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"Do not negotiate who you are."

-Brené Brown

Paraphrasing a story in The Bible, Lord Jesus was standing on the water amidst a storm at sea, calling to Peter to come to him.  Peter's boat had capsized and he was swimming for his life, direly surrounded by the monstrous waves.  When the illuminated Jesus opened his arms and beaconed, Peter too rose above onto the water, and walked toward the light.  There appeared a sense of peace and calm, despite all the surrounding chaos.

As soon as Peter took his attention off Jesus, and came into disbelief as to his walking on water, he crashed back down into the roaring tides.

Today marks the zenith of that connectedness between this world and the Divine.  Whether we are religious or not, there is a Force that guides us toward our goals and inspirations, if only we reach out without ego.  This means, just as the story of Jesus and Peter, we too must surrender our human mindedness, and trust in our intuition; allowing the Universe to work through us towards progress and achievement.  We can choose to be open to the idea of feeling better and vibrating higher.  May we find it in ourselves to make that decision today.

AMOR FATI

Thank you and good night.

P.S. Today, the date appears the same worldwide, regardless if we use MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY.

P.P.S. Whether we support the idea of war or not, Veterans Day or Remembrance Day commemorates many of those who have decided to do something noble with their lives; many at the cost of their own.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXDMoiEkyuQ&t=13s

el Día de los Muertos: A New Earth

 "To express yourself in freedom, you must die to everything of yesterday. From the 'old', you derive security; from the 'new', you gain the flow."

-Bruce Lee

While we celebrate those who have transitioned, it is also a reminder that we die every night, and are reborn the next day.  Whether we choose to embrace the concept or not, it is reality.  When we engage in our "usual" thing, that is out of habit, and thus our karma.  To break the cycle, if we want to, is to firstly be willing to change for the better.  

I get it.  We just had our first Lunar Eclipse and our energy is either all over the place or completely drained.  Whatever it is, we ought to look in the mirror now, and sincerely ask ourselves what it is that we want.  Without this realization or awareness, we could very well be at the end of our lives bewildered and confused.  It doesn't have to be that way.  We can choose to work towards that upgrade; to be that better version of ourselves.

AMOR FATI 

MEMENTO MORI

Thank you and good night.

P.S. Let us not take for granted if we are to wake the next day.  Many on the planet will not.  

Ring of Fire

"I am never upset for the reason I think."

-A Course in Miracles

Today marks the first of a series of eclipses.  From what I understand, these come after a series of Supermoons.  Hope some of you folks checked it out.  I did manage to see it via an internet broadcast.  The major reason is that it is ill-advised to look directly at a solar eclipse without proper eyewear.  I am not sure if that is true for lunar eclipses.

With the Solar Eclipse and the New Moon in Libra, supposedly this is a period where the truth comes out.  This time frame is also known as "Mental Mercury".  We may have the greater urge to have that candid yet "hard" conversation.  While it is always good to level with people we care about, this is perhaps the best chance to do so.  

Maybe a relationship we have is not working, and its conclusion is long overdue.  This could be not just with a romantic partner, but also with friends, family members, business associates, etc.  Also, during this time, projects may appear to be failing and goals seem to increasingly get farther away.  It is certainly understandable if our energy feels heavy, as the attainment of what we want nearly looks impossible.  We must remember that there is more than meets the eye.

May we let go and let God.

AMOR FATI

Thank you and good night.

Superluna de la Cosecha en Aries

 "That didn't happen.

And if it did, it wasn't that bad.

And if it was, that's not a big deal.

And if it is, that's not my fault.

And if it was, I didn't mean it.

And if I did, you deserved it."

-The Narcissist's Prayer, by Dayna Craig

[Healing thoughts and prayers to all my fellow NYers during the flooding.  We will come out of this stronger!]

I hope some of you were able to take a glimpse of the last Supermoon of the year tonight.  If not, there may be one more chance the tomorrow night, though I am not 100% certain.  As the title of this blog entry expresses, our Moon is currently in Aries during the Harvest season.  Even if someone is not born an Aries, this phenomenon is still affecting us all to some degree.

What this could mean is that during this period, there is a sense of spontaneity governing our decisions, while at the same time we have a drastic increase in our drive to accomplish our goals and agenda.  If there is a sudden surge of anxiety to have what we want right now, that is understandable, given the energy field we are in.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am no expert in the realm of astrology, nor do I claim to be.  Having said that, it is perhaps best for those who are interested in the subject to simply do their own due diligence.  Just like modern science, it is an empirical study for which to guide us in making sense of our Earthly existence and the world around us.  In fact, one could say that astrology is a part of a collection of studies that led to the science we know today.

AMOR FATI

Thank you and good night.

P.S. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!  中秋節快樂!

Happy Autumn Equinox

 "Don't say it's wheat until you harvest it."

-Arabic Proverb

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

-Matthew 17:20-21

If we had done our work even during the summer, then whether we see results right now or not, the energy required is moving in the direction towards its fruition.  Throughout the world, there are stories passed down over time that emphasize the virtue of patience, perseverance, and vision.   

