Solstice & Equinox

We have 4 marks of the seasons: Winter Solstice, Summer Solstice, Vernal Equinox and the Autumnal Equinox. In our tradition the Winter Solstice is considered the 'first' in this cycle. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of sunlight during the year. From that point on the sunshine begins to last a little longer each day until the Vernal Equinox occurs. This is the first day of Spring. On that day the hours of sunlight and the hours of night are equal. Then the sunlight continues to last longer and longer until, the Summer Solstice or first day of Summer. This is the longest day of the year. From that day on the days get shorter and shorter until the Autumnal Equinox happens. This is the first day of Autumn. Day and night are equal lengths again. The days get shorter until the Winter Solstice. And the cycle repeats itself year after year, season after season.

More on the Environment

My teacher once told me that the teacher could not give anything to the student that they weren't ready to receive.

He said that the teacher creates an environment that was conducive for the student to figure everything out on their own. In this way the student 'owned', and truly understood, the answer found. This process of discovery, in fact, was just as important as the answer that was uncovered.

The Teaching he passed to me were the methods and processes for creating this environment. We call this process, The Way. The Way balances inside and outside; it walks a tight rope line along the gap in-between, while simultaneously including both sides too.

Environment

My latest mind meanderings have revolved around the environment. Not just reduce, re-use, and re-cycle for the ecology. But all the environments we create. What is the atmosphere in a room, and what caused that?

How do a 'clean up' a space to make it the most useful?
How do we 'prepare' the space for a certain effect?

In my tradition we have many principles that help.
Mostly these are based on being clean & simple.
But we need to be effective and efficient,
exactly wear to begin and when to stop is not always clear,
We just keep polishing 'our act' till it becomes just enough.
Not too much and not too little, but just right (like the 3 little bears [did I mention that I like bears?]).

It seems that most important is doing the disciplines and habits that build the relationships we want in our lives and not 'feeding' those that don't.

We polish our lives in this way, and sure enough the ancient teachings turn out to be correct... imagine that.

There's some food for thought I suppose.
Building clean simple relationships.
Creating clean simple lives.

ummm?

Quote: Jo Washington

Though living here and now, my attention sometimes strays in the direction of my dreams. Jo Washington

Gratitude

Lately all my journal writings keep coming back to this idea of Gratitude...Thankfulness (being full of Thanks).

We all intuitively know that we must give in order to receive. But what really causes us to give well, is not the desire to receive but a feeling of gratitude for what we have.

Gratitude automatically generates Abundance, and Abundance creates Generosity.

When we are full of Thanks it overflows into everything we do. Everyone around us can see the results. Each person takes a piece with them and it begins to grow.

Let no other emotion dwell within, just let the Thanks grow and grow and grow.

Jyozen quote

The snow hits the fire
and it's gone.

we drop our illusion
so everything is clear.

In that instant
all perception flips.

In one finger
the whole world resides.