Thinking a lot about balance lately.
I was looking for a picture of the "Libra" Lady, you know holding the scales of justice, and then I saw this picture. Considering sometimes how very Unbalanced "justice" can be this picture seems a whole lot more honest. The symbiotic coupling of two soulmates just has to be all about balance.
So I have tried in the history of this literary attempt of mine to post content and stories which seem to expand or bolster the transformational energy at work in our world. I've referred to many different artists all of which I value greatly. A great part of that value is the wide spectrum from which I see their thought coming. Bring it on! Philosophical, Political, Spiritual, Interpersonal, Ecological, etc., etc., etc.
Recently ran across a wonderful piece by my friend Barb. She is writing about the subject of conscious connection between many aspects of our life, balance and non duality. She relates nicely to a connection of our personal lives and soulmates to the balance of nature and spirituality.
"I've used Undefended Love as a method to journey together with a life partner. We had to learn to trust and support each other to remain present with triggers/shadows so they naturally release first with a learned inner process, and we then came to each other with perceived challenges from Love rather than conditioned reaction.
That method turned shadows into pointers towards Home, and helped us not only get closer to our own Christed consciousness faster, but made our love grow even deeper -- that 3-week to 2-year honeymoon stage lasted for many years, our entire time together
Spirituality to me is knowing we can choose how we want to be present and aim towards opening and living from the heart. I feel most of us seek to find our own unique metaphor to describe the undescribable that speaks to us and I encourage others to love the paths and metaphors that speak to them.
For my journey, I've studied Science of Mind, Progressive Christianity, esoteric Christianity, Course in Miracles, Andrew Harvey, ancient Celtic writings, Native American mythology, HeartMath, Compassionate Communication, open-focus mind training, and nondual wisdom.
I've even heard the Christ consciousness whispering to me between the lines in more conservative religion and atheism. I don't follow one "path" and don't think my way of seeing things is permanent, nor better than others.
Years ago as a young adult when I ran from what I called Bible thumpers, I discovered there are also New Age thumpers.
I've found that many who insist they are constantly in the Now and/or are spiritually advanced and insist their friends must always be in the Now and as spiritually advanced as they are -- are actually some of the most not-Now, controlling and micro-managing folks I've ever experienced.
And that those who love life -- love to plant gardens or explore architecture or?? without preaching their version of spirituality at every turn seem the closest to how God resonates with me -- being expressions of physical anchors for the Now to come into perception ('being' rather than preaching as human channels of Heaven on earth.)
How are you environmentally conscious & what are you doing to help the planet?
I've been a nature lover since I was a kid and now write and photograph eco-farming and inspired community for a living.
Yet while I don't resonate with 'man'kind having dominion over nature, I don't go to the opposite extreme and "worship" nature either, seeing humans as lower than nature. Rather, I see it as an equal sister. It can be seen as stuck in the duality also -- at one minute it has the capacity to create paradise on earth even without compost as in the discovery of terra preta -- and yet in another minute can rip a crying infant gosling from it's emotionally tortured mother to be consumed live by a predator. It feels that Nature is also on a path out of duality to Oneness right along with us. So I see Nature as our partner.
I feel the way we negatively treat the earth is a result of what's inside us -- seeing disconnection with oneness, and I feel the best thing we can do for the earth is restore our inner world while doing what we can on the "outer" without it making us angry and causing more divisiveness."
Thanks! Barbie!
Pax Christi! Roberto Vincente
Day one! So I have headed South to Laguna Beach to meet up with Michael. We are heading SW to Kauai this week. I am calling this little get away a "Pilgrimage". I will attempt to give forth some kind of an altruistic reason for calling this trip a pilgrimage. Michael definitely needs a break from his new job so I have selflessly offered to go with him to keep him out of trouble :0) So today I'm just hanging out in Laguna since the poor boy has to work the next two days. Walking downtown to the Laguna Coffee House I passed by a hedge made of Jasmine flowers and then saw one of my favorite little trees, a Japanese Cryptomaria, and then a rose garden all in the same block. I think this could be a very nice place to live. 
