Mystical Musings (3)
#55
Riding the Wave of Life
“These days life seems to be surfing along on a giant wave of love.”
— Foster Harding
On June 9th, the urologist explained that analysis of my prostate biopsy showed cancer at a ‘very high risk’ rating on the Gleason Scale, which reflects the level of development in prostate cancer based on the biopsy. I was shocked to learn that my case was so far along in its development since it was brand-new to me. He further explained that treatment was essential now, and any option of waiting and watching to see how the cancer was progressing was already long past – he estimated my prostate cancer had already been active for maybe eight years.
Now that he had our full attention, he shifted gears and described the general flow of the treatment program, pointing out the high odds for success with prostate cancer — highest of any mainstream type of cancer. We were eager to engage the treatment process and a sense of cautious optimism tickled the edges of my psyche by the time we bade him farewell. But there was no way I could have anticipated the emotional high expressed in the above quote only a month later! This essay will share a key life lesson that opened the way for this unexpected shift.
Sometime in early Spring, I was trying to understand why it has been so hard for me to consistently live in the flow of life. Being in the flow seems to have always come for a while and faded for longer, so that flow was an intermittent, often fleeting feature of life. It’s interesting to note that writing is one of the activities that often ushers in its presence. My process for writing is typically allowing some thought or idea to express through me in words. When I try to plan it or think my way through it, writing unfolds less directly and as a result, can become frustrating. So it seems clear that when I try to steer life, flow doesn’t show up. When I relax and allow life some inner space, flow is more likely to be present. But when I try to consciously engage that approach, it falters. I almost have to let flow sneak up on me!
Another insight that recently came to light is that for years there has been some sort of internal blockage that isolates me from the natural flow of joy in life. This thought arrived during a short talk and discussion preceding meditation at a friend’s home. The speaker pointed out that traumatic experiences often leave a residue of stuck energy that can block the flow and balance of energy throughout our chakra system and disrupt the natural flow of energy for years, even decades — without us even being aware of it. I immediately remembered some powerful fear-inducing traumatic incidents from my childhood and knew that decades-old, stored negative energy was blocking me from fully participating in the flow of life. Meanwhile, the stuck energy of old fear had morphed into the belief that I wasn’t even close to being worthy to receive love. So after seventy-five years, I finally recognized that lack of self-love was the root of my isolation from fully experiencing the joy of life. Over the decades I had evolved the ability to love others, but only now am I realizing how much low self-esteem throttled back my capacity to love others. Deep down I was afraid their love for me would disappear because I felt unworthy to receive it! I recently prayed for help in transcending the deep blockage to self-love. And the answer to that prayer is already unfolding in real-time as a powerful flow of acceptance, even gratitude, for having prostate cancer! That feared new diagnosis has become my teacher! How ironic is that?!
To elaborate a bit:
- · Events that led to discovering the prostate cancer were so improbable that it could easily be ascribed to blind, dumb luck. The fact that the discovery was at the last moment [the cancer had already moved outside the prostate into lymph nodes in the lower abdomen – far more serious than being contained within it] emphasized the just in time nature of the discovery. I intuitively knew immediately that it was a profound blessing intended to bring remarkable inner growth during the latter years of this life as Foster. The icing on the cake has begun to arrive!
- · It has been a marvel not of my making to behold the medical care team self-assemble with nothing required of me except going with the flow. Because I was not exempt from too frequent urination messing with my sleep [common to many men as we age], my primary care doctor referred me to a urologist. On my first visit, he was thorough enough to check my prostate even though that was not my complaint. He said, “I feel nodules in there, we need to do a biopsy”. A few days later he performed that procedure, cancer was discovered, and a whirlwind was released into our lives. Breath-taking, in a scary way!
- · It turns out that this particular urology practice has a specialty in managing the treatment of prostate cancer. They have in-house staff to manage testosterone reduction which is key to treating prostate cancer. They even have staff to help patients navigate the waters of very expensive drugs that are used in the treatment. And they handled the referral to Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers that will manage the radiation treatments – even facilitated the first consultation appointment! That’s what I meant by saying my medical team assembled itself. What an unexpected gift!
The ease of how this whole process unfolded, combined with the powerfully uplifting flow of love and support from our whole family and so many friends, has been transformative. I have somehow become quite comfortable actually loving myself. It may not be readily apparent to many of you what a huge shift that is for me, but that is why my life seems to be surfing along on a giant wave of love. Thank you everyone! Thanks be to God!
Love, blessings, and gratitude to all, Foster
Soli Deo Gloria.
Mystical Musings (3)
#54
Is the Unfolding of Creation an Ongoing Pilgrimage?
We’ve written a couple of prior blog posts about pilgrimage: Essay #36, Is Your Life a Pilgrimage? considered what a typical pilgrimage might look like during our earthly life. Our most recent essay, #53, The Pilgrimage Continues, discussed a specific new phase in my own life pilgrimage. Today our title raises a vastly expanded question about pilgrimage.
Findhorn Foundation recently shared this corner-stone truth about earthly life:
“Love knows no limitations, no barriers. With love comes freedom.
It is fear that binds and limits a soul; it is love that frees and cuts away all bonds.”
