A Harvest sf the Heart
Even in SoCal, the feel of fall is palpable. It is a time of pumpkins and marine layered mornings that call for something warm to meet the Earth’s move into a cooler season. In this land of evergreen palms, there are trees turning color here and there to remind us of the cycling of seasons. In this harvest time, I feel a pull to pay homage to both the Earth and the heart, sources of sustenance and renewal for our lives.
As the ‘word’ has been said to make the ‘world,’ it is a continuing koan for me to consider why these two key elements of life have the same letters in different arrangements. There is some divine alignment with these same letters of Earth and heart being used to point us to the center of our existence, of caring and cultivating life. A higher recognition of the Earth home and being at home in our hearts are both meant to point us in the direction of oneness, of unity–to realize an inclusive place where we all belong.
With this I would like to introduce more signs of caring for change and of a growing measure of compassion and kindredness among the populace of Earth creatures. I would like to highlight a wildlife sanctuary in Idaho, initiated by Susan B. Eirich, Ph.D., and Jean Simpson, who founded the Earthfire Institute. This sanctuary’s name is inspired by a “passionate earth-mother wolf with a fire in her belly to protect anything vulnerable.” This is also the fire that is in a good human mother’s belly to protect the young and affirm life. The work of this heart-strong group of humans is exactly the point of what is leading edge at this time, to realize a greater perspective in how we define kinship and belonging and it is doing evolutionary work to expand our connections of the heart on Earth.
Founded on 40 acres in Eastern Idaho, this ancient land is home for wild creatures who have been rescued for one reason or another. Earthfire serves as a portal, either physically or through the Internet, to allow an opening for exchange between species, and for new ways of interacting and communicating.
In their words, it is a “unique model of ecological advocacy {that} begins with a personal awakening and leads to a renewed commitment to protect planetary systems on which all life depends.” These are words that really resonate with me. It is time for there to be cross species communication that calls us to explore and expand our shared sense of community and come home to a greater understanding of our true nature personally and as a species.
As a species, we are presently caught up in economic and social systems that are poisoning and polluting the environment in a massive manner that is putting many other forms of life at risk, not to mention many of our own kind. There seems to be some heretical idea that nature is devoid of God or the Big Unity Factor in the Universe. I say someone’s genes seem to have gotten cross wired along the way. Nature expressed in the myriad forms of intelligent life upon the planet has existed for eons before we came upon the scene as a new form of creation. Whatever form we recognize as some higher intelligence, it is woven throughout all the fabric of life that makes up this spinning orb called Earth.
It is time for us to wake up and see the intelligence in plain view on the faces of other creatures inhabiting the domain known as planet Earth. For this reason, Earthfire Institute is a place to recognize and celebrate for its expansive and inclusive initiatives to live together, to push the edges of what we humans recognize as the known world of what is intelligent, even if differently oriented than the set of filters we have as humans to organize useful sensory information. It is definitely time to cross the aisles among the different kingdoms of life on this planet, with the recognition that creation neither began or ended with us, and that there is a vast community of sentient intelligence and this time is a bright opportunity for us to awaken to belong on this planet in a way that we have forgotten. Our ancestors knew what it was like to live among the other members of creation and recognize their contributions to life. It is time that we heard the call in a way that is appropriate for our perilous time on the planet that is also ripe with opportunity for expansion.
If we can quiet a bit, take the time to be present and look without too many layered judgments, there are ample animal beings that are willing to communicate with us and extend our awareness of life. Even gazing in the eyes of your cat or dog will begin a new journey. Animals are so much more aware than most of us have allowed ourselves to consider and we need to become more open in this time to all the intelligence of creation. Nature is not devoid of God or unity. It is our species that needs to take steps in the direction of reuniting with the chorus of creation. Caring and opening and being curious and inclusive are qualities that are much needed among humankind. Indeed, we should do our best to cultivate the kinder side of our nature, following words of wisdom from the Dalai Lama, who has said “my religion is kindness.”
In this season of celebrating the abundance that the Earth provides to sustain our lives, may we pause and give thanks. Humans have lived upon this planet for a short time compared to the diversity of intelligent forms of nature that provide us sustenance. It is time to wake up to the great gifts we have been given from the divine and recognize that we are citizens among the community of creation. Through care and compassion and right action, humanity will keep the sacred trust that is ours to accomplish as a collective. The wise action on this planet now is to turn away from the prevalent paradigm of suffering that abounds.
We live in times with great tension of the opposites. As the old crumbles and dissolves we are hurtling into a new era, and it is our work to bring forth a new currency upon the Earth, a new medium of exchange that is sustainable and expansive. The currency of a fluid open heart is among the best forms of abundance we might experience, and the greatest gift that we can share.
May we connect with the inner sacred fire that is clear in its role to protect life. May we use the sacred light in our hearts as a beacon, and share our intelligent light with others of our ‘kind’ as well as those of other kindred species who are doing their best to live and thrive and know some form of bonding and care for their members as well. May we make peace and harmony where we go by joining through the heart and letting this light our way. The revelations of understanding could change the course of our lives for the good as we learn to share life on Earth, realizing a harvest of the heart. This time is a ripe opportunity to find new meaning in the words ‘All our Relations.’ May we become celebrants of the sacred as we find a new way of relating to the world that honors the diverse forms of creation that inhabit this planet.
