Is Earth Just a Fancy Rock?
On a recent visit with my father-in-law (a retired engineer), I found myself in a debate (i.e., argument) of science vs. nature. At one point I found myself saying, “so you think humans are smarter than the planet?” With eyes round and big as saucers, my father-in-law looked at me in horror – the kind of horror that said not only are you insane, but you are married to my only son – and in a very controlled voice replied, “I think it’s a PLANET!” The tone of arrogant superiority was unmistakable.
While that conversation ended abruptly, I couldn’t help but ponder on the meaning behind that statement. It’s impossible for me to believe that the planet is merely a chemical chain reaction of materials and events that culminated into a totally logical pattern, and the fact that humans are smart enough to utilize all the natural resources available to them for their own selfish means is a historical testament to their superiority.
In my opinion, this perspective is as limiting and incorrect as when humanity believed that the Sun revolved around the Earth. Sure, it LOOKED like the Sun was moving around the Earth, but at that time people couldn’t comprehend the working reality of the solar system. It takes time to develop an awareness of larger concepts and realities. It also takes a willingness to think outside the box, or beyond accepted ways of thinking.
A growing number of people are beginning a serious dialogue around the belief that the planet is more than just a fancy rock with a lot of bells and whistles. In fact, they believe that the Earth is a living, breathing organism, with an intelligence or consciousness beyond our comprehension that is on its own evolutionary path. The idea is that the planet is a physical body of a really huge form of life on a gynormous scale. Life doesn’t just happen on the planet, it’s created, and people are beginning to ask ‘by whom?’
Interestingly, the current oil leak in the Gulf has initiated speculation on what purpose oil serves for the Earth, if we looked at the planet as a ‘body.’ What if the planet needs oil for its own survival? It has to need it for something, or why would oil exist at all? So what would the planet need oil for? Perhaps it’s a lubricant for the planet’s ‘joints’ or tectonic plates. And what happens if the planet can’t shift its land masses as easily when the lubrication gets too low? Will earthquakes be more severe, or more often? How will the planet respond if its lubrication gets too depleted?
As you can see, this questioning brings a whole new perspective to the idea of ‘Mother Earth’ and what role humanity plays (or should be playing) on the planet. What will our future be like if, on a mass scale, people treated the planet as if it were someone else’s body?! It almost sounds crazy, but then again it makes a little sense…hmmmm. While many people may not be able to embrace this way of thinking, it just may spur a growing movement to consider the needs of the planet in perspective to the needs of humanity. After all, balance is good.
New Stone Find
at Tucson Gem and Mineral Show
The ‘buzz’ at the Tucson show this year was a new find of crystal quartz clusters that displays a shimmery iridescent quality reflecting the colors of the rainbow. We had heard that the owner of Heaven & Earth (a well known mineral and jewelry store with a strong metaphysical foundation) and author of The Book of Stones, Robert Simmons, had purchased a large quantity of this fairly expensive stone. Not wanting to miss out on a fabulous new stone, we took the plunge and purchased a few kilos.
Since returning from Tucson in February, we’ve been eagerly awaiting Robert Simmons review and discussion on this new discovery of rainbow quartz from a metaphysical perspective. And now the wait is over! In the new Heaven & Earth Spring/Summer 2010 catalog, Robert Simmons has this to say about the stone:
“One of the big hits of our trip to the Tucson Gem Show this year was a new stone we have named Anandalite. The word Ananda means Divine bliss, and this stone certainly lives up to its name! Anandalite is a variety of quartz. It occurs as clusters of small points arising from a grayish chalcedony base. The points vary from carpets of tiny sparkling druzy crystals to clusters of points up to ½ inch long. The structure is similar to Amethyst clusters, which are familiar sights in crystal shops. In Anandalite, however, there is a unique characteristic that distinguishes it from all other Quartz: many of the clusters reflect bright colors from and within the surfaces of the points. The colors range from green, blue and violet to yellow, red and orange. These colors flash in ways similar to those we see in Angel Aura coated crystals, but our suppliers assured us that the Anandalite quartz is completely natural. They told us the multi-color flashes may be due to the presence of rhodium in the Quartz. We had never seen such radiance of colors from any other natural Quartz… the flashes of color are most apparent when the stone is held under good light, and is moved, to catch multiple angles of reflection.”
The article went on to say “Ultimately, it was the vibrational currents of Anandalite, much more than its colors, that excited us…Anadalite is among the most powerful stones for Light Body activation and awakening the dormant potentials of both one’s physical body and one’s consciousness. It profoundly stimulates the central nervous system, all along the spinal column from the root chakra up to the crown.”