— Eileen Caddy, Weekly Inspiration, Findhorn Foundation Website, May 7, 2024
Over many years of spiritual growth, I have come to believe that my soul chose this Homo sapiens body that houses Foster to be its host for this incarnation. This soul united with my embryo in my mother’s womb before I was born. (Michael Newton, Ph. D., Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls). Thus, body and soul became one for this lifetime. Every soul’s purpose for an incarnation is to facilitate its evolution in consciousness by living the unique context and experiences of its chosen life. Everyone’s body carries a unique and vast cultural and physical heritage. At the same time, your soul truly is an individualized spark released from within Divinity Itself. (ibid). Every human being on earth shares this truth: Their individualized soul chose to unite with their specific body for this lifetime. In truth, the entire system of human life (and all Creation) is Divine Genius unfolding.
However, the body can resent and resist the intrusion of the soul into its development, so natural tensions often arise between body and soul (ibid.). Such tensions are key factors in making earthly life a powerful tool for soul evolution. The joining of your body and soul is indeed a process of Oneness unfolding that your soul chose before you were born. [Interestingly, Michael Newton’s work makes no mention of the body having any say in that choice.] This scenario does not mean the unfolding of your life is a done deal (predestination). Your power of choice is always in play throughout your lifetime. Thus, the unfolding potential your life holds is naturally shaped by the ongoing flow of choices you spontaneously make as your life emerges step by present-moment step. Life arrives and evolves, warts and all, as you live it.
I recently stumbled upon this quote which triggered our title question:
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff.
We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
— Carl Sagan, physicist, astronomer, science communicator (1934-1996)
Sagan was known for his remarkable career as an astrophysicist who possessed an uncanny ability to craft provocative, easily understood statements that opened the understanding of science to the general public. It seems to me that he and Eileen Caddy are describing two aspects of the same Great Mystery. But, I have no way to comprehend what or whether the Cosmos thinks about creation. Nor do I have a clue whether each sentient being anywhere in Creation is a unique component of a sensory system through which the Cosmos ‘knows itself’. Although my scientist’s intuition sees it as a reasonable hypothesis, it also says proving it would be a monumental challenge.
Oneness means that Divinity is both one grand Life (All That Is), while at the same time, It lives as each fragment of Its creation. Jesus confidently said, “I and the Father are One.” And he prayed that each of us would come to realize that same truth about ourselves. So, each of us can similarly own the statement, “I am both Foster (insert your name here) and the Divine One”. This means that seeking God outside and separate from oneself is destined to fail because it is in disharmony with the reality of Oneness. This is why ancient Egyptian pharaohs and priests taught that one can never find, know, or serve God; one can only be God. Our best response to this truth is to accept that from before our birth, we have always been included within (one with) God. I believe no other option is even possible.
The pattern of combined body and soul is a well-established Law of Nature. That means every sentient body in the entire Cosmos is eligible to be seamlessly blended with an individual, unique component of Divine energy (soul). Perceived differences amongst human beings are rooted in their unique physical heritage, with whom and where they live, specific cultures, personal life experiences, and choices. There are no differences in our fundamental essence; each of us is a child of God. We are held within a web of life that is interconnected (in a state of Oneness). This truth holds for the whole spectrum of Creation from plants, animals, sentient beings, planets, galaxies, universes, and beyond. Could this serve as “a way for the Cosmos to know itself”? What do you think? At this stage in our collective evolution, I wonder whether we humans are well enough equipped to confirm or refute the idea. From our collective human perspective, it seems likely that Creation and its Source will remain the Great Mystery for a long time to come.
We humans naturally strive to be in control, so questions like this essay’s title are intriguing to us, but our best option may well be to accept that we live within the cloud of unknowing [see the book with the same title]. In truth, we don’t need to know whether we and our cosmic siblings [fellow sentient beings] are a means for the Cosmos to know itself. We are already free to choose amongst an abundance of gifts; love, peace, compassion, lovingkindness, joy, patience, gratitude, etc. — or their opposites. So my friends, let’s open our hearts and choose wisely where we place our attention, and how we spend our energy.
Closing quote: “My deepest me is God.”
— Catherine of Genoa, quoted by Richard Rohr
Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations, (July 9, 2024)
Love and Blessings to all, Foster
Soli Deo Gloria.
Mystical Musings (3)
#53
The Pilgrimage Continues
“There is a journey you must take. It is a journey without destination. There is no map.
Your soul will lead you. And you can take nothing with you.”
— Meister Eckhart, Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation, (Feb. 23, 2023)
Several months ago, I used this Meister Eckhart quote in blogpost #36, Is Your Life a Pilgrimage? It has acquired expanded meaning for me over the past few weeks. On May 29th I received some startling news; a biopsy report that clearly confirmed I have a very high risk case prostate cancer. After a specialized scan two weeks later the status was further clarified: the cancer has not metastasized to other organs and is still confined to the prostate. The very high risk designation means treatment needs to begin as soon as possible. The doctor told me that my prostate had probably been hosting cancer for eight years or longer. So the slow-growing, rather innocuous nature of prostate cancer in its early stages, when watchful monitoring often suffices for a few years, is already long gone. As of this moment various appointments, tests, and procedures are underway that will establish specifics of the treatment regimen. Basically, we will be lowering my testosterone levels as far as possible (it feeds the cancer) and undergoing radiation treatments.
