Hello,
Well, we did it! We made it to 2022! I believe it's going to be a great year! I really do. Humanity is evolving! We are living through one of the most evolutionary periods of our lifetimes! Comparable to the major shifts on the earth that we have only read about in books. Wow!
Did you know that there are patterns in human history that coincide with predictable major cycles? This includes radioactive activity from the sun, large economic cycles, and cycles that have to do with human aggression and wars. According to scientist Gregg Braden, we are living through an intersection of those particular three cycles at their peaks, which explains why we are feeling so shaken up on so many levels. And of course not just "feeling" it but actually going through a lot of stuff. Hold onto your hats because it is going to be a bumpy ride but I believe that all things happen for a good reason..... and perhaps consider this: that it is up to us to align with the forces that operate in our lives so that we can see it all from a larger perspective. In doing that, we can better understand our circumstances, gain some detachment from them and ultimately be at peace with them. To me, that's evolution at work, in real time!
I absolutely love this quote from T. S. Eliot and I've wanted to do this painting for over a year! I find it has two meanings.
First, for me, the poet is saying that experiences in our past were understandable with the perception that we had at that time. We might use the same words to describe an event in the past, but what is asked of us is to understand that we are actually different when we look back on those experiences. "Last year's language" is our older selves, and our older perceptions.
"Another voice" is also us.....our minds, our awareness and perceptions, with new and expanded understanding.
We can look at the past with new understanding and we can head into the future with new facilities and abilities. When we let our experiences expand our consciousness, we develop our "other voice." To me, this evolution of consciousness describes what it means to be a human being today.
That is intense, isn't it? Well, these times are intense and we need to meet it with intensity of our own. And isn't it amazing that wise words spoken decades ago can still have relevance in our modern world?
Here's the other meaning I see in this quote. It has to do with the cat and the dog!
As you may know, one of my jobs is taking care of animals. I am of the belief that animals communicate very clearly. They don't use words, but it is easy to understand them if we take the time and make the effort to quiet ourselves and let them communicate what they want to say to us. When we are in the presence of our furry (or feathered or scaly) friends and we become quiet and receptive, we can find out things they want us to know. And here's the joy of that (see how I tied that into last week's message? Tricky! :D) When we are tuning into our little friends, what we may "hear" is simply a feeling. In many ways, I find this can be superior to our intellectualizing all of our experiences all the time. I believe that the animals, with infinite patience, and with a pure love, await our developing "another voice" with which we may understand them. This in turn connects us to that part of ourselves that can use a break from thinking too hard or too much.
Wow, I hope it made sense and I would love to hear back from you if you have any questions or comments!
Happy New Year, Happy January and here's to an exciting and beautiful ride!
Harriet
