Spring is here!

Soft green hue of leaf unfurling, delicate colours of early flowers, clear water reflecting sky and trees.

The flow of life seduces us, we feel new energy and are ready for new projects.  It's an expansive time, and all things seem possible.  We have the opportunity to create the life we want, particularly if we use our imagination and stay true to a vision that is beyond just what we would like for ourselves.

I've just returned from a month in India.  A yoga retreat in the foothills of the Himalayas has strengthened my resolve to spend more of my time practising yoga and meditation.  The thrilling pilgrimage that I made to many sacred sites - Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Moslem -  has enriched my understanding of different religious traditions.

Coming home in springtime is a delight.  I marvel at the freshness after the heat and dust, and feel gratitude for the many blessings in my life.

Now I'm ready to embark on my new writing project.  I will have to be disciplined as I have only nine months to complete my new book.  But I recognize that it is also a privilege to spend my time in this way, as well as tending my garden.  One activity perfectly balances the other.

I hope all my friends and acquaintances feel the excitement of new possibilities this springtime.  May any challenges you face be opportunities to learn and grow, and may peace and harmony surround you.

PS  For those of you who haven't followed my mini-travelogue on Facebook, here's the link for the 6-minute video of my trip, put together by my friend Colin Stump -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBu8wdmzruo&feature=youtu.be

               NOVEMBER 2013  autumn into winter...and the light of hope


It's that time of year again when sunlight is diminishing (at least in the Northern hemisphere).  After the most glorious summer and a bountiful autumn, winter is once again with us, and the darkness and cold have returned.

The great end of year festivals - Divali, Eid, Thanksgiving, Hannukah, the Winter Solstice and Christmas - are all about light and hope, gratitude and sharing.

Darkness and cold pervade our world metaphorically, as well as physically  - of that we are only too well aware.  The seasons remind us of the unending cycles of birth, flourishing, fullness and death - the pattern for all that exists.  As surely as the darkness descends and wraps itself around us, so too the light always returns, a mere candle-flicker to begin with, until it enfolds us in a glorious brightness and warmth.

None of us can be certain as to why suffering exists but it appears to be a necessary prerequisite to being in this world.  So long as there is life, there is hope, and the possibility of understanding.

The lights of the end of year festivals remind us of the eternal light which is never extinguished, no matter the depth of the darkness.

May all take comfort in the lights of the festivals, and hope for better times, and may those of us who are fortunate, count our blessings, share what we have, and be hopeful about the future for all.

SPRING AT LAST!

Here we are, well past the Spring Equinox, but only just beginning to feel warmer.  Sure  the days have been lengthening but cold winds have prevailed, and after a long hard winter we're all longing for some sunshine!

I lost my Mother this winter.  At the time of deepest snow she left her body, so Spring's arrival is particularly poignant for me this year.  I think of her every day as I go out into the garden - she so loved her own garden in her final years, before a nursing home became inevitable.  Her death was a humbling experience for many reasons, but I am left with a sense of peace after her passing and gratitude for what she gave me.

Now each day seems more precious than ever.  And living in the moment seems to be very natural.  What point in worrying about what lies ahead or regretting the past.  None at all.  My woodland garden is full of primroses.  They have withstood the buffeting winds and seem to me a symbol of hope.  As ever, the world and it's clamour are there, but beauty is all around us if only we open our eyes.  The world is full of miracles if negative thinking and doubt don't get in the way.  We may not be able to change what life throws at us, but we can change our response to it. 

So let's be positive about the long hot summer that may well lie ahead.  At the very least there will be some quintessentially English summer days which will put a smile on our faces!

New Year 2013

Celebration is such an important aspect of life.  Since time immemorial we humans have come together to give thanks for the abundance that surrounds us.

Perhaps it was easier for  men and women of earlier times, who were so connected to nature, to celebrate and be grateful for the simple everyday joys of existence.  We, in our relentless pursuit of success and material wellbeing, are less mindful of the virtue of celebration of the ordinary.

However, the great festivals of our calendars give us reason to rejoice and remember how blessed we are.  At the turning point of the year celebration is an opportunity once again to be thankful for what has been good about the year, and to be mindful of our intentions for the year to come.

This NewYear may well turn out to be a landmark one for us all.  We are moving through an era of great change.  All over the world a revolution is taking place, a shift in consciousness - one which we can welcome and celebrate.  We can be filled with hope as we look towards the future- hope that a more enlightened era lies ahead.

