I usually wait till the last day before a communion to feel any ‘announcement.’ Today turned out to be a fruitful day, in various ways.
The mother of one of our members passed away yesterday. Her name was Joann and she lived in Kentucky. Another member is traveling up north at the moment and happens to be in Kentucky for a few days.
What would be the probability of two members meeting –even spiritually– when we are few and scattered geographically? There ought to be something that unites us, an irresistible, perhaps unseeable, connection.
I did some volunteer work this morning at our son’s school. It was Picture Day and I enjoyed seeing the children again. It had been a long time since parents were allowed in the school to help out.
I was blown away by the power of this force that I am talking about; a force that sticks like strong glue. I saw most of the children as they entered the gymnasium and greeted them with a hand gesture, or a kind word. For the younger ones, I enjoyed their freedom of being as well as their fresh enthusiasm. An hour later, I happened to look into the cafeteria to see who was having lunch. A group of 7-8 years old who saw me in the morning started waving at me and being animated. A little boy stood up, came to me and offered me a few dried fruits from his carton box.
If you haven’t figured the force I am talking about, the t-shirt of a little girl waiting in the hallway for her friends, before returning to class, said it so very well.
A word that was widely used in the 1800s and that gradually came out of fashion, it seems. How did that happen?
I was listening to a teaching by Master Djwhal (titled Doorway to Mystical Aliveness) where he mentioned a passage in the Bhagavad-Gita where Arjuna asks Lord Krishna to see his divine or cosmic form.
Upon Krishna’s agreement, Arjuna experiences quite a journey into a mystical world one can only apprehend with a divine eye.
Here are a few words about Arjuna’s experience.
“Gazing upon Krishna’s myriad and very mutable images, Arjuna saw all the gods, sages and a multitude of beings, even what he termed “celestial serpents” as well as Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma seated on a lotus. He beheld the “lord of the Universe” everywhere with infinite forms and having many faces, bellies, and eyes but throughout it all, he was unable to decipher a beginning or an ending in Krishna’s universal form. One aspect of his vision was that he directly apprehended the scope of eternity, which by any standard, is quite remarkable.
Further he not only grasped the utter boundlessness of Krishna’s divine nature, he also realized that Krishna’s vast consciousness is what all must ultimately realize. Arjuna saw the entire universe arise in the many shifting images that flashed in his mind. The sun and the moon appeared as Krishna’s eyes and the fire emanating from the lord’s mouth appeared to scorch the entire universe. Of course, he is speaking in visionary language since it was an inner experience and not something that another person standing nearby could have witnessed.”
Lord Krishna
And here is the paragraph that mentions ‘diffidence.’
“The images that Arjuna received effectively terrified him but they also brought him into alignment with Krishna’s utter power. Were these images less forceful, that alignment may not have happened. Arjuna was broken open in the course of his vision. His arrogance was washed away by the vision as was his diffidence before Krishna.”
Diffidence aside, or diffidence washed away, the question that remains,
How do we get to see God or Krishna’s infinite power?
What is the path one shall venture into?
Any ideas, dear Ones?
Gilles
———-
Gilles Asselin is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: A little bit of diffidence
Time: Apr 7, 2022 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
In our communion last week, Robert shared that, in order for humanity to evolve, we need to go through phases of disruption.
Disruption, disturbance, and death – these are 3 ds that come to mind.
Robert’s words made me reflect on what we experienced in the past 27 months or so.
A long phase of ‘soft disruption’ that has not ended yet; the pandemic claims lives and works silently, surreptitiously. Almost unannounced. How many were surprised to have caught the virus, not knowing where they could have possibly been exposed?
A war works very differently. It is a case of hard disruption. It destroys buildings, kills more rapidly, injures deeply and creates craters, both physical and emotional. I would like to add another ‘d’ here–devastation.
Why is it then that humanity is going through a combination of soft and hard disruption? What is this intoxicating cocktail meant to produce?
I have been reflecting on this strange combination and must say that there ought to be a reason why soft is followed by hard–especially when both phases are so close to each other, almost staggered.
What do you think?
Soft feminine and hard masculine?
Gilles Asselin is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
My thoughts this week turned to the world of tomorrow–that we are indeed building today, brick by brick.
After this tragic war in Ukraine, the world might look and feel different, split more than ever between various geopolitical blocks; one being the friends of Russia (be they a country or a group of people) and another being what I would call the WE–the world that includes all of us, regardless of who we are, where we live, how much money we make, what gender or ethnicity we define ourselves with.
In the words of my friend Anne, this would be the “one world.”
