The Longing of the Heart...

The Longing of the Heart is there to draw you in.
It's the Longing for that which is true, pure,
innocent, whole and Alive within you...

It's the Longing for the embrace of the Eternal Being
that animates your being...

It's the call of "The Beloved."

Follow the call...

~

The Longing is your Innocence;
an innocent Longing for
Divine Intimacy;
the Eternal recognizing Itself in you...

It is the Self calling ItSelf back to ItSelf,
like the rhythm of the Ocean pulling the waves
back to Itself from the shore;
reclaiming ItSelf...

Let your innocent Longing carry you to
your Eternal Being within - the Essence of yourself...
Thrive in the depths of its Stillness there...

Mystic Meandering
Meditative Writings

c. 2004

~

Photo/Art - Mystic Meandering

~

Can;t believe this was written 20 years ago!

Longing is not necessarily a painful thing.
It can be quite sweet and tender... as this
evidently was...

 

Into the Forest - a meandering...

"The Forest" traditionally is a threshold symbol of entering
the unknown, the deeper nature, or the spiritual world.  In
fairy tales it usually represents a passage through difficulties
and an opportunity for "transformation" of some kind.  I also
see it as a sanctuary, refuge, a place of deepening. This entering
the "Dark Forest" happens sometimes when I have lost
(intentionally or otherwise) the frameworks, or beliefs,
 which have given structure to my life; when I must find my own
 way, and be true to the call of the Soul, despite the difficulties
 encountered.  Shamans, poets, holy men and women sought
refuge in the forest, as a healing place.  Going into The Forest
represents a return to Primordial Being - beyond societal,
cultural, conceptual and spiritual frameworks; beyond dogma
and doctrine... In a way, it is like returning to the child's heart
of innocence - just following the longing of the Heart once
again; trusting that I will emerge from "The Dark Forest" with
clarity.  As a child I often went into the woods next to our
house to just sit, to listen and commune with nature, and 
write poetry - at the ripe old age of 11 :)  It was a place of
directly experiencing what I knew then to be "God."  Now
known by many other names...

And since I don't have a "Dark Forest" handy to enter, and I'm
spooked by things that go bump in the night, my "Forest" will
have to be the Interior spaces - navigating the inner Forest of
the Unknown - as well as the difficult practicalities of everyday
living that I'm now faced with.   It will be an interesting 
sojourn, if I can pull it off...  What better time of year
than approaching the Winter Solstice to go within...

Mystic Meandering
originally written 6-22-2019
updated Dec. 6, 2023

~

The familiar horizon has been outgrown;
the old concepts, ideals,
and emotional patterns no longer fit.
The time for the passing of a threshold is at hand.

You enter the forest at the darkest point
where there is no path.
Where there's a way or a path
it is someone else's path; each human being
is a unique phenomenon.

The idea is to find your own way...

Joseph Campbell

~

Midway upon the journey of life
I found myself within a dark forest,
for the straightforward pathway
had been lost...

Dante Alighgieri
The Inferno

~

Photo - Mystic Meandering

 

A Call to Awareness - Mystic Meandering

Humanity is living out the drama of the "original wound" of
 mankind, where we "fell asleep", numbed, fractured, fragmented
 from our original innate Beingness - our Original Self.
(Some call it our "Divine" or True Nature).
That Original Being became seen as something separate that
mankind continually tries to reconnect with - instead of
knowing it is already within us.

The shadow drama that we live in is a play of the split off
parts of consciousness - the splits in consciousness due to the
"original wound"; a perceived separation from the Essence of
who we are: our Original Being...

We fractured into illusions of self, disguises, rather than
retaining the truth of who we are - our true untouched
Beingness.  We fractured into a life of suffering, pain and
struggle.

The "original wound" is a deep hole in the psyche of man -
the dark heart of mankind, a split in the Innocence of the Heart,
creating a shadow of the Real.

The "original wound" holds the phantoms and ghosts of pain
and suffering that separated into a shadow self, a shadow belief
in separateness, disempowerment, and victimization.  Fear and
anger wield power from the shadows.

However, there is no real power in the shadow.  It is a false power
based on false beliefs about ourselves and others that are only a
shadow of who we really are...

"The Shadow" aspect is just a mist, an illusion, an "imprint" in the
psyche of man; a consciousness like everything else.  It is the
consciousness spawned from the belief in separateness...
A belief in separateness creates a consciousness of darkness and
fear.  The mind of man functions from this consciousness.  A
consciousness of separateness dominates our existence - creating
suffering.  The fear feeds on fear creating more darkness.
But it is only a consciousness.  It is not real.  It manifests a
particular reality of darkness that you believe in.

But the consciousness of darkness is only a thin layer, a thin veil.
It creates much dysfunction, but it really has no power to sustain.
It gives the illusion of power to seemingly rob you of your Essence,
which frightens you.

You have become caught in the net of fear, thinking it is real.  You
can emerge through this layer of darkness by becoming aware of
the Consciousness of your own Original Beingness -  "The Divine"
within you.  This consciousness of awareness creates a new reality,
a new consciousness.  Whatever your consciousness is, that is your
reality.  So shift the consciousness that you now hold onto and
 create a whole new reality.

