BLACK ELK'S VISION

"I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being.

And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy."

Postscript: For a short bio on Black Elk visit www.MUSEologies.blogspot.com



TORO NAGASHI

This coming Monday – 28 May 2007 – (Memorial Day in the United States) along the shores at Ala Moana Beach Park on the island of Oahu; 1000 illuminated floating lanterns will be released simultaneously as “lantern offerings on the water” or Toro Nagashi.

The Japanese ‘Toro Nagashi’ is a time-honoured Buddhist ritual. It respects and pays tribute to our ancestors while comforting the spirits of the deceased and their survivors. During the ceremony, candle-lit lanterns are individually set afloat on the ocean. It is believed that these illuminated lanterns ferry spirits “from the shore of delusion to the shore of salvation.” As they float out to sea, these lanterns carry heartfelt prayers for victims of natural disasters, water-related accidents, war, famine, disease as well as for personal loved ones who have died. Many participants fill out individual slips of paper which they attach to the lantern frames.

This ceremony unites all who participate, without regard to nationality, culture, politics or religion. It is an act of becoming “one human family” and the desire for a future in which harmony exists among all people regardless of their differences. Given Tokunaga, Executive Director of Na Lei Aloha, one of the groups that sponsor the festival explains it this way, “This is not a Hawaiian event. It’s not a Japanese event. It’s not an American event. It’s a human event.”

One of last year’s participants, writer Sarah Brueggemann, describes her experience,

“Though surrounded by masses of people, I feel a sense of calm. Some watch in silence. Others snap photos of the visual feast. All linger on the beach to witness the glowing orange as they drift out to sea. Standing aside, one woman wipes tears from her eyes, which shine brighter than any luminary…

As I walk among the crowd, strangers share their stories. A traveler who lost her husband to cancer tells me how he loved surfing in Hawaii. She sprinkled his ashes here and hopes that by returning, she can reconnect with him. Despite such poignant accounts, the mood isn’t melancholy. The feeling is one of shared contentment…

Everyone waits with anticipation for the ceremony to begin. Buddhist monks in crimson and gold robes walk solemnly to a hibiscus-ringed stage. Powerful drumming and chanting resonates through the assembly. As the sun sets, outrigger canoes paddle into position. A double-hull craft transports six large “parent” lanterns which sit on delicately carved bases that resemble canoes. Some have masts with gossamer sails. People line the banks with lanterns, forming a radiant arc. Once released, the flames move toward the horizon, seeming to disappear over the earth’s edge.”


Next year I hope to be standing on the shores of Ala Moana Beach.
I will light my lanterns for Faye, Jan, Paula & John, Walt, Harry, Max and Thomas. On slips of paper attached to each lantern, I will end my private tribute with a quote by Og Mandino,

I will love the light for it shows me the way,
yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.”

--Royce--

THE WARRIOR WITHIN THE CIRCLE

I am the one who protects you unconditionally and fearlessly from threats to your personal and creative freedom. I am the one who allows you to feel safe. I am the one who protects you from the Dark Side of yourself. I possess the power and the might to conquer your inner critics and crush them with a single blow. I am the one that listens to the council and wise wisdom of your Spirit Guides. Together we direct you and formulate strategies to win the battles you create for yourself both inside the spirit world and outside in the physical world. With my protection, ALL things are possible. With my strength and power you move forward into the unknown with boundless passion. I am the one who guards the portals of light that illuminate the Great Mysteries of Life and Spirit. I am the one who will stand by your side into a very old age. I am the one who will take your hand and guide you into the timeless time when you join with the Ancient Ones in celebration.
--Royce’s SoulCollage Vision--

WHAT GIVES THEM BEAUTY?

I wonder whether the stars are set alight in heaven
So that one day each one of us may find his own again....
The stars, the desert --
What gives them their beauty is something that is invisible....
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
What is essential is invisible to the eye.
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery--

Forget Today's Blunders and Absurdities

“FINISH EVERY DAY AND BE DONE WITH IT.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt have crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.

TOMORROW IS A NEW DAY.
Begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit
to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

THIS DAY IS ALL THAT IS GOOD AND FAIR.
It is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on yesterdays.”

Thank you Ralph Waldo Emerson!

AIR CASTLES

Air Castles
By Maxfield Parrish
Cover for Ladies’ Home Journal 1904


"IF YOU HAVE BUILT CASTLES IN THE AIR,
YOUR WORK NEED NOT BE LOST;
THAT IS WHERE THEY SHOULD BE.
NOW,
PUT THE FOUNDATIONS UNDER THEM."

--Henry David Thoreau--

AUDACITY + VISION = THE FUN FACTOR

Step through the transformational portal where we can LIVE, CREATE and INSPIRE from our heart and soul without worrying one whit about what anyone else thinks!

A uthenticity
U niqueness
D aring
A dventurous-ness
C ourage
I ndividuality
T o Thine Own Self Be True
Y earning for the Creative & Inspirational “Yummies” of Life!