“We, the human race, have evolved to being CONSCIOUS that we are one world.”
We are making progress toward this WE-ness all over the world and there are signs sprouting here and there, even within territories where you wouldn’t expect them. Here are two snippets from the New York Times of March 23.
Utah’s governor vetoed a bill that would bar transgender girls from girls’ sports, the second Republican governor in two days to do so [the other one was Indiana yesterday].
Again, this marks a growing concern and more love for human beings, for the We, regardless of who and where these beings could be, and this is a hopeful and hope-filled sign.
Yet, where is this going to take us?
In a world that may seem a little unbalanced, or tilted, at times….
A sign of peace and bounty, under the stewardship of the sun
Gilles Asselin is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: What world for tomorrow?
Time: Mar 24, 2022 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
When one is living in a country where she or he wasn’t born, it usually gives him or her an edge to look at the ‘discrepancies’ within that culture.
In the language spoken certainly, and in the society.
For a long time, I have been wondering why is it that the United States has a name like no other country in the world. I mean by that, a name composed of an adjective and a noun, and not a proper name – like let’s say Nicaragua, Zimbabwe or Mongolia.
I know there is history behind the name of the US, which I am very fond of, yet it doesn’t explain it all.
It doesn’t explain to me either why the Great Seal of the US, which was adopted by Congress in 1782, still contains 13 stars in the circle above the eagle, 13 olives in the branch in its right talon and 13 arrows in the bundle in its left talon.
Yes, there were initially 13 colonies that formed the Union but the number grew larger till 1959 when the last two were incorporated.
Another element of the US society that had me puzzled for long is the death penalty. Why is it that some states allow the capital punishment and others don’t? Doesn’t this constitute a major inconsistency for a country that wishes to be united?
And how do we make sense of the Parts in this situation?
As if the Universe wanted to wink, there was a mention in the New York Times today of the death penalty being abolished in New Hampshire. How mystical!
Lives Lived: Renny Cushing’s father was murdered. Yet Cushing crusaded against the death penalty in New Hampshire and eventually helped abolish it in 2019. He died at 69.
Historical, cultural evolution is truly an interesting phenomenon and it looks like some parts of a system may evolved faster than others.
How do we Unite them all then?
Gilles Asselin is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: For the sake of Uniting the Parts
Time: Mar 17, 2022 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
The world feels a little strange these days; not only the world at large but also my world, my surroundings. Some of the things I observe seem to be far beyond the norm, or out of the normality.
As a species, we are experiencing something unique, a special moment in time, although it is hard to put a qualifier on it.
Last night, a brief conversation with our son brought what I would call an éclaircie; a respite into this bizarre world; an éclaircie is what happens to the sky between rain showers. It clears up.
Interestingly, the word éclair means ‘lightning’ in English.
What our son taught me brought such a humble moment–a moment when we realize we don’t know everything–even if that something (a word) we learn is small and inconsequential.
I have been living in the US for about three times the age of our son, and yet he mentioned a word I didn’t know.
Udder.
Such a strange word, and such a strange sound, especially when it is not part of our knowing.
I don’t see any connection between my first sentence and an udder; yet who knows?
It is beautiful to experience such a moment when life takes you by surprise, isn’t it?
It confirms that we can’t know everything and it is ‘udderly’ reassuring.
Gilles Asselin is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: An eclaircie of humility
Time: Mar 10, 2022 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
This morning, as I was reflecting on the past few days, I was able to connect two incidents that occurred recently.
One relates to an email exchange that took place late last week between a few of us. It felt ‘totally out of this world’ and the response I received to what I would consider a ‘constructive email’ felt both violent and disproportionate. I knew about the respondent’s traumatic childhood, yet am still wondering what could have caused such a public uproar; without a tinge of scruple.
If there was a lesson to be learned, I believe that it is about the way darkness can lurk in the background of our lives, having built a cozy nest over the years. For some of us, that is. Yet what surprised me most in this instance is the “fort of unconsciousness” that darkness may build and use to hide itself.
Uncorking darkness and sowing beautiful seeds
The second incident is more personal and concerns a stomach darkness—read food poisoning—that I experienced in a restaurant on Monday due to some bad ingredient and possibly some spoiled milk in my coffee to top everything up. The physiological response was just as violent as the email exchange from the week before and I rarely felt that uncomfortable and dizzy.
I truly had the feeling that I needed to pull out a cork that was sitting on the top of my stomach and blocking an essential function in my life. Could it be the ‘function’ of consciousness as well? In the end, vomiting some 30 minutes later is what eased the pain temporarily.
