This was 1st posted April 30, 2008.

I dedicate this post to {{Simon}}, who worries he isn’t shifting fast enough…

When a certain idea keeps coming to me from all sides, repeatedly, it is one of the ways I am to “know” that I am being ~prodded~, goaded even, to speak, when I really don’t want to. (My own human self, getting in My way.)

Lately, one of the issues has been the issue of discernment. So long as there are those of us working on this issue, there will be lies and deceivers, for they are the polar ‘opposites’ of us when we do not know how to discern truth from illusion. Lies and gullibility are two sides to the same coin, two ends to the same rubber band.

Discernment happens to be the 3^rd labor of Hercules. It’s rather an involved labor. After the 1^st labor of reining in our horses, The Capture of the Man-Eating Mares, establishing mental discipline and, the 2^nd labor of riding our bull of desire over to the Temple of our Soul, The Capture of the Cretan Bull, comes the labor of discernment: the Golden Apples of Hesperides.

This is the labor of bringing the two poles of our being together. Coordinating, synthesizing, integrating and, creating a state of at-one-ment between our Soul and our Personality, so that duality gives way to Unity and all pairs of opposites are blended, are seen as ends of the same rubber band. The apples are symbols of the all inclusive nature of Spirit, how all are nurtured by the same Tree of Life.

In the story there were 3 apples, symbolizing Instinct, Intellect and Intuition. The 3 layers of Mind. It takes Intellect, a conscious act of Will, to overcome Instinct, which was the lesson of labors 1 & 2.

But it is still Instinct that is activating the Law of Attraction…that is riding our desire nature (the bull) and, causing our fear inducing perceptions (our horses running wild with us). Until this pattern is overcome, through the Discernment of Intuition. The 3^rd labor is to register contact with Spirit in waking consciousness and recognize its qualities.

In the story, Hercules is to get the Golden Apples, which grow on the Tree of Wisdom, a sacred tree of great renown. The tree and its fruit were said to have been a Gift from Divine Mother, the unconditional support structure of Her Garden of Eden. The fame and tale of these sweet fruits had been told far and wide, luring many sons of man and Sons of God over time.

He was told 3 things about his labor. First, that the way would be long. Second, that the tree was well guarded by three beautiful maidens, who were in turn guarded by a dragon with 100 heads. And third, to guard himself well from strength too great for him and wiles beyond his comprehension.

He was also told that on his search he would meet with 5 tests, each with Insight upon where the fruits of Wisdom could be found. As with each of us, at this stage of our enlightenment are in search of 5 things: we have not what is called “a translation faculty of the Presence”, for we do not yet posses the privilege and the prerogative. We may claim to believe in the Reality of a Soul, in the possibility of being Whole and Complete, in a journey of self discovery and self realization but belief has not been turned into Knowledge of the Spiritual Realms in terms of genuine “knowing”. Glamour still rules our minds.

Off Hercules goes, passing through the third gate and, headed north, symbol for the direction of Spirit. He went far and wide, questioning everyone everywhere he went. Coming back to where he started before the gate, time and time again. No one knew where the sacred tree grew. No one knew where to find the golden apples. Discouraged and deflated of his early bravado, Hercules still trudged on.

Out of Compassion, he was sent some aid: Nereus, son of the God of Fresh Waters, son of Neptune, known as “the Ancient of the Sea”. He was not only wise but, capable of assuming many forms. Just as our Spirit, when first contacted, in the early stages of our journey will come to us as a flash of illumination, an “Aha!” moment, a sudden realization, then disappear. Its Wisdom fleeting and illusive, like a hint dropped into our awareness when we have stilled our emotions.

Time and time again Nereus contacted Hercules, in varying forms using various words of Truth, but Hercules ignored him, not recognizing him for who he was. Wise was he and deep in the Wisdom of a Son of God but Hercules was blind and could not see. His answers were always in the form of hints of things to Hercules, leaving him with only a vague idea of what to do and where he needed to go. He did finally impress upon him the way before him was to turn south.

He had his high moment, when he transcended his ‘human’ consciousness and experienced communion with his Spirit, but it did not last.