So now it’s official! We know what to call the stone and can offer information on its metaphysical qualities. If this stone sounds interesting, feel free to stop in and take an opportunity to look at our selection. While our selection is not as extensive as Heaven & Earth’s, we do have a nice variety of sizes and our pricing is a fraction of what you’ll see online. We think you’ll be very happy with the quality of the stones we’ve purchased.
The Gulf Oil Spill – Crisis or Opportunity?
Many spiritually minded people are deeply affected by the devastating effects of the current oil leak crisis in the Gulf. The loss of animal and marine life, the damage to the coastline and local economies stimulates our sense of loss and anger. From a spiritual perspective, these emotions are considered to be too negative of a vibration and we are asked to rise above and find a space of neutrality. Not so easy to do when you’re looking at all those birds covered in oil, or you see people in tears because they’ve lost their ability to make a living, or you know that BP is just going to raise the price of oil to cover its costs.
So how do we raise our mental and emotional vibration towards this situation? We must find a way, creatively, to see what positive outcomes are possible. Perhaps this crisis will shine the spotlight on issues that have been ignored for too long. The issues of limiting the use of fossil fuels because the potential problems of extraction are too devastating, the need for increased safety regulations, or the deceit of corporations and the accepted belief that capitalism (the right to make a profit) is okay no matter what. This may be an opportunity for the mass consciousness to change its opinion on these things. This is the only way to have widespread change – when something has become too destructive and people demand a change. Without a crisis, there’s no change. We may not like the fact that things have to get this bad, but perhaps it’s necessary.
What about the environment and wildlife? How does it benefit from this destruction? Isn’t the oil going to pretty much kill everything in the water? My guess is yes, and while it seems so unfair to the plants and animals and fish, I do know that the Earth is a self-balancing system. There is evidence to suggest that the Earth is capable of cleansing itself, much like the wildfires we experience. Fire can sweep over huge areas of land, destroying everything. But in its destruction there is also a cleansing, an opportunity for a fresh start. It certainly won’t happen overnight, but eventually life will return to that area. In fact we may see new species of life in the Gulf after the cleansing process is completed.
From a metaphysical perspective, there is speculation that the Gulf and lower eastern coastline are areas that still have karmic remnants from the times of Atlantis that need to be cleansed or cleared. For those unfamiliar with the story of Atlantis, it’s believed that the people there became so destructive and negative in their expression, that the Earth made the decision to sink it – through natural disasters of course. So, from an energetic standpoint that area may have been ripe for seemingly disastrous situations in an attempt to physically and energetically cleanse itself. Perhaps something dramatic needed to happen for a larger purpose, one that we may not be able to readily understand.
There are many viewpoints that can be considered when looking at this type of situation. No one perspective is right or wrong, and only time will tell how things ultimately play out and we see the lessons learned and the positive gained. But, by our thoughtful consideration we can energetically bring our thoughts and emotions to a place of neutrality, thereby avoiding the pitfalls of spiraling into overly negative thinking. So if we think all is lost and there’s nothing to be done, then there’s not. If, however, we believe things can be improved by attempting to balance our personal perspectives (and share those perspectives with others), then we can do something.
So, how do we answer the question, Is the oil spill a crisis or an opportunity? The choice is ours.
New Class Series, Practical Spirituality
There is a new class being offered at Peaceful Heart on the last Wednesday of each month (usually) from 6:30-8:00 pm. It’s called Practical Spirituality and each class offers a discussion on what we are as “energy.” Our physical bodies, our thoughts and emotions all have an energetic quality. The intention is to offer a basic understanding of these subtle energetic qualities so that we can begin to feel ‘whole’ again.
I believe that at a certain age we are all forced to repress and ignore our feelings and emotions, giving value only to ‘intelligence’, grade points, memorization, multi-tasking and of course physical ability. The over emphasis of analytical ‘logic’ has been allowed to dissolve our individual intuition and heartfelt common sense like battery acid until we are so disconnected from these parts of ourselves that we don’t know how to get them back.
It’s time to reclaim our emotional intelligence. It’s time we reconnect the cut wires and tune back into our bodies and emotions. These parts have value and are necessary to fully enjoy being human. By understanding what we are as a human being, we can realize our inner spiritual nature.
In my own process of ‘reconnecting’ I discovered that I had cut off from the best parts of myself. In my study of metaphysics (the study of energy behind matter) I gained an understanding not only of myself but of how and why I relate to others the way I do. By understanding these energy mechanics I have the tools to improve how I relate to myself, my environment and the people in it. This journey has changed my life for the better and I feel compelled to share what I’ve learned with others.
So please join facilitators Doris Deits and Brian Sieger (our in-house meditation expert) as we all learn how to tune into our body’s wisdom and work with (not against) our human and spiritual nature. Feel free to attend one class or all classes, as each class will target a different discussion topic. No experience necessary.