So let's celebrate this New Year and resolve to be the change we want to see in the world.  Let's try to be kinder to one another, and to play our part in creating a world that is more co-operative, more peaceful, more just, and more sustainable for everyone.

A happy New Year to All!

Winter Solstice 2012

The Xmas cards are written and posted, the presents bought (but not yet wrapped) and the house is decorated and ready to welcome family and friends.

Time to reflect on the year that's almost over and to wonder about the new one ahead.  There is a reason for the season!

At the heart of winter we have the coming of the light.

This Winter Solstice is a special one. 21.12.2012 sees not just the ending of one great cycle of the Mayan Calendar, but also the completion of an even bigger astronomical cycle, the Precession of the Equinoxes.  The sun now converges with the exact centre-line of the Milky Way - the Galactic Alignment.  Big stuff!

What might these complex cycles signify?  Certainly not the end of the world as some have chosen to believe.  That has more to do with their own fear than anything else.  However, we certainly seem to be living through challenging times, and maybe the various apocalyptic prophecies are best regarded as wake-up calls.

A dramatic change in the way we live seems vital, whether we are talking about the violence within our society, inequality and injustice or climate change.  All around us the old structures seem to be disintegrating and the institutions are no longer respected.  Above all we face a crisis of consciousness.  We are at a cosmic tipping point where a significant minority of people who have long been calling for the need to change becomes a critical mass.  Our civilization is not about to break down, but instead to break through to a new level of consciousness.  It's time for transformation on a galactic scale!

There is much we can all do - we are not powerless to change our culture. We can make our voices heard, we can build a different world through compassion and co-operation, with each one of us being a shining light in the darkness.  Let's make the Shift happen.  Help to spread light and love this season - and have a wonderful celebratory time!

The 2012 Olympics - the eruption of a revolution in consciousness

What a lift the 2012 Olympics has given everyone!  Even the most sceptical have to admit that the events were brilliantly organized and the ceremonies spectacularly orchestrated.  With incredible performances from the athletes, the deafening cheers of the spectators and the warmest of welcomes from the volunteers, the overriding impression has been one of joy.

Perhaps it was a shining example of how the whole is greater than the sum of its parts!  Qualities were demonstrated to inspire us all – vision, courage, determination, self-belief, discipline, patience, gratitude, compassion and co-operation – whether from the athletes from 204 countries, the 70,000 volunteers, or the hundreds of thousands of spectators in various venues and public events.  Even the millions of us watching on TV were moved by these qualities as well as the amazing spectacle of it all.

As the athletes, organizers, performers, volunteers and spectators offered the best of themselves, so we too went about our daily lives in a spirit of joy. For two amazing weeks, consciousness was raised to another level and mundane worries were left behind.  Let’s hope that we can continue smiling and joyful, while pondering on what has made us feel inspired, united and wanting to co-operate.

All revolutions are gradual and then suddenly erupt.  Maybe what we have just witnessed was the beginning of the eruption of a revolution in consciousness.

The Queen and the Queen of the Sky

What an amazing time the last few days have been!  The Diamond Jubilee celebrations have been genuinely joyful for the majority of people in the UK - probably just what we needed in this time of austerity!  Time and again over the four days people have stressed how wonderful it has been to come together in their communities, to share and to celebrate.

Most people are united in their view of Queen Elizabeth II as worthy of our affection and respect.  In an era when politicians of all persuasions are no longer trusted, when the pace of change is so dramatic, and crises face us on so many fronts, the Queen represents stability and continuity and is a unifying symbol.  She has carried out her duties in the most regal of manners with commitment and love.

It's no coincidence that today we have the rare event of the planet Venus, Queen of the Sky, transiting across the sun.  In astrology, the planet Venus represents love, the emotion that brings people together without force or compulsion.  Venus is also about happy social occasions - so a great time for a party.

Venus also represents the feminine and it is perhaps the feminine energies of nurturing, caring, compassion and co-operation that we most need in these troubled times.  We need to find a way to live in harmony with each other and with the natural world.

Previous Venus transits have seen revolution of one kind or another, and with this one we are on the brink of a revolution in consciousness, as I explore in my latest book, Wake Up and Hear the Thunder! Finding Hope in a Hopeless World, published today.  In these times of upheaval new energies are flooding in to raise awareness about the need to change the way we live.  Evolutionary pressures seem to be at work to bring about a positive transformation, with the Internet and social media helping us to share our ideas.  All over the globe there is a groundswell of people choosing to live their lives differently and a culture is emerging which is more altruistic, compassionate and sustainable.  Let's hope by the time the next transit  of Venus occurs in 2117 the world will be a very different place!