Love creates love. Fear creates fear. Hate creates hate.

Be mindful of what you create and how you create.
Don't create from the wounds of fear and separation.
Create from the Essence of your Being -
from the deeper Rhythms of your True Being...

The gift of "the shadow" is a call to Awareness,
a call to a change in consciousness...

~

Mystic Meandering
Meditative Writings
c. 2004-2006

These writings came when I was practicing sitting meditation
nearly 2 hours a day.  I don't remember what was going on
during this time period that would have allowed these words
to come.  But I wanted to share these now as they seemed
relevant and appropriate to what we are all experiencing at
the moment, a "darkness" of mankind, "the shadow" aspect
of mankind, the real virus, that has emerged in so many ways...
Hopefully from this double pandemic, that has the ability to
suffocate, will be birthed a new consciousness...

It is our wake up call...

Namaste
_/\_

MM

~

Art - Mystic Meandering
June 4, 2020

a moment of anger and frustration,
experiencing my "shadow self" :)

(sorry for the glare)

Into The Forest Alone...

"The Forest" traditionally is a threshold symbol of entering
the unknown, the deeper nature, or the spiritual world.  In
fairy tales it usually represents a passage though difficulties
and an opportunity for "transformation" of some kind.  I also
see it as a sanctuary, refuge, a place of deepening.  This
entering the "Dark Forest" happens sometimes when I have
lost (intentionally or otherwise) the framework which gives
structure to my life, when I must find my own way, and be
true to the call of Self,  Shamans, poets, holy men and women
sought refuge in the forest, as a healing place.  Going into
The Forest represents a return to the Primordial Self - beyond
societal, cultural, conceptual and spiritual frameworks.  In a
way, it is like returning to the child's heart of innocence -
just following the longing of the Heart once again; trusting
that I will emerge from "The Dark Forest" with clarity.  As a
child I often went into the forest next to our house as a place
just to sit, to listen and commune with nature, and write
poetry.  It was a place of directly experiencing what I knew
then to be "God."  Now known by other names...

And, since I don't have a "Dark Forest" handy, and I am spooked
by the things that go bump in the night, my Forest will have to
be that interior space of Silent Awareness - navigating the inner
Forest of the Unknown - as well as the unknown difficult
practicalities of everyday living.

I am willing, I say inwardly, to enter the Unknown - the Forest.
To trust Intuition to take me through.  I am ready to step over
the threshold and see where the Unknown takes me...

Care to join me :)  Are you willing...

~

"The familiar horizon has been outgrown;
the old concepts, ideals,
and emotional patterns no longer fit.
The time for the passing of a threshold
is at hand.

You enter the forest at the darkest point,
where there is no path.
Where there's a way or a path,
it is someone else's path;  each human being
is a unique phenomenon.

The idea is to find your own way..."

Joseph Campbell

~

Midway upon the journey of life
I found myself within a dark forest,
for the straightforward pathway
had been lost...

Dante Alighieri
The Inferno

~

Also see my post The Pathless Path

Upon Waking - David Whyte

In that first hardly noticed moment in which you wake,
coming back to this life from the other
more secret, and frighteningly honest world
where everything began,
there is a small opening into the new day
which closes the moment you begin your plans.

What you can plan is too small for you to live.....

To be human is to become visible
while carrying what is hidden as a gift to others.
To remember the other world
in this world
is to live in your true inheritance.

You are not a troubled guest on this earth,
you are not an accident amidst other accidents
you were invited from another and greater night
than the one from which you have just emerged.

Now, looking through the slanting light of
the morning window
toward the presence of everything that can be,
what urgency calls you to your one love?

[.....]

David Whyte
Excerpt from:
"What to Remember When Waking"

~*~

Photo - A sheer window curtain

Listening and Remembering - David Whyte

“In the first hardly noticed moment
in which you wake,
coming back
to this life
from the other
more secret,
and honest world
where everything began,
there is a small opening
into the day
which closes
the moment
you begin your plans…

What you can plan
is too small
for you to live…

To be human
is to become visible
while carrying
what is hidden
as a gift to others…

To remember
the other world
in this world
is to live in your
true inheritance.

Now,

 looking through
the slanting light
of the morning window
toward the presence
of everything
that can be,
what urgency
calls you to
your
one
love?

~

All those years
forgetting
how everything
has its own voice
to make
itself
 heard.

All those years
forgetting
how easily
you can belong
to everything
by
simply
listening

And the slow
remembering

~
~
~

[that]

What is precious
inside us does not
care to be known
by the mind
in ways that diminish
its presence.

[that]

Inside everyone
is a great shout
of joy
waiting
to
be
born

So let this winter
of listening
be enough
for the
new
life”

~

David Whyte

~

Excerpts from: “What to Remember When Waking”
and
”The Winter of Listening”

by David Whyte

From: The House of Belonging

Prickly Personalities...

