Warrior of the Light -03- (05.18.09)

It has been an extraordinarily ridiculous amount of time since I last meditated on a page from Paulo Coelho's book Warrior of the Light.  But that does not matter.  All that matters is now, in this moment, I am again.

A Warrior of the Light does not rely on strength alone, he makes use of his opponent's

 energy, too.  - Warrior of the Light, p3 - 

A battle cannot be won if one burns through all his or her energy in the fight.  A warrior knows that strength is important, but it is never a deciding factor.  Intelligence is used: how to use an opponent's weakness against him, how to cater to a warrior's advantage without exhausting the warrior before the fight is over.  The crowd watches, jeers, even, as the warrior pauses to kneel and pray.  He listens to the words of his god, his inner voice, his reason.  He does not listen to the human world around him, but touches with something much deeper inside of himself.  And it is there, in that core, that he finds his strength.

In a roman coliseum, this makes perfect sense.  The implications for modern society are perhaps not as crystaline.

The idea is, in effect, not to fight the full force of life.  We find ourselves on these life paths, wandering aimlessly, sometimes hopelessly.  Sometimes we know exactly where we're going and just how to get there.  Sometimes we have no idea where we're going, we just know the route we want to take.  And some of us are content to just wander dazedly.

One thing that Coehlo expressed in his novel The Alchemist, was that even if we know precisely where a path begins and ends, we can't possibly fathom what happens in between.  It will curve, twist, and take us in directions we never thought we'd go.

Sometimes we leave the path because we don't think it is going the right way.  Sometimes we try to fight the path.  Sometimes we see it through to the end, and are pleasantly surprised with the results.  The idea is that even if everything does not work out in precisely as we planned, it still may be vital to our education.  If it is not an unusual shortcut to the finish line, then it is something very important to experience.

It does take work and energy to get to where we want to be.  It doesn't just happen. Neither, though, does it happen by brute force.  We must use some of the energy that is given to us - the circumstances thrown our way - the energy of our opponent - to get to where we want to be.  We do not need to be ashamed of asking for help, be it from a god or a guardian or a friend or confidant.  When the enemy is too strong to pass through, simply allow it to redirect you.  Take every blow as a lesson in self-defence, and see where you stand when it's over.  Take it in stride and take it with gratitude.

Peace, Love & Light be with you.

Midnight_digital, movimente, YanivG

Money God? (03.28.09)

I had wished to begin this again earlier, but the Fates conspired against me this time.  I will try and be more loyal.  I would like to continue with my Warrior of Light analysis, but I am not feeling the inspiration at the moment.  Instead, something else is pressing in on me: money.

And how can we not think about that?  With the way the economy is going, it seems as though our attention is rigorously focused on our financial status - or lack thereof.

While it is near impossible to cast aside our worries without a second thought, it is imparative not to let that worry possess our lives.

That which you focus on the most will come to fruition.  The energy and time put into a thought, an idea, a want will equate to the yield of that desire.

Whether it be by spiritual influence, or by simple logic (if you're always focused on one particular thing, then you will be, perhaps unconciously, doing things to ensure its outcome.)

This being said, it would be unwise to throw all caution into the wind and completely disregard the economic situation.  A balance must be maintained - a healthy balance. Know where you are.  Know what you spend, what you want, what you lack.  Your stewardship to your economic situation ends here.  Do not worry, do not dwell, do not lament. 

Money is not a god.  Under no circumstances should it ever be treated like one.  To be poss

essed and completely overwhelmed by a lack of money will do nothing but depress the individual, which can (and likely will) influence th

e economic situation further.  Instead, perhaps it is better to acknowledge what is lacking, understand what must be saved, and then find a reason to be grateful for what little we have.

Give unconditionally.  It doesn't have to be much - it doesn't have to be money at all.  Give love.  Give food.  Give joy.  Give some change if you can spare it.  That which is given freely and out of love always returns tenfold.

To be at peace with the situation promotes a happier worker, a worker more likely to be hired by an employer.

Not all is seen.  Two workers walk in for an interview. 

Both are dressed impeccably, both have outstanding creditials, one has been out of work for a month and has been stressed to a breaking point by his own ego.  In his mind, he must have this job. He must.  The other has also been out of work for a month,  but he knows he will walk into the room and do his best.  If it is not meant to be, then he will not get the job, and he will go somewhere else.  He is grateful for this change in workplace.  He is optimistic about the new doors opening before him.  He is excited to see what will happen next.