It's interesting that so far I haven’t quite panicked, although my calmness is fragile. That’s where two sentences of Meister Eckhart’s above quote come into play. “There is no map. Your soul will lead you”. Fortunately, it has been clear for a couple of years that my soul is my guru for the rest of this life as Foster. So, I am already committed to let my soul lead. And there is good news: my inner voice knows that this encounter with cancer is a powerful opportunity for spiritual growth.
Consciously chosen or shocking surprise, when a spiritual growth opportunity moves into the center stage of one’s life, a new phase of their pilgrimage has arrived. In the earlier essay, I had mentioned that an authentic pilgrimage has both spiritual (inner) and physical (outer) aspects. And that it may cover a long distance and/or time or maybe, not so much. I also pointed out that it will always contain elements of uncertainty; we can’t know beforehand where we’ll end up, what will be encountered, or how/when it will unfold. Being in new territory means a pilgrim will likely have to cope when they have no idea what to do or how to do it. So far, that fits how I feel about hosting this case of cancer. My new pilgrimage adventure will likely require flexibility, creativity, and patience. This new phase of my pilgrimage has already stretched my capacity to muster those qualities. At the same time, I appreciate how this pilgrimage has also made clear the importance of making time to commune with the Divine Presence within.
Coping with the ‘BIG C’: It has been challenging at times, but I am more aware than ever how important it is to keep our minds focused on positive thoughts about life’s flurry of events and emotions. It requires lots of trust in Life to monitor our energy, but we must hold it on the positive side and not dwell on potential scary outcomes. Fear can be deadly if we allow it to take over. So, please send me positive thoughts and prayers for a smooth recovery — NO pity or sadness, please, and thank you.
Moving Forward: Now that the diagnosis is clear, I am feeling quite calm and committed. We know what we are dealing with and there is a clear path forward. Of course, life doesn’t come with guarantees, so the outcome remains open-ended for now. We all know that being born into earthly life will one day end in death. That’s not negotiable and eventually, death will come. In itself, that is not bad news; it’s perfectly normal. The bad news shows up when we fear death so much that we spend all our energy and resources resisting the inevitable. Better to enjoy life by allowing inner freedom, peace, and joy to accompany our journey. Love is the recipe to follow. The most beautiful part of this series of events is that I have clearly seen the gift in my personal case of prostate cancer. It has clearly arisen via a long life of being unable to fully love myself. Love for others seems more and more natural over the years, but without self-love fully balancing my psyche, the flow is bottled up inside and love is blocked from fully and freely flowing through me. So along with the medical procedures, we are committed to follow up with removing the blockages from fully experiencing self-love. I will listen to inner guidance and relax into a more balanced and powerful ‘self and other’ loving version of Foster.
I do not intend for my blog to become a blow-by-blow chronicle of my journey with cancer. Neither do I intend to ignore it. So please hold me accountable to stay balanced and centered on serving the world with love and wisdom. May joy accompany each of our journeys.
Love and Blessings to all, Foster
Soli Deo Gloria.
Mystical Musings (3)
#52
When Joy is Blocked, Love is the Answer
After some deeply introspective dreams in mid-March, I recognized that I have a problem. When that happens, my writer’s instinct is to first seek understanding via meaningful words. This essay is based on a journal entry at 5:45 AM, March 15, 2024.
- Short summary: The message of the dreams came as a feeling that I’ve lost my sense of belonging. Covid-19 did such a great job of isolating me that I’ve even been feeling isolated from my true self and life purpose. One of the dreams had left me stranded on a lonely rail siding isolated in an old passenger car way out in the middle of nowhere without understanding how I got there, nor how to find my way home. I awoke feeling lost and alone. At the same time, I know this life as Foster was intentionally chosen by my soul because it held the precious gift of events designed to support its evolution. So, I wonder what feeling lost and lonely has to teach me?
- How to get back on track? During my formative years, I developed into an adult that sought understanding via linear logical thinking – my brain has always valued organization and orderliness as it processed life. That way of being arose as a set of habits and beliefs anchored in early upbringing, while some were also karmic in origin. The deal was sealed by my choice to spend eight years of university education to become an engineer (BS) and scientist (Ph.D.). As a result, it didn’t occur to me that life questions like how to get back on track could have internal aspects until well into the second half of life. And it still remains instinctive to ask myself externally oriented questions.
The external part of belonging: I deeply enjoy participating in meaningful interactions. How can I re-create a community where I belong? Do I already have one that I’m just not seeing? Do I want to organize a group to discuss such questions? Can I value myself without a community of fellow humans? I suspect this whole lost and lonely issue is rooted in my struggle to cope with aging. It gets more and more challenging to engage in activities that have connected me with God in nature and brought meaning to life (hiking, gardening, etc.). I felt lost without a spiritual community to share such thoughts with. I was ready to ask all of you, Any ideas?
But thank God, since these external questions arose two-plus months ago, doors have opened to provide a sense of hope. I think my dreams and feelings were a prayer that is being answered. Two friends, Art and Rhonda Morales have revived The Garden, a monthly study group with the intent to plant spiritual seeds and water those that want to grow within us. My wife and I have chosen to participate more regularly in the twice-per-month meditation group that meets at Tresa Hernandez’s home. These are perfect ways of refreshing friendships and connections that will bless our lives.