Harvest of the Heart
A Harvest sf the Heart
Even in SoCal, the feel of fall is palpable. It is a time of pumpkins and marine layered mornings that call for something warm to meet the Earth’s move into a cooler season. In this land of evergreen palms, there are trees turning color here and there to remind us of the cycling of seasons. In this harvest time, I feel a pull to pay homage to both the Earth and the heart, sources of sustenance and renewal for our lives.
As the ‘word’ has been said to make the ‘world,’ it is a continuing koan for me to consider why these two key elements of life have the same letters in different arrangements. There is some divine alignment with these same letters of Earth and heart being used to point us to the center of our existence, of caring and cultivating life. A higher recognition of the Earth home and being at home in our hearts are both meant to point us in the direction of oneness, of unity–to realize an inclusive place where we all belong.
With this I would like to introduce more signs of caring for change and of a growing measure of compassion and kindredness among the populace of Earth creatures. I would like to highlight a wildlife sanctuary in Idaho, initiated by Susan B. Eirich, Ph.D., and Jean Simpson, who founded the Earthfire Institute. This sanctuary’s name is inspired by a “passionate earth-mother wolf with a fire in her belly to protect anything vulnerable.” This is also the fire that is in a good human mother’s belly to protect the young and affirm life. The work of this heart-strong group of humans is exactly the point of what is leading edge at this time, to realize a greater perspective in how we define kinship and belonging and it is doing evolutionary work to expand our connections of the heart on Earth.
Founded on 40 acres in Eastern Idaho, this ancient land is home for wild creatures who have been rescued for one reason or another. Earthfire serves as a portal, either physically or through the Internet, to allow an opening for exchange between species, and for new ways of interacting and communicating.
In their words, it is a “unique model of ecological advocacy {that} begins with a personal awakening and leads to a renewed commitment to protect planetary systems on which all life depends.” These are words that really resonate with me. It is time for there to be cross species communication that calls us to explore and expand our shared sense of community and come home to a greater understanding of our true nature personally and as a species.
As a species, we are presently caught up in economic and social systems that are poisoning and polluting the environment in a massive manner that is putting many other forms of life at risk, not to mention many of our own kind. There seems to be some heretical idea that nature is devoid of God or the Big Unity Factor in the Universe. I say someone’s genes seem to have gotten cross wired along the way. Nature expressed in the myriad forms of intelligent life upon the planet has existed for eons before we came upon the scene as a new form of creation. Whatever form we recognize as some higher intelligence, it is woven throughout all the fabric of life that makes up this spinning orb called Earth.
It is time for us to wake up and see the intelligence in plain view on the faces of other creatures inhabiting the domain known as planet Earth. For this reason, Earthfire Institute is a place to recognize and celebrate for its expansive and inclusive initiatives to live together, to push the edges of what we humans recognize as the known world of what is intelligent, even if differently oriented than the set of filters we have as humans to organize useful sensory information. It is definitely time to cross the aisles among the different kingdoms of life on this planet, with the recognition that creation neither began or ended with us, and that there is a vast community of sentient intelligence and this time is a bright opportunity for us to awaken to belong on this planet in a way that we have forgotten. Our ancestors knew what it was like to live among the other members of creation and recognize their contributions to life. It is time that we heard the call in a way that is appropriate for our perilous time on the planet that is also ripe with opportunity for expansion.
If we can quiet a bit, take the time to be present and look without too many layered judgments, there are ample animal beings that are willing to communicate with us and extend our awareness of life. Even gazing in the eyes of your cat or dog will begin a new journey. Animals are so much more aware than most of us have allowed ourselves to consider and we need to become more open in this time to all the intelligence of creation. Nature is not devoid of God or unity. It is our species that needs to take steps in the direction of reuniting with the chorus of creation. Caring and opening and being curious and inclusive are qualities that are much needed among humankind. Indeed, we should do our best to cultivate the kinder side of our nature, following words of wisdom from the Dalai Lama, who has said “my religion is kindness.”
In this season of celebrating the abundance that the Earth provides to sustain our lives, may we pause and give thanks. Humans have lived upon this planet for a short time compared to the diversity of intelligent forms of nature that provide us sustenance. It is time to wake up to the great gifts we have been given from the divine and recognize that we are citizens among the community of creation. Through care and compassion and right action, humanity will keep the sacred trust that is ours to accomplish as a collective. The wise action on this planet now is to turn away from the prevalent paradigm of suffering that abounds.
We live in times with great tension of the opposites. As the old crumbles and dissolves we are hurtling into a new era, and it is our work to bring forth a new currency upon the Earth, a new medium of exchange that is sustainable and expansive. The currency of a fluid open heart is among the best forms of abundance we might experience, and the greatest gift that we can share.
May we connect with the inner sacred fire that is clear in its role to protect life. May we use the sacred light in our hearts as a beacon, and share our intelligent light with others of our ‘kind’ as well as those of other kindred species who are doing their best to live and thrive and know some form of bonding and care for their members as well. May we make peace and harmony where we go by joining through the heart and letting this light our way. The revelations of understanding could change the course of our lives for the good as we learn to share life on Earth, realizing a harvest of the heart. This time is a ripe opportunity to find new meaning in the words ‘All our Relations.’ May we become celebrants of the sacred as we find a new way of relating to the world that honors the diverse forms of creation that inhabit this planet.