Though the employer may not have the 

history of the two men, the employer will be able to tell in the unseen.  The manner, the nervousness, the apparent egotistical nature of the man that desires the job to a point of craze - the employer may not even be able to articulate what the difference she percieves is, but there is one.  And she will choose the worker who is grateful and compassionate and relaxed, perhaps for reasons she cannot explain.  The obsessed worker will be turned away, and driven further into his craze.

Let it be.

Do not make your situation worse by making it the most important thing in your life.  Be grateful for what you have, enjoy it, and be kind with others.  It will return tenfold.

Darren Hester, thinkpanama, just.k

In Hindsight...

Every year we walk away from 365 (occasionally 366) days of learning. Sometimes, we carry these lessons into the next year and grow from the experience. Other times, we easily forget or casually toss them aside. Sometimes we have to relearn them the hard way, and other times we never think of them again.

In an effort to avoid that this year, I have listed the top eight things I have learned from 2008. I encourage everyone who reads this and feels so inclined to do so as well, and leave a comment linking to the response so that we can find them all.

8. Smelling like boy on my legs was worth the $0.95 men's shaving cream can.

7. Laughing is a fundamental element of the healing matrix.

6. Intuition is never wrong when given the respect it deserves.

5. Humans were born to be creators. Manifestations of energy - art, dance, dreams, physics equations and even schematic sketches are all testaments of inner fire.

4. Our greatest strength is not outside, but inside. The passion that drives the heart is formidable. The strongest ally and the greatest enemy. Our own desire potentials our undoing.

3. People are bouncy: the bigger the butt-kicking, the bigger the rebound.

2. Sometimes whimsical is the best way to go.

1. Love is all we truly have. It is what and who we are, and it is the only thing we really have and can freely give to everyone.

Happy Holidays, everyone. Give Love this season!

You-did and badboy69

Warrior of the Light -02- (12.19.08)

So it's been a little while, eh? I've been busy. It's how it goes. I have a feeling there will be much more free time at my fingertips in the coming weeks. Shall we, then? The following excerpt has been taken from Paulo Coelho's Warrior of the Light, a manual meant to accompany The Alchemist.

"All the world's roads lead to the heart of the Warrior; he plunges unhesitatingly into the river of passions always flowing through his life."
(Warrior of the Light, Coelho, p2)

Sometimes, it's easy for us to feel as though we don't deserve fortune when it comes our way, or that we should not waste time indulging ourselves. While over-indulgence should be avoided, it is not wrong, nor morally reprehensible in any sense to allow ourselves our own little pleasures from time to time.

To fully love everyone - which is our goal no matter what name you call your god, is it not? - we have to be able to love ourselves. After all, each of us is also a person on the Earth, and if we can't love ourselves, how can we ever hope to love another? Would you deny a loved one that enjoys manicures a trip to the salon once in a while? Would you say no to taking a child to an amusement park for his birthday? Of course not. We allow our loved one these guilty pleasures - why not ourselves?

A Warrior knows that the body and mind needs some degree of pleasure to thrive. He allows for this, but knows at what point over indulgence happens. When the body is softened by excessive pampering, or when wanting becomes needing the unnecessary, it has gone too far. That boundary is different for every thing and everyone, and only the person can decide when enough is enough.

There must be a balance at all points in life: when we can play, and when we must work. To play all the time is to throw regard aside, to be only concerned with Self. While attention to Self is important, constant, undivided attention is dangerous.

If we work all the time, then we neglect Self, and our spiritual energies start to fail. We become prey to sickness and depression, and eventually if not immediately, hatred. Irritation at ourselves - or at something we can attribute blame to - arises and eventually becomes hatred. Self-hate is one of the most horrifying things we can do. As beings of love, we should strive to love everyone - above all else: ourselves.

Be free, be alive, live, and love because that is what you are here to do. The Warrior knows this, he knows how important play is, but he never loses sight of his end goal. He also knows the things that last but a moment and those that can last a lifetime. Each has its place and purpose, and he knows, lives, and loves this truth unconditionally. So can you.

So go ahead, have that second cookie. It's the holidays.







Thank you to himmelskratzer and aussiegall and chotda.

Warrior of the Light -01- (12.02.08)

Warrior of the Light is a book - a guide, really, meant to accompany Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist. Recently I read The Alchemist, and naturally went to see what was in this little handbook. Inside are proverb-like listings, some in the form of small anecdotes, some just a single sentence.

I would like to dedicate one post on analyzing one bit of knowledge from the book. Perhaps this will happen once a month, once a week, perhaps even bi-weekly. You need not have read The Alchemist to follow Warrior of the Light, though I do recommend reading the book. These are entirely of my own creation, save the quote itself. I do not ask you agree, though I do ask you respond and engage me in discussion, whether you agree or not.