The Internal Side: The blessings are already happening. The first May meditation at Tresa’s featured a short pre-meditation presentation on how shamanism/energy work can be used to release blocked negative energy trapped in our bodies. Upon entering the meditation room, I had chosen a Goddess card. It was a message from Maat, an ancient Egyptian goddess who brought balance and fairness to the lives of people. To paraphrase, the card said the situation I am facing would be resolved in ways that were fair and equitable for all involved. At first, the card didn’t make sense because I wasn’t aware of such a situation. Yet, as the evening unfolded, understanding grew about the card’s relevance. Negative energy can stay stuck in our bodies for decades until we consciously engage in the work to release it. Shocking sudden trauma often results in Post-Traumatic Stress Disease (PTSD), a recognized occupational hazard for military people or first responders who regularly face such trauma. But PTSD-type symptoms can visit anyone exposed to shocking stresses. I experienced such events during my childhood and developing years. Such negative stuck energy can remain stored indefinitely in our bodies beneath our conscious awareness and block the flow of our body’s natural healing for decades.
As aging has progressed, some ever-lengthening shadows have pushed their way into my comfortable retirement. I’ve encountered ongoing health issues, some of which now feel connected to blocked and energy chakra imbalances stored in my body. I experience my array of health maladies as an interwoven complex puzzle that often leaves me feeling overmatched and discouraged with life. Managing these conditions requires more and more time, energy, and resources until the joy in life is being squeezed aside.
Yet after the evening at Tresa’s, I have found myself suddenly filled with hope that recognizing and releasing all my body’s blocked stored negative energy, along with rebalancing and enhancing chakra energy flows, will allow my body to heal itself and ease my symptoms. It has finally become clear that my bottom line is this: First of all, I must embody Self-Love. This has been my Achilles heel, hidden even from me, for my entire adult life. This whole eye-opening experience has brought a powerful sense of relief! It feels very much like my soul arranged for me to receive the insights needed to address the root cause of my symptoms so both my body and psyche can finally heal. It feels like I’m encountering a strong flow of soul evolution here and now, as life opens into a hopeful phase following a lonely withering dry spell. As I write these words, I feel remarkably calm and peaceful. It feels like joy will soon follow. We are here to evolve. It’s vital for me, and each of us, to remember that all is well, especially when we feel lost or afraid. Our job is to get out of our own way and allow our body and psyche to be in harmony with this truth. May life continue to bless each of our pathways.
Love and Blessings to all, Foster
Soli Deo Gloria.
Mystical Musings (3)
#51
Joy
I received some divine guidance in mid-February that wants to be shared with you. In the January issue of Science of Mind magazine, there was a set of questions in an article about accessing your brain’s intelligence for guidance (Questions That Limit Your Mind: Questions That Expand It, Mark Waldman & Andrew Newberg, Science of Mind: Guide For Spiritual Living, pp72-75, January 2024). For me, asking the questions closely paralleled my familiar process of seeking guidance within my own being. The questions the article suggested became a portal opening into a very fruitful experience that is still unfolding. I highly recommend engaging Waldman and Newberg’s process and I’m sorry that a short essay can’t contain the whole article. We’ll discuss several of the steps below:
1. The first exercise was to imagine sitting before the wisest person in the world. Then write down the most important question that you’d like answered. This is what came to me:
Q: “How can I best support the end of racism in the United States?”
That is a question that I care deeply about. In my mind, it is multifaceted and is present on many levels in the pervasive problems that currently plague the United States. The answer I received is below:
A: “Teach (by word and example) people to be joyful. Life was never intended to be heavy. Let it be bright, light, and joyful.”
I apologize to all those people who have been on the receiving end of racism over the past hundreds of years. These words must seem horribly out of touch with your reality! Perhaps a pair of corollary questions are important for me: What is blocking me from experiencing joy so much of the time? Why does life feel so serious, almost somber? This is a future blog essay waiting for me to grow into the answer. Meanwhile, the process had more steps that were waiting.
2. The second instruction asked:
Q: “What does your intuition really want to ask?”
Of course, that response was another question:
Q: “What is mine to do & be in serving the world and my soul’s evolution for the rest of my life?
A: “ Be joyful, as you remember that life naturally brings us opportunities, and yes, they are often accompanied by challenges and responsibilities. That’s how we grow! And growth is a key purpose of life’s opportunities. It’s important how we label things. The same gift looks very different depending on whether we see it as a hefty responsibility vs. an opportunity. “Remember to be intentional about engaging life joyfully.”
3. Now ask your inner sage for a new insight you can use to take a few steps further along your path:
A: “Your life is your prayer. Your life is your service. Your life is how your soul evolves. Live it joyously. Hold the power of these truths in the center of your being. You ARE here to be love and wisdom. AND share it gratefully, humbly, and lightly. Continue to write and share. Pray often. Allow Spirit to guide your writing and your prayers. You have the opportunity to have fun living your life. Share your joy, the world needs it. Be joy! Share it with the world.”
4. Take mindfulness breaks throughout the day to let yourself feel joy. Set your intention (and your smartphone reminder) to do this several times throughout the day. You’ll feel better about your life and your service to the world. After a week or so you will find that your outlook has brightened and you feel better about your life.
5. Bonus exercise: Ask your intuition a question, that if answered, would change the way you see the world. Play with it and see what happens.
Q: “How can I SEE the joy that is alive and well across the world?