Which led me to the question, how do we uncork darkness?
How do we let it flow out of our life?
How do we open the door of the cage or fort that it built?
Especially if, in the first place, we are not fully aware of it.
Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday, dear Ones!
Gilles Asselin is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
An early greeting this week as we embark on a fresh adventure! A new week, that is.
The two paragraphs below struck a deep chord at a time when some portions of humanity are fighting for freedom.
Interestingly, and possibly not so coincidentally, the issue that ‘tortured’ me last week was that of ‘being controlled.’ Not so much personally, but more of a collective sense of desperation over the ages.
There were—and still are many—situations where women and children especially are being dominated, exploited and controlled. Making them live in fear. We discussed that last week and we are not talking about the same type of freedom here.
The freedom we are considering is freedom from within—the one nobody can take away from us because of our connection with the Divine.
Read those two paragraphs, and the rest of the post if you’d like, and please reflect on what inner freedom means to you.
How does it feel and who (or what) do you think can possibly challenge it?
And how can we possibly establish—or enhance—that sense of inner freedom in our lives?
“Many are beginning to actively protest for personal freedom. Because so many have integrated the higher frequencies that have been pouring to earth for some time, increasingly more are becoming aware of how freedoms on earth have been manipulated. Those who do not yet understand that freedom is already fully present within them by virtue of their oneness with God will seek it through actions and outer activities that align with their present state of consciousness. You will be seeing increasingly more of this.
There is an opening and awakening indicative of evolutionary change taking place that is causing many who never before questioned personal freedom to now question. However, you reading these messages already know who you are and that the qualities of Source, including freedom, are fully present within; so for most of you (there will be exceptions) the work of bringing freedom consciousness to the world will take place more on the inner levels rather than an outer.”
I have been reflecting lately on the purity of our hearts and how this purity manifests.
A few weeks ago, I was watching a cartoon called Hunter X Hunter. Many people fight in order to reach higher status in the hierarchy of hunters. That day, I was watching the fight between one of the three young characters (an eleven-years old by named Gon) and an adult Ninja warrior. Killing was not an option and the winner needed to have his opponent surrender.
At some point in the fight, the Ninja warrior decided to break Gon’s arm. A few minutes later, he surrendered and Gon was declared the winner.
The Ninja warrior declared, “I tried everything I could, broke Gon’s arm and he doesn’t show any signs of anger or hate. There’s nothing else I can do.”
That brought home a situation I experienced at the same time. I was part of a small virtual group that was going to meet. For whatever reason, one member forgot about the meeting and a person got upset about this ‘missed commitment.’ To the point he sent a challenging message to the person who didn’t show up.
I didn’t feel any of this irritation and thought the other person got busy. We all knew he had a lot on his hands.
Which leads me to the metaphor of the ‘slippery slope;’ if the slope is too slippery for the ego (which usually reacts with anger or irritation), it won’t find any possibility to cling onto an issue and attempt to fire; or force us to do so.
And the purer our hearts, the more slippery the slope.
It is not one way or the other, a deal between ego and heart; it is that the purity of our hearts “deactivates” the power of ego mind.
I’m sure you can find many examples of “ego deactivation” in your life, dear Ones. Those need to be reflected upon, honored and celebrated as a sign of spiritual maturity.
Then we can aim for deeper and brighter purity of heart.
As life goes on, we collect pebbles, breadcrumbs, or even signposts that may tell us where it is that we are going, both individually and collectively. I believe we put all these pebbles into a clear bag, consciously or not, and look into the bag once in a while. At times, those pebbles look like pebbles; at other times, when they resurface, they look like jewels shining with meaning.
You may understand what it is that I am trying to describe; of course, this ‘pebble metaphor’ is not innocent and I am now offering some context.
Right around the middle of November 2021, while working with a friend, I came to look into the Four Living Creatures that are mentioned, among other places, in the Book of Ezekiel and in the Book of Revelation. They are an Ox, an Eagle, a Lion and a Man, often winged, and they are sometimes accompanied by a white stag.
I know these creatures from reading the Grail story when they appear to the knights Bors, Galahad, Perceval and Perceval’s sister as they all venture into the forest. The crew suddenly comes across a white stag and follows the white stag and the Four Living Creatures into a chapel. A mystical ceremony then takes place, where the stag, transported by the Four Living Creatures, ascends through the ceiling of the chapel. I am posting an excerpt of the book (in French) I read back in the fall of 2019–not so much for the words, but for the energy that exudes from such a magical ceremony.