My sister has a prickly personality. She tends to be brash, disagreeable, black and white, right or wrong, self-righteous, judgmental, very angry and critical of everyone and everything, creating a very toxic environment. We have had a lot of prickly people in our family tree. In fact the whole family dynamic is rather prickly. We all end up walking on eggshells – except the prickly people. :)

Anyway, she’s rather unpleasant to be around. I tend to unconsciously protect myself from her negative energy when I’m around her. I understand where she’s coming from because I too have had a “prickly personality.” I understand that her prickly personality means that she feels fearful, unloved, wounded, overwhelmed and victimized by life, not realizing that the world doesn’t revolve around her or for her, and that she keeps everyone at arms length with her constant need to be in control, using anger and criticism as a false sense of power. It has been humbling for me to see this reflection. Thankfully my “spiritual path” (and some good therapy :) has led me down a different road - a road of awareness; becoming more self-aware of my unconscious patterns, as well as more *Self* Aware. That is, more aware of my core Beingness – that still, silent place of Conscious Awareness within us all. But the tendencies are still there. I did not escape them, I only became aware of them, and over time I have softened and learned a different way of being in the world; which is not to say that I have perfected this “new” way of being. I can still get prickly at times.

I have been reading a very inspiring book by Oriah Mountain Dreamer called: The Call. While reading, the phrase: “Meet her in her wholeness” came to me. And with that, the sudden realization that I didn’t need to try to protect myself *from* my sister, but to meet her in her Beingness – that place of wholeness within her - from that same place within myself. Instead of shutting down and protecting myself against her negative energy I could consciously “sit back” into (internally become aware of) my own felt sense of Beingness/Wholeness and meet her, eye-to-eye, Being to Being.

I decided to experiment with this one day. As she railed on at what was wrong with the world, with that familiar blank look in her eyes, I just silently sat listening, while at the same time “connecting” with (becoming aware of) my own sense of silent Beigness within - looking right into her eyes. As I did, I noticed a slight softening in her eyes and demeanor, as if there was an inner recognition – Being to Being. It lasted for only a brief moment, and then that blank veil came back over her eyes, and she went on railing at the world. The difference was that I was aware that I could now meet her from a place of wholeness. By *remembering* my own Beingness, by consciously becoming aware of this space in me, I could meet her Wholeness, her Beingness behind the shield she constantly throws up to protect herself – and from behind my own unconscious shield.

This is not to sound magnanimous at all. This is not about ‘me’, but about awareness, and re-discovering a way of being and relating that I have forgotten in the chaos of family dynamics. Clearly I don’t always remember to meet my sister in this “new” way because her unconscious ways ruffle the feathers of my prickly personality. There is still a reactional instinct to push back, to get angry, and to respond in kind – to want to change her, fix her, make her behave. But I also see her suffering, and want to respond to that – if I can find a way in…

When I remember to remember the Wholeness of Being within myself and relate from there; trusting Beingness that *sees* through the prickly personality, something “magical” happens – sometimes; a recognition of Beingness in the "other." Isn’t that what we all want – a mirror of our Beingness; to be met in our Wholeness – Being to Being. I don’t think this is pie-in-the-sky idealism. Experiencing and living from our Essential Nature is not just a fantasy. It’s the Way of Being. Or is that a little too prickly... :)

~~


“Embracing your wholeness is the greatest gift you can give to others.”

Christine Wushke
Journey to Light

~~

“All things are made of the same sacred presence, stillness…”
”All things emanate from and return to and are never
separated from a vast and sacred wholeness.”

“This spaciousness that we are is not
indifferent to the suffering that we feel
when we have forgotten what we are.
It reaches out to us, calls to us.”

‘It is the Great Mystery.
It is what we are made of,
and what everything and everyone
is made of.
It is what we participate in
with every breath.”

“We will never be happy
or truly able to live and
love fully
until we find our way of living
from an awareness of the deep stillness
at the center of what we are
- our essential nature -
which is wakefulness, awareness,
love, peace, truth and beauty.”

“Look at your own life from within
that sense of quiet stillness
that you are.
You will see this inner essence,
this innocence, like a bright thread
woven throughout the center of your life.
Living it consciously is why you are here…”


Quotes from: The Call
by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Serenity's Sanctuary - The Longing of the Heart

The longing of the Heart is there to draw you in.

It’s the longing of the Heart for that which is true,

pure, innocent, whole,

alive.

It’s the longing for embrace,

Self to Self.

It’s a deep longing for the resonance of Being.

It’s the call of Being.

Follow the call.

~

The longing is your Innocence,

an innocent longing for Home,

for the Freedom of Being.

~

It is the Self that calls Itself back to Itself…

Like the Ocean pulling the waves on the sandy shore

back to Itself with each receding wave that returns.

In a sense, reclaiming Itself…

~

Let your innocent longing carry you to

the still Heart of Being and be free.

Thrive in the depths of Stillness within.

Come Home.

Sweet Serenity…

~

From: Postcards From the Heart

compilations of insights during meditation,

and notes from my journal – Nov. 2009

funky art :) - Christine