For now, I will begin at the beginning.

"A Warrior of the Light knows that he has much to be grateful for."

-Warrior of the Light, Paulo Coelho (p. 1)

It's not necessarily a bad thing to be extraordinarily lucky or gifted, as long as you realize where it's coming from. All things - both good and bad - are placed in our lives for a reason. As long as we continue to ask for things for our highest good, that is all we will receive. Sometimes things will be hidden, and we'll pause to wonder 'why did this happen to me? I did nothing wrong!'

Bad things happening is not necessarily a punishment. They're never fun, and wouldn't it be lovely to reap rewards all the time? Though rewards for good deeds are often a good way to instill a sense of right-doing, the greater lessons must come to us in the form of triumph, not reward.

To be given a monumental roadblock, to the point where we pause and hesitate, think 'perhaps this cannot be right - it is too difficult', and then to decide to try anyway and succeed is the most sustaining form of growth imaginable.

Not only has the individual physically accomplished an seemingly impossible task, he has gained the mentality that he can do anything he wants, provided he sets his mind to it. He has also taken that step closer to God, to put trust in Spirit for just a moment, to suspend his beliefs while he tries with all his heart - only to succeed in the end.

They are also points of self-evaluating. Roadblocks may be placed in our lives for the very reason of causing us to pause and reflect. Are we really doing that which is for our highest good? Are we doing the thing that our heart calls us to do?

The tricky part is that it changes. What we start out looking for often changes, but not without reason. I began my path seeking a degree in science and a position as a researcher. Now, I find that it is no longer my calling. It was, most certainly, in the beginning, and because I followed that, I have learned quite a bit and met some of the most amazing people. If I had the chance to redo it, I'd do it all the same again.

Do not think that what you begin looking for is what you will end up finding. It is not uncommon or unusual for it to change. It is, however, unusual for one to realize this, and change his or her plans accordingly. Don't be afraid to listen to your heart when it tells you it wants something else.

I think the main thought Coelho is trying to get across here is the idea that we must be aware of our situation, we must be gracious for our blessings, but at the same token, not to take strife as a strike against us - that our God is punishing for something wrong. My God, or Spirit, Source, what have you, to me, is nothing but Love. I have found nothing more pure on this Earth than unconditional love. To me, it seems, that God could be nothing but that. Therefore, I choose to regard each setback in my life as God placing a challenge before me. Not punishment, but a chance to run forward and shine brightly with success.

We all have Godlight inside of us - we are all capable of love.

Shine on!




Thanks to edmittance, TechNopal.

Planetary Dance

After a series of killings in California, Anna Halprin reclaimed the defiled ground and Planetary Dance was born.

The Story

Between the years of 1979 and 1981 in Mt. Tamalpais, California, just near the Golden Gate Bridge, six woman were murdered. Authorities closed all trails leading into and out of the community, leaving the people inside helpless.

Anna Halprin, an improvisational dancer, and her husband Lawrence, set out to reclaim the mountain. She, and the people who came with her, began to inact a positive myth in dance. This included walking along the trails that the killings had occurred upon.

A few days later, after years of roaming free, the killer was caught.

A local shaman visited Halprin. "This mountain is one of the most sacred places on Earth. I believe in what your people did but to be successful in purifying this mountain, you must return to it and dance for five years," the 109-year old advised her.

The Tradition

Over the next five years, people gathered to perform the dancing ritual again and again. What was once a reclaiming of the mountain, it grew into "Circle the Earth" - a dance to re-purify the Earth itself. People all over the world participate in the dance, aiding to the name.

Long after the alotted five years, the entire world dances. The Dance is now called Planetary Dance, and is performed in dozens of countries. Each individual is encouraged to draw his or her own inspiration and run for something personal and global.

The Dance

The Dance consists of large numbers of people moving in concentric circles, and is divided into three runs.

In the first run, each person is invited to call out a cause he or she believes in, and begin running. It might be for another person who needs healing, or a cause that is personal to the participant. He might yell, "I run for my sister, who is paralyzed and may never run again!"


The second run consists of a global cause. Each participant is invited then to call out a cause that affects all of humanity. She might yell, "I am running to save the Earth from global warming!"

Lastly, the children are invited to dance on their own, and though they may invite the adults to run with them, it is primarily for the children.

Many people have been moved by the powerful experience, some have even claimed healing had come from it.

Planetary Dance is still danced today, every year, all across the world, uniting people from all races and backgrounds for one common cause: healing the world.


Thank you to JJZ and chamarisk for their respective photographs. Used through CreativeCommons at Flickr.