Witnessing Consciousness

by Ryan Orr

I start each day with a meditation on a Bible Verse. Even difficult verses shed light when seen as representing our own psyche. Characters from the old testament have much to teach us when we reflect upon them in this light.

Abraham, for instance, is a primary character in the old testament. We begin to understand what he represents in us by looking at the meaning of his name. Ab is the Hebrew word for “father”, “Ra” was the name of the Egyption Sun God and is a symbol for the masculine principle and “ham” is a way of saying “begotten of”.

Abraham’s name signifies that he was a begotten son of the Father. He never wavered in his faith and obedience to the Father, even when he was asked to sacrifice his own son (which was a foreshadowing of the crucifixion of Christ). He is a perfect symbol of surrender to a Greater Will.

Abraham represents our own Higher Self; he is that part of us that is in complete accord with and obedient to the One True Source. We can learn so much about the ways and attributes of what’s possible for we who are also begotten of The Father by reading and meditating on the story of Abraham.

by h.koppdelaney

I have come to think of the Bible as an Alchemical text.

Alchemy is a word used to describe a process that turns baseness to gold. The ancient alchemists tried to turn actual metal to the substance of gold. But there is another, more immediate application of the term alchemy … it is the process of refining our own internal baseness into gold.

This is the art of transmutation that interests me most. And the Bible is all about it.

Every character, every place, name and number used in the Bible is significant. The stories depict our own internal characters and struggles. The Bible outlines in detail the process of transforming our own consciousness so that we can come into at-one-ment (atonement) with God.

Guilfoil Ballet Theater

I was in Florida last weekend to see my son, Andrew and his Guilfoil Ballet Theater Academy of Dance perform Nutcracker for the Winter Wonderland in downtown Clearwater. Winter Wonderland is an annual outdoor & free event that provides a wonderful opportunity for families, no matter how poor, to celebrate the holidays.

There were all sorts of free events including a petting zoo and a giant inflated slide for kids. Of course Santa was there - little ones were perched on his knee while eager parents snapped photos of those little cheerful (hopefully) faces. There was even a small train available so families could take a quick trip around the city block to see the downtown Christmas lights.

The Nutcracker Ballet is an eagerly anticipated event for local people every year. It’s such a magical performance done under a moon & starlit sky - people love it and come from all over the area to fill the rows of folding chairs placed in front of the stage. On this particular night, people were standing in the aisles and even spilling out into the parking lot by the time Tchaikovsky’s familiar musical score signaled that Nutcracker had begun.

We got there early enough to secure third row seats. This made it possible for me to see the audience around me as well gave a great view of the stage. I cannot describe to you the thrill I felt in watching the joyful faces of children and adults alike as they sat all around me, faces aglow in the moonlight of an open sky, eyes upturned and mesmerized by the awesome grace & passion of these beautiful dancers. They twirled and leaped across stage in their wonderful costumes, dancing the pirouettes and pas de bourrée’s of a fully staged Nutcracker Christmas Ballet. Tears filled my eyes more than once from pure joy.

GBT

On stage there was one tiny dancer, maybe she was four, who could not contain her own joy and appreciation at having an audience. At one point, as a flawless pas de deux was being executed on center stage, this enthusiastic little prima ballenina proceeded to curtsy and blow kisses to her adoring fans in the crowd. She brought the house down. Her exuberance & joy in sharing herself with others was infectious! Her shiny face continues to fill my heart with joy. Christmas is a season designed for such love & laughter as that inspired by this little dancer.

May you experience the true joy of Christmas! Blessings, Lynne

by mharrsch

The Birth of Christ is not only a historical happening … it is an internal event. The Christ Child is our own Divine Self, born of the Father in Heaven (Divine Source Energy) and brought into manifestation through the divine feminine.

Born in Bethlehem, which is a Hebrew word that literally means “house of bread”, that humble birth place symbolizes our own inner space of nourishment, the nurturing cave of our own hearts.

Every year at Christmas we are reminded, once again, that the Christ Child is born within to awaken us to the “glad tidings” that we are, one and all, sons and daughters of a “King” that loves and nurtures us.

We are heirs to the throne of an Eternal Light (represented by the Star of Bethlehem) that guides and protects us every step of the way. We are totally supported, even breathed by that Divine Source that supplies our every need.

This year, take a few minutes to reflect on the Christ Child within. It is the Divine Spark that awaits your nurturing attention. To parent this child means to recognize your own divine origin. It means to remember who you really are as a beloved son/daughter of an Eternal Source. It means never to forget again that you are totally loved and worthy of love.

May you birth the Christ Child within and receive the gifts of the wise men; the gold of refined consciousness, the incense frankincense that connects you with the heavens and the enlightenment that comes from experiencing the “bitter times” or “myrrh” of life.

Merry Christmas Eve.