Failure marking the 1^st of the tests, in the darkness of his own ignorance, Hercules continued his search. Having found no sacred tree in the north, Hercules turns and heads south, symbolic of going back into the world, the opposite pole of Spirit.

Where he immediately ran into Antaeus the Serpent, son of the God of Salt Water, son of Poseidon and, the Earth. There is significance in the distinction between fresh water and salt water. One is conducive and supportive of life if swallowed, the other isn’t. One represents Truth, the other, illusions. Hercules wrestled with the Serpent but it overcame him at every turn. “He must guard the tree”, Hercules imagined, “I must be close. All I have to do is break his strength and then get the fruits.” But he wrestled with all his strength and could not conquer.

“Why do I fail?” he cried. “As an infant I destroyed a serpent from my crib. I strangled it with my own hands. What is wrong with me now?”

Finally, he grasped it with both hands and lifted it up in the air. And the deed was done, the Serpent vanquished. Antaeus, momentarily defeated spoke: “I will meet you again in another guise when you come through the 8^th gate” and, disappeared.

The Serpent Antaeu symbolizes the serpent of glamour, especially what we call “astral” glamour. Glamour of this kind includes all aspects of what we call “psychic”. It is with the lower aspects of this “psychism” that Hercules has to wrestle with, as in our early stages so do we, for the glamour is very powerful to our untrained minds and attracts each and every single one of us. At this stage, we are ill equipped to verify in any way, what we see, hear or sense. Like Hercules, many of us wrestle with this Serpent for a long time, before we learn how to lift it up to the Light of Illumination.

Earth being Antaeus’ Mother, he draws all his strength from her. So when he becomes disconnected from her, he looses all his power. This tells us that the source of the Serpent’s strength is the Vanity of our Personality. The air has also always been a symbol of what is called the “buddhic” plane or “Christ” plane of activity. When we (rein in our horses) to seek the single eye of illumination (ride the bull to the temple), then our mind in filled with Light and all glamour is seen for what it Is. Truth is revealed. Glamour vanquished. Becoming both immune and invincible to it at the same time.

Simply a change in our perspective can work miracles when it comes to the way we feel.

Essentially, fear and excitement feel the same. What we choose to qualify what we feel, depends entirely on our perspective of expectation…whether we expect ‘good’ or ‘bad’. From the ‘buddhic’ or the Christ way of looking at things, there is NO ‘bad’. Every moment in Life is a Present, a Gift of experience. How Grateful are we for our Presents? How much do we love Life?

“Glamour” is composed of all of our ideas that the Love of God or Spirit, is Conditional. That there are limits to an Absolute’s absolute-ness. Any and all of our ideas based on separation, based upon being separate from Spirit at any moment. It is any and all of the realities we live in our heads based on supposed ‘spiritual’ exclusiveness. Like good/bad are based upon the perception of exclusiveness. As in “Heaven” and “Hell”, “the chosen” and “the unchosen”. Like contradictions, conflict and competition are all based upon the perception of different ‘parts’. Like categories and qualifications are all based on the idea of separation, as well as, being end results of a thinking process called “anal-ysis”, which is best referred to as Hindsight.

While the “view” of Spirit is One of Unity and Equanimity and the thought process of Unity awareness is that of Synthesis.

Ideas of polarity and duality and all the emotions that go with them, all our dreams and all our dramas based upon being superior or exalted above others, all our dramas based on fear and doubts about being loved and accepted, are what make up the substance of the ‘astral’ planes of Glamour.

Rising above it all, is the basis of this story. The “two who are one”. The son of man who is also a Son of God. The Reconciliation of the Divine Brothers. The symbolism behind the sign “Gemini”. The tale has been told over and over and over. Castor & Pollux. Romulus & Remus. Cain and Abel. Christ and Lucifer. Symbolizing the two aspects of our nature, our Soul or Spirit and, our Personality.

In getting back to my story, the 2^nd test met and overcome victoriously, Hercules proceeds along his search. Feeling renewed strength through confidence he turns and heads west, where he runs straight into his 3rd test in the form of Busiris, the great Arch Deceiver, another relative of the god of salt water, Poseidon. It his role to bring delusion to the minds of the sons of men by posing as a teacher, a spiritual authority. He has a quickness to his speech and speaks words like ‘accept what I tell you”, “I am the authority. I have been chosen to know the secrets withheld from others.” “Stay with me and be Saved.”

