of the gift can be overwhelming. It takes our breath away.

It is the love of the Divine, freely given.

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Today’s post comes from my dear friend Wayne Adamiec, who wrote this poem.  My heartfelt thanks to Wayne for this beautiful piece:

How do You know:

That what you’ve seen all along is Holy?

That your challenges are designed to inspire?

That the words of others always have more than one meaning?

That nature is the music of the Universe?

That dark follows day, and day follows dark?

That a smile creates a miracle?

That I am always at your side?

How do You know?

By Faith.

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I am buffeted by emotional storms,

In a maelstrom of negativity, self-doubt, dark moods.

I seek comfort in the refrigerator, a glass of wine or conversation.

And then I remember!

You, the Holy Blessed Dot

Deep inside me.

Alternating white and black:

Black dot signifying the void, nothingness

White dot signifying all that is.

If I go there, to the Holy Blessed Dot deep inside me,

I realize my essence.

Calm.

Peace.

All the rest is surface noise.

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In traditional prayer, we talk to God and lay bare our souls, express our deepest desires and ask for blessings on ourselves and others.  Is there a way that we can discern God’s communication back to us?  My answer to that question is an emphatic YES! God communicates with us constantly.  There are many ways that I know of that God sends us messages.  Some of them are through inspiration, through synchronicities, and by listening for the still, small voice. There are many more, but let’s start with these.

Let’s set some assumptions to begin this discussion.  I assume the following:

• God or Source is a part of each of us, just like we are a part of God
• Not only are we connected with source, but we are connected with all humanity and with the physical world
• Everything happens for a reason
• We attract to ourselves that which we think about and believe
• To change the world around us, we need to change our thoughts and beliefs

If we believe these tenets of interconnectedness and the power of our thoughts and beliefs, then we can recognize Source’s messages to us through the following means:

Inspiration: I find that many of the thoughts and ideas that come to me are instant messages from Source.  I figure that the first thought that I have in reaction to a question or situation is usually the right one, couriered to me from divine realms. My first thought is pure and devoid of my own interpretation, appearing too swiftly for it to be vetoed by my ego.  Often, these inspirations will come to me while I’m doing something else like brushing my teeth or showering, and usually just after I awake in the morning.  Trust your first thought. Pay attention and honor it. The biggest hurdle to inspiration is to become aware of and remember that first thought. The ego-mind is quick to dismiss it and start its own analysis.  When you are in ego-mind, you can be pretty sure that nothing - zip, zero, nada - purely divine is coming through.

Synchronicities: There are no accidents. Our souls are working to create opportunities for us to learn and grow in the most helpful ways. Therefore, everything "happens" to us for a reason.  We attract learning opportunities to us through our thoughts and beliefs. People tell us things, we receive a phone call, an animal crosses our paths - all these are synchronicities that we can pay attention to.  The reason I’m a blogger is because of synchronicity: My marketing assistant and I were talking last November and she just happened to mention a class she was taking on creating internet communities. She said that blogging is the first step in creating an online community or business. Eureka! My resonation with that idea was deafening - and resonation is a good clue that synchronicity has struck. She and I worked to build my blog at kristinrobertson.com, and my first post was on Christmas Eve.

Listening: If we believe that we are a part of Source/God, then if we can quite our ego-mind, we should be able to hear that Biblical still, small voice.  I once had a spiritual teacher who suggested this approach to hearing that still, small voice. Go into meditation and still your mind (I have suggested methods to do this in previous posts). Once you have stilled your mind, invite an ascended master, such as Jesus, Buddha, Goddess, or your own spiritual guide, to join you. Perhaps you can mentally pull up a chair for that entity to sit in, and position it so you can have an intimate conversation.  If you are an auditory intuitive, you may hear the entity’s voice (this is the method that comes naturally to me).  If you are a kinesthetic intuitive, you may feel the presence of something special. Or, you may wish to write what you hear, or Spirit might write through you. You may have to experiment with what modality works best for you. Be still and wait for a communication. Believe that you will hear, or see, or feel your Truth, and you will.

I have faith that each person who reads this can sense a direct communication with the Divine. Be aware. Notice what happens to you. Try not to judge, compare or strive. Just have fun with it.  Do not denigrate any experience you have - if it comes from your True Self, it is truth for you. 

Blessings to you as you come to know that you are never alone, that you are always surrounded by Divine love.

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