We also see this in nature, in the example of the Chinese bamboo tree.  According to a number of sources, this plant takes several years to grow.  It will remain under the surface of the soil almost the entire time, while requiring constant watering and attention.  In the final year, when it breaks above ground, it can grow a staggering 90 feet in just a few weeks!

So too, we all do not grow the same way and in the same timing.  This means that we all have our "Autumn" at different times, for different areas in our lives.  While it is Autumn for the planet, right now could be "Spring" for some of us; exciting ideas sprouting in our minds, ready to be implemented through right planning and action.  We all have our own path to take that is unique to us.  

It truly is all relative.  

In a future blog, perhaps the next one, I plan to write about how scientifically age is simply just a number.  'Til then...

AMOR FATI

Thank you and good night.

P.S. Autumn is my favourite season!  

9-11: Part Seven, Chapter Four...

"You don't build a bond without being present."

-James Earl Jones 

[First and foremost, my continued sympathies to all those who lost loved ones, as well as my ongoing prayers to everyone affected by this tragic event.] 

While there are principled explanations as to how the Twin Towers were destroyed on September 11, 2001, we can all agree that WHAT happened DID happen. I will spare anyone who is reading this the details; one can easily research it online.  There has been much outrage and heated debate over this.  It is a result of the inflamed emotions of the collective.  Why is that?

Amidst the chaos of the modern day, there could be a viable answer. Again, the civil unrest in the world, particularly prominent in the USA, needs no indulging here. Simply put, many folks are getting way too “thin-skinned,” invasive, entitled, and vocally immature. Instead of digressing, I thought to share what I have come across recently. It is not a new concept. 

The Fourth Turning (1997) by William Strauss and Neil Howe explains history repeats itself in four cycles or "turnings" (each lasting about 20 years or more): The High, The Awakening, The Unraveling and The Crisis. Each cycle goes in tandem with the generational archetypes. The four cycles are a part of a larger cyclical “saeculum” aka “a natural century,” before repeating the whole thing again. It is important to note that this book is somewhat “Western/US-centric.”  

According to the book and recent podcasts from the remaining living author Neil Howe, we have been in the Fourth Turning of the Millennial Saeculum since around 2005. That to me makes sense, since there has been one crisis after another (e.g., Great Recession, COVID-19 pandemic, War in Ukraine, increasing toxic political and racial divide in the USA, etc.). When we will get out of this, in all maturity, is entirely up to us. We need to stop pointing fingers, and get to work on ourselves—one day at a time. 

AMOR FATI 

Thank you and good night.

Once in a Super Blue Moon...

“Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose.”

-Janis Joplin

I know the title of this blog is a bit cheesy and cliché, but I couldn't resist lol.  

I did manage to see that Super Blue Moon.  It was so big and bright; like a flashlight in the sky!  Unfortunately, my phone is a little messed up at the moment.  So, while I did take a couple of photos, I won't be able to post it here until that issue is resolved.  

In lieu of that, I have posted here a Supermoon collage I did back in 2016.  It's also in another blog I wrote on December 28, 2016 entitled, "Farewell 2016: A Tale of Two Sundays".  Feel free to check it out.  

The detachment to the insistence of seeing this rare event actually led me to the idea of how I can view it effortlessly.  Prior to that, I was looking all around town trying to get a glimpse.  All that effort got me a tad frustrated.  Or should I say, "Super" frustrated?  Jokes aside, it was when I let go of the whole thing, that I got the inspiration of just going to the balcony on the top floor.  And there it was when I arrived; as if it was patiently waiting for me the whole time.   

What a wonderful evening and lesson I received.  I'm so grateful for that!

AMOR FATI

Thank you and good night.

Going for Double: Our GSD Turning 24

On September 24, 2011, our beloved family member passed away at the age of 12, in the comfort of our home.  He was a very beautiful German Shepard.  We all had many adventures, whether each of us individually with him or all together in celebration.  He was born on August 1st, 1999.  This means that, if it were possible, he'd double his age today, turning 24.  

As many may or may not know, we are in the period of the Supermoon; so, emotions and inspirations are quite heightened.  Perhaps this is why I decided to write a tribute to one of my best friends I've ever had.  I still can't believe it's been 12 years since he transitioned.  And yet, today I feel his loss so deeply.  My grief is definitely intensified.  It's greater than I have ever felt in so many years.

So too are the happy feelings due to fond memories.  He was my non-human training partner, during the time I was really into competing in Olympic-style taekwondo fighting, back in the late 1990's to early 2000's.  We would run for miles from our house to a lake, located up a very long hill.  Next, we would run around the ENTIRE lake, before heading back down to run home.  When we got home, I'd make us smoothies and food.  Then, we would watch Iron Chef.  

[FYI: I tried to find more pictures of him, so the collage below will have to do for now.  The one to the lower right is his last picture.  It was taken the day before he died.  If more turn up and I decide to upload them later, you'll see them here.]

I miss you, old friend.  I seriously thought I heard you calling for my attention today...

I love you, Truffie.  Thank you for being my best friend.

AMOR FATI

Thank you and good night.

P.S. How he got his name "Truffie" was when we just adopted him, he was but a puppy, with a nostril area that looked just like a dark chocolate truffle.  :-) 

P.P.S. That's "T-r-u-f-f-i-e".  The last part, "i-e", symbolizes "in essence".