Hercules obeyed, the invitation so gracious, and weakened daily, his strength slowly sapped by the sweet words of deceit. He slowly surrendered his will and his Mind over to Busiris, day by day and, came to accept him as teacher and guide. Busiris made great claims of himself, claims that he was a custodian of the truth and could lead Hercules into the Light, that he could show him the way. Hercules loved and adored Busiris and accepted everything he said without question. Until one day his beloved teacher bound him in chains upon an altar and kept him bound there for one year, as his slave and captive.

Busiris is anyone of us making claims of being an authority figure, superseding the authority of the Presence within our own Hearts. It is anyone who tells us to look to them instead of to look within. It is anyone who seeks to chain and bind us to them through our own ignorance, need or self-denial. Truth or Wisdom only extended for a price of sacrificing personal Sovereignty to them.

This includes the roles of Pastor, Pope, Priest, Guru, Minister, Rabbi, Initiate and Shaman, to name a few. Believing in that authority over us, means we have temporarily forgotten we are ‘Hera-kles’ or our ‘Soul’s Glory”, that we are also Sons of God.

These Busiris figures in our lives claim to be custodians of the Truth, somehow and for some reason, withheld from others. They bolster their position and image with promises and build strong Personality relationships catering to our vanities. They also use the genuine sincerity of others in seeking the Truth to bind them to them, making them appear greater by way of satellites in orbits around them.

No son of man who also knows himself to be a Son of God will make any other promise then to say: “There are steps. Steps all the “saints” and “Masters of Wisdom” have always taken. If you but try and have endurance, trust and patience, the goal will be yours, too.”

At the end of a year, when Hercules was struggling to free himself, all of a sudden he remembered something Nereus had said to him: “Truth lies within yourself. There is the highest strength and Wisdom within your self. Turn inwards and invoke the strength, which Is, the Power, which is the heritage of every Son of God.”

Silently he lay in waiting, for just the right opportunity, then with the strength that belongs to all Sons of God, he broke free of his chains, seized the false teacher by the throat and bound him to the altar in his place. And left him there, without speaking a word, to learn the same lesson.

He freed himself, as do all sincere seekers, having freed our selves from the worlds of fake spiritual teachings and psychic glamour. Hercules had passed the 3^rd test. Notice that the tests so far, may appear to be laced with discouragement, delay, deceit and failure however; Hercules was rapidly learning the language of his own Soul.

He was wandering on his way, mulling over the lessons in Wisdom he had learned over the past year, spent prone upon that altar, when he heard a moan of deep distress. The intensity of the cry tore at his very Soul. In the distance over a huge rock, he saw vultures circling, near to where the cries and moans were coming from. Hercules was torn with indecision. He had already lost a year and felt a need for haste. He did not like the idea of another delay. But again the cries burst forth and his mind was made up. He bolted into a run to help whoever it was needed aid.

He found Prometheus, another son of God, an older brother, chained to a rock, suffering the agonies of vultures picking away at his liver, which symbolized being tortured by vultures of old ways and old desires. When Hercules broke the binding chain and freed Prometheus, he freed himself from the vultures of selfish desire that had been eating away at him, too. He gave up being selfish and gave up on only satisfying himself and his desires. Cooperation was the Key to World Service. Genuine Initiates were too busy serving the Whole of Man, to spend much time drawing interest to themselves for validation of Vanities and self-aggrandizement.

Hercules then chased away the vultures and took his time tending the sick man. When Prometheus was recovered, with much loss of time, Hercules went again on his way. He had passed the 4^th test. The test of Service. In beginning to recognize the Spiritual Presence within him self, he also started recognizing it within all others, too. Any help he extended towards another, hastened his own realization.

He went on, searching for the sacred tree everywhere: north, south, east and west. Finally one day when he was almost totally worn out by fear and travel, he heard a rumor from a passerby that the tree was to be found near a distant mountain. On a bright sunny day he looked east and found what he had been looking for, the highest mountains. He hurried on his way, imagining victory would shortly be in his grasp. “I will vanquish the dragon”, he thought, “and then charm the fair maidens right out of their fruits.”