A: “You have to answer this one every day. Yesterday’s responses were different than today’s will be; neither will today’s responses suffice for tomorrow. This is your daily ‘homework’ for the rest of your life. You must seek the world’s joy each day, and believe that it is present. If you are alert it will show its face. Be glad and grateful for it.”
Foster’s follow-up: Share and spread the good news! Don’t be afraid to stand up (and out) by sharing your good news. The world needs good news and joy like life needs water, shelter, food, air, and habitat (space) to thrive. In harmony with the above responses, let’s be especially observant and open to sharing good news about ending racism in the United States and the world. And sharing examples of daily joy you’ve encountered. Post on social media, tell your family and friends. Write an Op-Ed article to share with your local news source. Inspire the world with your openness and enthusiasm. Start a non-profit that feeds your soul's passion for life. Each of us has been blessed with the opportunity to make a positive difference in the world. Let’s embrace it!
Love, Joy, and Peace to all, Foster
Soli Deo Gloria.
Mystical Musings (3)
#50
Finding Our True North
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
— Margaret Mead
As you read this essay, please remember that the human mind functions using information from our five senses. In truth, our minds are naturally biased to notice what we are expecting them to sense. [An overly simple example: If you’re focused on looking for snakes in the jungle, you’re not as likely to notice birds flitting about in the canopy.] So, our perceptions are determined to a significant degree by where we place our attention. With that basic nature, how likely is it that any nation’s government or religion will behave in ways that are more effective than the majority of their citizens? Where will the energy arise to support values that represent true north? Margaret Mead, the famous cultural anthropologist, has articulated her thoughts about this (above quote). It is a small team of change-makers that have individually embraced a higher ideal and are dedicated to collectively champion the change they desire. It’s very difficult for any nation’s government or a religion to reflect a higher consciousness than the aggregate consciousness of the people who comprise it. The long history of human beings on Earth consistently demonstrates that change happens first within our own being, and moves out into the world from there. Whether it’s Adolph Hitler or Mahatma Gandhi, we must first be willing to live the change we hope to see.
I struggled writing this essay because it was reflecting my own turmoil over the past several weeks. I had chosen to expose myself to the flow of world news, saturated with all the troubles and disasters that always seem to be going on. The idea was to explore whether my faith was strong enough to keep me spiritually centered while fully immersed in this world’s tumultuous flow of painful events. Bottom line: I was unable to keep myself in a state of being love while saturating my psyche with an ongoing bombardment of bad news, including a preponderance of violence, which I abhor. It was disappointing and I got depressed to the point where my energy was drained and I felt unable to function at near my normal level. I became quite frustrated and negative about my country’s recent behavior in the world and the political paralysis that keeps us muddling around to accomplish almost nothing in our nation’s capital. To make it worse, my mind became sort of addicted to bad news. When I decided to change my approach, it was devilishly hard to stop reading it.
In the face of all this, how can I/we find our personal true north and stay anchored in it? Some of the most relevant wisdom I have found is from Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching.
“A great nation is like a great man:
When he makes a mistake, he realizes it.
Having realized it, he admits it.
Having admitted it, he corrects it.
He considers those who point out his faults
as his most benevolent teachers.”
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching (Stephen Mitchell translation),
Harper & Row, New York (translation copyright 1988)
“Would you like to save the world from the degradation and destruction it seems destined for? Then step away from shallow mass movements and quietly go to work on your own self-awareness. If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself. If you want to eliminate the suffering in the world,
then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.” (my underlines)
― ibid.
The above-underlined sentences are remarkably consistent with Dr. David R. Hawkins’ wisdom:
“Make a gift of your life and lift all mankind by being kind, considerate, forgiving and
compassionate at all times, in all places, under all conditions, with everyone as well as yourself.
This is the greatest gift anyone can give.”
— David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D., Power vs Force, Veritas publishing, Sedona, AZ
These are beautiful, lofty thoughts and a great way to tune one’s awareness. But what can we do right now? What action can be taken take in this moment to move one toward consistently realizing these lofty ideals? I believe human consciousness holds the key. I found inspiration this past Monday morning from a familiar source.
“Open yourself to the inflow of … divine love and light.
Open up the doors of your heart and allow nothing to stop that flow.
Keep those doors wide open so that love and light can flow freely in and through you,
and the life force is ever in evidence within you.”
— Eileen Caddy, April 29th, Opening Doors Within, Findhorn Press
For me to stay centered and serve the world by praying for the people and situations in the world did not keep me centered. The world is just so complex and negative that I was overwhelmed. I needed a place to anchor Foster that was inspiring, simple, and straightforward. As I contemplated Eileen Caddy’s quote, it became clear that whenever I feel my spiritual anchor begin to slip, I need to immediately stop and reconnect with the Presence of God within my own being. Then allow myself to feel divine love flowing in both directions with my Beloved Creator and give thanks that I am indeed a child of God. Once the flow of love is restored, I can relax and know that love protects me from whatever has been shaking my world. In a nutshell, I am fine so long as I stay anchored in being love by remembering who I am and staying close to God.
Love and blessings to all, Foster Harding
Soli Deo Gloria.
Mystical Musings (3)
#49
The Unbounded Realms of Nature
“Nothing can sense everything and nothing needs to. Our senses filter in what we need.
We must choose to learn about the rest.”