I also know these Four Living Creatures well because they appear on the tarot card The Wheel of Fortune (major arcana # 10); each of them is winged and they are studying a book. In the last major arcana card, #21, The World, they also appear, surrounding a young woman who seems to be dancing, but only their faces. Perhaps a sign of maturation.
On January 1 and January 2, 2020, in my tarot practice, I picked the Wheel of Fortune. On January 1, out of three cards, it came in the first place; on January 2, it came in the second place, right behind the Judgment card (major arcana #20); a card repeating itself two days in a row, especially for the first two days of a year, is sure to qualify as a pebble; yet it doesn’t mean it’s a diamond. Perhaps a diamond in becoming.
In mid-November, despite the fact that the Wheel of Fortune pick of January 1 & 2 came back to mind, I wasn’t drawn to reviewing the notes that I took. I only went back to the Grail story. In the past two days, these Four Living Creatures made a discreet comeback, through a discussion I was having with another friend. And this time, for whatever mystical reason, I went back to the notes I took early January 2020.
The feeling was different, from a consciousness perspective, and I could sense that this period covering 2020 – 2021 signaled a Rupture. A very clear Rupture with what happened prior and possibly a doorway, or a portal.
I had another pebble in my bag, since May of 2021; a metallic brown BMW that passed us on the road and positioned itself right in front of us. Its license plate being RUPTURE. You can imagine that such a license plate didn’t go unnoticed and I placed it near the top of my bag of pebbles, awaiting further meaning.
Interestingly, what I feel about these past two years, is that they have been squashed. Often times, when think back, I have to ask myself, ‘did it happen in 2020 or in 2021?’ and have to review other events of either year to bring answers to my questioning.
Does that mean we ‘forgot to live’ in one of these years or is it because the past is becoming blurry?
I am left wondering about what might happen next, in this new World of ours, where the Four Living Creatures may be playing another role; perhaps a more conspicuous role.
Galahad greeted by angels
Pages 748-749 of the Grail Cycle II
Ils suivirent donc le cerf et les quatre lions jusqu’à une vallée où ils aperçurent, à la lisière d’un petit bois, une chapelle où un vieux prêtre se préparait à célébrer la messe. Le cerf y entra, puis les quatre lions. Les compagnons mirent pied à terre et les imitèrent, curieux de savoir ce qu’ils allaient faire. Or, au moment de l’offertoire, il leur sembla que le cerf se changeait en homme et prenait place devant l’autel sur un siège magnifique, tandis que les fauves, eux, se métamorphosaient l’un en homme, l’autre en aigle, le troisième en bœuf. Seul le quatrième conservait son aspect de lion. Mais à tous les quatre avaient poussé des ailes qui leur auraient permis de voler dans les airs. Et, de fait, la messe allait s’achever quand ils s’emparèrent du siège sur lequel était assis le cerf et, le soulevant, l’emportèrent à travers une verrière sans briser celle-ci ni l’endommager. Alors une voix retentit qui disait : « Voilà de quelle manière le Fils de Dieu entra dans le sein de la Vierge Marie. »
Les trois compagnons et la jeune fille se jetèrent face contre terre car la voix avait suscité une telle explosion de lumière et de sons qu’ils avaient cru voir la chapelle s’écrouler. Lorsqu’ils revinrent à eux, le prêtre était en train d’ôter ses ornements sacerdotaux. Ils s’approchèrent de lui, lui contèrent ce qu’ils avaient vu et lui demandèrent s’il pouvait leur en donner l’explication. « Ah ! seigneurs ! » s’écria le vieux prêtre, « Soyez les bienvenus ! A ce que vous me dites, je vois que vous êtes du nombre des vrais chevaliers qui mèneront à bonne fin la quête du saint Graal après en avoir souffert les peines et les dangers. Vous êtes de ceux à qui seront révélés les mystères et vous venez d’en voir une partie car le cerf blanc qui s’est changé en homme est l’image de Notre Seigneur qui, revêtu d’un corps terrestre, devient un homme céleste après avoir triomphé de la mort. Voilà pourquoi il apparaît sous l’aspect d’un cerf immaculé car le cerf se renouvelle incessamment, perdant chaque année ses bois qu’il recouvre l’année suivante. Quant aux lions qui le gardent, ils sont les évangélistes chargés de répandre son message d’amour et de vie. Or, si nombre de chevaliers ont aperçu le Cerf Blanc entouré de ses quatre lions, aucun jusqu’à présent n’avait été témoin de leur métamorphose. Enfin sachez encore que désormais plus personne n’en pourra plus avoir la vision. »
Nurturing the Gift of Seeking 