Listening to the Soul

FROM Beauty by Charlotte Schmid

Who has not marveled at the beauty of a rainbow, the elegant stance of an egret, dew drops on rose petals, an artistically set dinner table, pictures of Ayers Rock in Australia or a painting of Monet's water lilies. No less beautiful can be the wrinkled face of an old person, or a twisted tree. In spite of each person looking at all aspects of life in different ways, the thought of beauty usually elicits an uplifting emotion; i.e., we are 'touched' by something. If we are in a happy mood, the world around us seems great but when we are depressed we may see things as through a veil. One year, after I had disposed of my dead mother's belongings, I was waiting on a European runway for my plane to take off. The tears in my eyes seemed like the raindrops bouncing off the plane's window and I felt utterly lonely. Suddenly, the plane took off, climbing higher and higher and in no time we broke through the bank of clouds. It seemed as if we had entered a new world, a world of brilliant light with glistening snow capped mountains standing above the clouds. It was a picture of breathtaking beauty.

Walking through a museum we can see many beautiful works of art. We may stop and reflect in front of some old masterpieces, and have the sense that we are almost able to feel the rich silks in some of the robes of a lady, or hear the music of a lute player. Later we may walk through a room of abstract paintings with lines and dots, wondering how this could be considered beautiful. Yet, as Percival explains in his book Thinking and Destiny, that it is phenomena which make up our universe and if we consider the real world, we enter the world of points and lines.

From Something Within by Ford Boyer

The spiritual part is often ignored by the average seeker after psychological stability. However, whether or not we wish to accept the fact, there is 'something' within us that tells us to 'keep on keeping on.' Contacting and maintaining contact with that inner 'something' is the solution to most psychological dysfunctions. I say most because there are some severe psychological malfunctions which require dedicated therapeutic help. However, for most who are simply searching for a better life, a better relationship, learning how to use that inner 'something' is the answer because it promotes self responsibility which, in turn, radiates love and caring to those within the environment.

Radiating love brings change and change is good. Change is based on the process of energy distribution and energy follows thought. If we cling to one form of thinking we limit our relationships, but this is not to say that we should not have a certain belief system to guide us through life. We need a fundamental thought system upon which to build, but it should be a flexible and growing system; not one that limits and restricts. Systems are highly flexible and functional because they allow for change to occur without damaging the parts within the system.

Each negative psychological construct we release, while temporarily painful, is absorbed into the larger system termed 'I' and is, in a sense, recycled to become a positive attribute of the larger system. If we are constantly recycling by focusing on the negatives, the system has no time to implement the positive energy available for change.

We tend to see the negatives in our lives which must be recycled and rarely do we truly engage in a review of our positives. A positive and dynamic energy can help release a stagnant and crystallized force but this energy must be directed from the mental level in order for the release and recycling to function effectively.

From Vigilance by Lisa M. Payne

It is easy to become beguiled by life and those around us. As we are coping with trying to balance normalcy, mundane issues and improve upon self, we are caught in a quagmire of deceptions. Perhaps we all suffer from a memory loss as to what it should be for the emerging soul. The directive is simple for the best results. It is vigilance.

Vigilance is constant awareness. Watchfulness and alertness are other words that come to mind. Watchfulness against whom? Alertness for what purpose? The purpose of protecting and nurturing the soul and all that entails comes to the forefront.

Vigilance requires constant adjustment. A fine tuned and honed awareness of the soul's needs. Alignment within and without that is compatible with the soul. It isn't 'buy now, pay nothing until January 2000' kind of arrangement. It requires ongoing 'karmic' payment and maintenance.

The soul exacts this from us, the host vehicle, upon incarnation. A duty and obligation not unlike the responsibility of raising children. There is a marriage now to be forever faithful and true to the soul's nature. A call to be forever vigilant. Love, protect, cherish all that is beautiful and true for the soul's safe keeping.

Constant upheaval in one's life, turmoil in the environs around us clearly demonstrate the lack of commitment to the soul and souls of others. 'Love thyself, as thy neighbors' is an idea found throughout the world religions. If we could but comply to the best of our abilities, we would then heed the cry of vigilance. There is no difference between the ordinary and the divine. It is only a matter of awareness; a high level of vigilance.

From Right Action by Nancy M. Davison

This is a vignette about one family, but it is also the story of the movement of humanity from personality desires and greed to soul-heart centered action in support of the greater community. We serve where we stand, which in no way indicates that we are static or unmoving from within an entrenched, unchangeable position, but that no matter where we stand we serve. The next question is: What, exactly is it that we serve? Is it our own selfish, exclusive desires, or the inclusive whole within which we live and move and have our being? Do our thoughts inevitably turn to that which fills our own coffers, strokes our own emotions, assures our own success? Or do we count as well spent that which must be sacrificed to ensure the greater good?

The Age of Pisces, which we are now leaving as we move into the era of group oriented Aquarius, rightly emphasized the individual good, the promoting of self awareness, allowing us to break the stifling bonds of slavery within which humanity had been struggling for so long; slavery to exclusive religion, to the horrors of serfdom; slavery to concretized and crystallized thought forms of how things 'ought' to be the 'old time religion' syndrome. Centuries ago we began to rebel, to assert our rights, painting history's canvas with the flowing colors of the great expressions of freedom, from Icelandic Democracy to the Magna Carta, the British Parliaments, the French and American Revolutions, the Atlantic Charter and the Four Freedoms, culminating in this century with the formation of the United Nations. In this 'new age' the group must take action in the interests of the whole, and the rights of the individual, while not lessened, are, nevertheless, dedicated to that greater good. People like Peter are recognizing the futility of the old ways and the possibilities of the future, and are acting, to give up the self centered 'good life' in favor of Goodwill, renouncing exclusive selfishness for inclusive group conscious action.