— Ed Yong, An Immense World, Random House, New York (2022)
This short essay is about a complex and remarkable 450-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book. An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us, is so compelling that I’m eager to share my excitement. If you love the unbounded theater of nature and her array of life, I highly recommend this book. Mr. Yong’s skills have produced a precious gift to the world. It arrived through the author’s inspired genius, coupled with tenacity and untold thousands of hours of hard work. Only a labor of love could sustain such a prodigious effort. It is so packed with interesting information that one is forced to read slowly and pause to digest the particular marvels of some little-known creature’s senses — yet the book is so engaging I plan to read it again. The sensitivities to their surroundings displayed by the myriad of species found on Earth are so vast and beautiful that complete description is way beyond reason, but Ed Yong has dived into the deep end of the pool to reveal many of its mysteries.
“Earth teems with sights and textures, sounds and vibrations, smells and tastes, electric and magnetic fields, But every animal can only tap into a small fraction of reality’s fullness. Each is enclosed within its own unique sensory bubble, perceiving but a tiny sliver of an immense world.”
There is a wonderful German word for this sensory bubble — Umwelt. An animal's umwelt is specifically the part of its surroundings that it can sense and experience — its perceptual world. … A multitude of creatures could be standing in the same physical space with each experiencing a completely different umwelt.”
— (ibid., p.5)
Two key points summarized from An Immense World: 1. Humans often misunderstand or under-appreciate an animal’s behavior, when we assume that the animal we’re observing has an umwelt similar to our own. We are then prone to assume that some aspects of its behavior are automatic or instinctive when they are actually responding to something they sense within their umwelt, that lies outside of ours. 2. Mr. Yong also points out that while all members of a particular species have similar umwelten, there is still variability amongst the individual animals within a species. He gives an example that some humans see red and green as identical, coriander tastes like soap for some, and for others, body odor smells like vanilla!
Further thoughts triggered by reading An Immense World:
- This book is an eye-opener! My respect for Nature is so much deeper, and my humility multiplied, in the face of the details and subtleties of creation, all interwoven into complexities beyond any hope of human understanding. It showed me that our human perceptual world is but a wee fraction of the total perceptions of life found on Earth. Most of us barely have a tiny understanding of what’s unfolding right under our nose! Nor can we grasp the impacts of our actions on the vast natural world around us. In truth, ego, and soul are not an either/or situation. We need both to effectively move through earthly life. When it’s time to drive to work, get groceries, pick up the kids, cook dinner, etc. we need the skills of our ego-self to plan and execute our actions on this physical plane. When it’s time to express lovingkindness, pray for our family and friends, express gratitude, or discern the path forward our soul is better equipped to take the lead. Ideally, life is an ongoing dance between these two aspects of our being. Our ego grew up as part of our physical body. Its main concerns are our physical safety and well-being. Our soul is the presence of God within us. They were separate until the soul that chose to share our life merged with our fetus in our mother’s womb (ibid). Tension naturally arises between them while they are merged as one earthly life.
- An Immense World also inspired questions about Planet Earth. Is this planet I often call Mother Earth, an enormous sentient being with her own umwelt? Can she through her own senses feel and understand the solar system of which she is a part? Can she detect, or be concerned with, the influence of nearby planets, asteroids, comets, and so forth? What about her relationship with our local star (the sun)? Does she feel their mutual gravitational pull or the variability of its solar flares and electromagnetic showers? Are those energies sensed by Mother Earth, like we notice a change in the weather? Is she concerned about meteor impacts like we might dread being surprised by a hailstorm while hiking or driving our car?
In truth, we have no idea about our planet’s sense of her surroundings. It’s always
been self-programmed to believe it’s our manifest destiny (and good for the economy)
to keep exploiting the Earth like a giant big box store and assume that it’s okay.
Maybe it's not! At the very least, we could stop taking Planet Earth for granted.
After all, Mother or not Earth is finite, even though our grandiose delusions and
appetites often make us blind to the fact.
- For me, my soul is a real and close companion; we actually converse and share ideas as we move through this life as Foster. But during our shared sojourn as this incarnation, Foster only senses with his Homo sapiens umwelt. But I’m certain that when a soul is between incarnations, without the limitations of a physical body to constrain its umwelt, it must have a relatively unbounded sensory bubble. After all, souls can navigate the cosmos, visit any number of cosmic locations for recreation, creative practice, or serious study — by their own choice (Michael Newton’s Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls). Newton cautions that human understanding of our souls is limited by human nature, while in their natural state of freedom, they are beings that don’t seem to have limitations. I can’t begin to imagine what life is like for a soul with its vast freedom to live and learn, always knowing it is infinitely loved and supported! Souls have an umwelt, but this life as Foster will never have the capacity to feel its grandeur. Actually, that’s by design and very fortunate! If a human could feel what life as a soul is like, the constraints of life on Earth would be utterly unbearable! In any case, when a soul has experienced the maximum blessings for its evolution from a particular incarnation and it’s time to return to its heavenly home, its full soul umwelt will be active again, and there will be many fond memories and lessons to share with its community of soul friends. In the meanwhile, we can focus on sharing love, joy, and peace here and now.
Friends, each moment is precious, so why not choose lovingkindness and gratitude? May peace and enthusiasm bless your journey.
Love and blessings to all, Foster Harding
Soli Deo Gloria.
