Compassion Group Notes - November 2022
Observe - Do not Judge
Earth Mother,
Star Mother,
You who are called by a thousand names,
May all remember we are cells in your body and dance together.
You are the grain and the loaf
That sustains us each day.
And as you are patient with our struggles to learn
So shall we be patient with ourselves and each other.
We are radiant light and sacred dark -the balance
You are the embrace that heartens
And the freedom beyond fear.
Within you we are born we grow, live, and die -
You bring us around the circle to rebirth,
Within us you dance Forever.
Starhawk, “The Spiral Dance.”
Intentions and Prayers
As we have been working with the unaware ego, we have asked you to formulate a prayer or intention to sacrifice, surrender habits and patterns of the ego through the connection of your True Self (Soul) to Universal Spirit. We have asked you to shift your allegiance from small Self to BIG SELF. This is, of course, a long term project, but prayer and intention help us remain mindful and awake. Some of you have been willing to share with everyone - thank you for the great blessings of your intentions. To understand the realms of consciousness see the attachment below. If you do not understand this diagram feel free to contact me for the $10.00 therapy question and I will send an answer.
Today and tomorrow
we will; I will
create the space,
demark the time
for nothing
except stopping and tuning in;
listening closely and loosely
so can catch a glimpse of my own voice
~R.B.
Awareness lifts a veil
and suddenly I see
a lie constricting my shining soul,
(first forced from without,
then gradually, eagerly, nurtured within)
a lie twisting me out of alignment with
Infinite Spirit of Love,
Keeper and Creator of all.
When the defenses arise,
Lead me to honor
this world, this body,
this suffering, these gifts,
these failings, this history,
this knowing.
Help me to not disparage, discard, or fall into despair.
Help me to see all as pathways
Whose origin and destination are the same:
The radiant, living, beating heart of love.
~Julie Surma
I would like to consistently remember and then actively turn inwards towards the hurt little Philippa sitting inside of me; to give her real compassion as I put my hand over my heart, as the adult self/watcher notices me internally criticising and fault finding with David as she unintentionally superimposes others onto him, and in that moment believes her painful story of separation. ~P.M.
Bask in the beauty, in the smells and the sounds
Grateful for joy that is free and abounds.
Accept my humanity, the good and the rough
with full appreciation that I am enough
~K.J.
God of all
In me and more than me
Source of life and author of the truth of me
Help me
To encounter and accompany
The part of me that believes that I am unloveable.
Help me
To see the wound and feel the wound. And to comprehend that I am not the wound.
You who are Love
Gently and firmly spring up in me
Even as you root my feet in the earth of the eternal right now
To learn the steps of the dance that is all that is in all
Twirling and moving
Being into ever more of who I am
As part of unbreakable dynamic wholeness that is
The Only One
Amen
~D.O.
May I come to know that I’m not bad
for feeling shame or fear or anger
for withdrawing or cowering or judging
for not getting it right the first time.
All of this, and so much more, is
being human.
May I come to remember that I am both
loved
and
love.
~K.L.
I am enough.
I am loveable without having to argue, demand attention, show how brave I am or what a good friend,
sister, wife, mother, grandmother I can be.
I am enough and I am loveable with all my insecurities, my lack of patience, my procrastination, my
laziness and less obvious faults.
I am loveable as I am with my limitations, my older age, my regrets and my achievements.
None of that matters because I am enough. I am loved and I love; that’s enough.
Brenda E. 10/14/22
Contemplate this image in the words of switching where our value lies…
Idealizing and Devaluing
Words or behaviors that point out other people's inadequacies or which are meant to diminish their sense of importance and place them below you on some status hierarchy. Words or behaviors that focus on your own inadequacies and ways in which you diminish yourself in value as a human being. Idealizing are words and behaviors that point out other peoples accomplishments or your own in a way that elevates your value or the value of others.
Remember our value is constant. Our achievements, talents and accomplishments are externals that do not touch our intrinsic value. Hierarchy exists, but not in our value as humans. We need to stop placing value on achievement and value internal qualities of soul awareness way more.
Notice how you do these behaviors in thought, word and deed and make it a practice to read the poem by Starhawk every time you do so. We are not only cells of the Earth Mother’s body, but she exists in every cell of our own body. Call on her within you, to hold in compassion, correct in wisdom, see without judgment, know your intrinsic value and hold you in Truth and Love. Make this your prayer and your practice.