Mystical Musings (3)
#48
Accepting Your Own True Nature
Early one morning this past December connection with Spirit offered some refreshing clarity. Soul evolution is the process by which our spiritual consciousness automatically grows stronger in parallel with our inner growth. Our Earthly life becomes more and more an experience of heaven on Earth as this process unfolds. Our awareness of being in a state of Oneness with God and our progression toward enlightenment also grow along with our spiritual consciousness. In truth, our consciousness reflects back to us our whole state of being. So, a key question for all of us is, “How can we support our soul evolution? Some thoughts:
- Soul evolution is a natural process that happens of its own volition. But our ego can create many clever ruses to sidetrack the process because the ego fears our personal safety is at risk when our soul is guiding our life. It’s afraid not to be in charge.
- In truth, ego, and soul are not an either/or situation. We need both to effectively move through earthly life. When it’s time to drive to work, get groceries, pick up the kids, cook dinner, etc. we need the skills of our ego-self to plan and execute our actions on this physical plane. When it’s time to express lovingkindness, pray for our family and friends, express gratitude, or discern the path forward our soul is better equipped to take the lead. Ideally, life is an ongoing dance between these two aspects of our being. Our ego grew up as part of our physical body. Its main concerns are our physical safety and well-being. Our soul is the presence of God within us. They were separate until the soul that chose to share our life merged with our fetus in our mother’s womb (ibid). Tension naturally arises between them while they are merged as one earthly life.
- It would be nice if the ongoing dance between ego and soul seamlessly switched who’s taking the lead for optimum guidance, but life is more like sending a brother and sister pair to ballroom dancing school; things don’t always go smoothly.
- For optimum living on Earth, a balanced and strong commitment to the dance of life must be held by both the ego and soul parts of oneself. Your detached inner observer must monitor the dance and advise on behalf of balance. The habit of seamlessly switching who’s leading may take some time to develop. Each of us is our own dancing coach.
Thoughts on Oneness and enlightenment:
- Oneness: To realize Oneness you must awaken into acceptance of your own true nature. Oneness is what Jesus was referring to when he said, “I and the Father are one.” He was teaching that all of us have also been one with God and all Creation from before our birth. Your soul is a fragment of God energy sparked out from within God Itself (Destiny of Souls, Michael Newton, Ph.D.). As noted above, your soul merged with your fetus in your mother’s womb. It’s literally true, so there is no need to learn to be what you already are! Your state of Oneness becomes real for you as you grow into awareness of who you have always been. Knowing your oneness with God is basically anchoring in the truth of who you really are. Being One with God means there is no boundary separating you from the Beloved One. Oneness is your own true nature.
- Enlightenment results from the process by which we are moving into our innate potential as a child of God. We embody more and more of God’s nature as we progress. One engages the process by intentionally choosing to participate in their own soul evolution.
~ The idea of enlightenment makes more sense when we remember that God is love
(I John, 3:14 KJV). Once a person chooses to seek a consciousness of being love, they have reached the threshold of consciously moving toward enlightenment.
~ You cannot make enlightenment happen; it is a divine gift that unfolds into your reality step by step. The path to enlightenment is an eternal, unbounded process, so choosing to embrace your soul evolution is only a beginning.
~ Your soul will encounter many more such beginnings. If this process has an ending, it happens when your soul completes its epic journey and re-merges with the essence of God from which it emerged as a spark of God-self. It may feel far off in some misty future time, but from our human perspective, we have no way to ascertain our soul’s status as the journey toward wholeness unfolds.
~ The steps one can experience along the pathway may range from small to gigantic, depending on each individual’s faith in their Oneness with God.
How do we respond to all this?
- Remember that the still small voice of God within you (intuition) is unbounded. Words, feelings, insights, visions, dreams, chance encounters, and inspiration of all kinds are in play. The Beloved makes available whatever you need for your continued growth.
- The most powerful asset you can bring to soul evolution is your willingness. God always supports a heart seeking to grow into its spiritual potential. Our job is to listen and trust.
- Your soul’s life journey is its path toward higher consciousness. It is not required to be long and arduous, but human nature easily distracts us as life ebbs and flows. Many incarnations typically result. So no pressure; just do your best, and trust your soul’s homing instinct.
- You can help sustain your commitment by noting your progress. Soul evolution is a non-linear process, so both apparently small and large steps matter. We can’t even discern which is which! Remember that every step on the stairway of ascension is a divine gift that unfolds as you are ready.
- One’s progress arrives in stages and we are not well equipped to assess our own status. One’s soul journey is not meant to be too complex or too easy. So stay alert. Ongoing willingness, faith, and patience smooth the path. Remember that God is love, and love prevails. Travel well and allow joy to be your companion.
Encouraging words:
“All that is gold does not glitter,
not all those who wander are lost;
the old that is strong does not wither,
deep roots are not reached by the frost.”
— J. R. R. Tolkien
Love, joy, and blessings to all, Foster
Soli Deo Gloria.
Mystical Musings (3)
#47
What Are Our Souls Up To?
“Your work is to create the new heaven and new earth.
— Eileen Caddy, Opening Doors Within, March 14, Findhorn Press
There are over eight billion souls incarnated on Earth right now. Each of them is doing the best they can, given their understanding of their life situation. I have no idea what any of those souls are up to, except one. So, I’ll begin with me.
I’ve been saying for a few years that I’m here on Earth to be Love. It’s true, but now I’m asking myself, “What is my soul up to?” by guiding me to choose that focus. The answer given is similar to Eileen Caddy’s sentence above. “I am here to experience heaven on Earth”, right here, right now in this life as Foster. Some folks might wonder, “How does that serve the world, it seems pretty self-focused to help anyone but you?” The answer to that thought is, when one is living heaven on Earth, the energy of love and wisdom emanating from them has a powerful positive impact on the world well beyond all the physical service they ever could have mustered.
Then how does one approach living heaven on Earth? What does one do?
“As you raise your consciousness, you become immunized against the trouble in the world, and you can live and work with it all about you, and yet it will not be able to touch you or affect you in any way.”
(my underline)
- ibid
Eileen is saying that besides providing focus for our work in the world, the energy carried by a high consciousness actually protects us. Then we can carry out our work in the world without fear of the world’s response to our actions. She then adds,
“Simply hold on in faith, let your mind be stayed on Me* and know that all is very, very well.”
- ibid
*When Eileen was receiving guidance, her inner voice referred to itself using personal pronouns like I and Me. I am more comfortable substituting [anchored in the Beloved One] for “stayed on Me” in her quote. The revised quote would then be,
“Simply hold on in faith, let your mind be anchored in the Beloved One, and know that all is very, very well.”
The above discussion offers a powerful way to orient yourself when considering our title question. Do you have a clear vision of your life work? Do you know what your soul is up to? If you want to find real purpose in your life by serving the world, these are important questions. I hope you will be motivated to think about them. Our next blog essay will focus on raising our consciousness. My hope is that taken together, these two essays will bring clarity to what your soul is up to, and send you scampering up the stairway of ascension.
Love and joy to all, Foster
Soli Deo Gloria.
Mystical Musings (3)
#46
Dreamscapes and Earthly Life
A few nights ago, a dream took me to a beautiful valley of enormous scale. The Rift valley in Africa is the only place I’ve visited that felt similarly huge. The dream valley was springtime green as a group of visitors were pointing out various spots of beauty. I didn’t see my fellow explorers as we floated above the valley. Our movement was as spontaneous as thought. If we wanted to see some far-off spot, that same instant we would be there. There was no pause or sense of traveling to get there. The dreamscape seemed to exist outside of time, and it occurred to me this must be what exploring the cosmos is like for souls. In fact, the dream felt like it was my soul showing me its unfettered freedom. Being outside of time would also remove the obstacles of distance and gravity that make NASA’s work so challenging.
[Thought: I wonder if some of you might be willing to share one of your meaningful dream experiences. Please respond if you’re interested. If enough readers say yes, we can share them in a future blog and see whether some discussions result. Thanks.]
The huge contrast between the freedom of dreams and the slow pace of an earth-bound elder can be jarring to one’s senses. On occasion I’ve had to remind myself that each of our souls said yes to this incarnation well before we were born. Your soul was drawn to the personal and spiritual growth opportunities offered by this particular life. In fact, the opportunity for soul evolution is why we chose to come here as the person we are. [Remember, the purpose of soul evolution is to increase your consciousness.] After a long life pathway with lots of euphoric highs and depressing lows, I am deeply grateful for the steadiness of these elder years. Being and sharing love and wisdom is delightful! Even so, the question “Am I doing elderhood right?” can make me feel uneasy. Remnants of a deeply rooted childhood belief that perfection is required to earn God’s love can still mess with my sense of worthiness to fully accept unconditional Love. Recognizing this is a key step for me, as the process of ascension continues.
Some recent insights:
- For all we know, our soul could see Planet Earth as a tiny neighborhood playground. Actually, we humans can’t even guess what Planet Earth’s life experiences are like. Maybe Mother Earth thinks human beings are a skin disease or a bad case of fleas that poke, dig, probe, scrape, and rearrange her ‘skin’ and make her itch and cause sores that may require years to heal. Don’t you sometimes wonder whether She might be really tired of our self-absorbed, childish behaviors? Maybe it’s time to be grateful guests and stop wearing out our welcome.
- I recently read the following quote from Eileen Caddy:
“Do you realize that what you do, how you live, and how you think can help or hinder the state of the world?... You are a tiny world within yourself. When there is peace, harmony, love and understanding right there deep in your little world, it will be reflected in the outer world all around you.”
— Eileen Caddy, Opening Doors Within (January 27), Findhorn Press
This quote reaffirmed that who I’m being far outweighs what I’m doing. Some aging folks might be concerned that doing less is evidence of decline, but the opposite can be our choice and our truth. When I greet the world with gratitude and hold all creation in my heart, love flows through me to whatever draws my attention, often the beauty of nature or one of her creatures that I might encounter. To alleviate my concerns about world events, a special focus is sending love to people whose actions seem over the top in disharmony with what’s best for the Earth and all life found here. When I’m centered in love, the self-created misery of such people arouses my compassion. That allows me to rise above judgments and pray for them to discover their own innate wholeness, and see that love is always available to light their pathway. I know our prayers can make a powerful difference, so let’s not fool ourselves into thinking age forces a decline in our service to the world. Go with the flow and trust that life can be good all the way to the end
— and beyond!
Love and joy to all, Foster
Soli Deo Gloria.