But again, a sight that disturbed him down to the very depths of his Soul stopped him. He had almost reached the top of the summit of the highest mountain when he turned a corner and came face to face with Atlas, another older brother, another Son of God, too. He saw Atlas but Atlas did not see him, for his back was bowed by the weight of the World upon his shoulders. He staggered under the load, his eyes closed in agony.

Hercules stood there literally shaking, taking in the whole scene. He watched, gauging the weight and size of the load of pain. All thought of his search had left his mind. The quest for the sacred tree, the fair maidens and their apples faded completely away from his thoughts. The only ideas in his head were those of how to aid the giant as soon as possible.

He rushed forward and lifted the load off Atlas, placing the weight of the World on his shoulders instead. He clinched his eyes shut, mentally bracing himself for the weight and pain of the load of the World, when suddenly the load rolled off and disappeared. Both he and Atlas stood free.

Atlas, now free, goes to the Garden of Hesperides, has no trouble with the 100 headed glamour dragon and with the enthusiastic help of the fair maidens, brings the apples to Hercules, who now also stands free, having passed the 5^th and final test. With Love, he hands them to Hercules.

Then the maidens step forward with still more golden apples, symbolizing three aspects of his own Divinity. They each symbolize the potency of a Divine Principal.

The 1^st Maiden, Aegle, presses her apple into Hercules’ hand saying, “The way to Us is always marked with Deeds of Love. Of extending ourselves for the Joy of the extension, requiring no conditions.” She represents the Glory of Life and the Splendor of the setting sun: the magnificence in manifesting on the physical plane.

Then the 2^nd Maiden, Erytheia, steps up and presses her apple into Hercules’ hand. Inscribed in the apple is one golden word: Service. “Remember this”, she said, “Forget it not.” Erytheia represents the keeper of the gate of our Soul, which is always opened with a key of Loving-Wisdom: Intelligence illuminated by the Light of our Soul, through our Intuition. “Always embraces all ways.”

Lastly, Hesperis, the 3^rd Maiden steps up. She represents the evening star, the star of Initiation and symbolizes Willpower. She says with great Clarity and Love to Hercules, “Tread the Way. For all World Servers from now on. Body, Soul and Spirit; Intelligence, Love and Will.”

“Then I give back these apples for those who follow”, said Hercules and returned from whence he came. Before the Watcher he stood, rendering an exact account of all that had transpired. Of why he went after the golden apples but does not have them now.

The Watcher gives him a word of cheer, points to the next gate, the fourth one, saying to him, “Go now, pass through that gate. Capture the doe and enter once again into a holy place.”

Despite all the hindrances and deviations due to astral and physical glamour, Hercules did obtain the golden apples. No matter how much time it took, he did arrive at Wisdom.

The following is part of a private dialogue I’m having…a very precious individual is right at the doorway of making a big leap.  And we are discussing the veil that is in the process of being dissolved.  I shared that the reason why we see what we do on our world stage is due to a lack of love being expressed.  And of course, the response I got was in denial of my statement.  It’s not that there’s not love; it’s because there is so much anger, hate, envy, etc.

And I’m insightful enough to recognize “Blame”  being expressed when I hear it.

“It’s not *us*.  It’s *them*.”  It’s not the *Light* but the *Darkness*.  It’s not the *good* but the *bad*.

So my response is this:

The reason we see the effects of a lack of love, is because of a lack of love being expressed.  I say what you and most of us have been taught to call ‘love’, isn’t ‘love’ at all nor what ‘love’ is remotely about.  And that’s why it doesn’t attract into creation loving experiences.  It’s fear, so it creates fear and attracts fear, so it can then live off fear.

What we imagine to BE ‘love’ ISN’T “love” at all. It’s fear. Human survival fear. This survival fear runs concurrent, in contradiction with and to…Recognition and Realization of ourselves as Spiritual Beings, Infinite and Eternal in Nature. In order to feel and act in accordance with our shared survival fears, we have to DENY and NEGATE the other. A Sovereign is only victim of his/her own ideas. To be a victim of another, is to deny being Sovereign.

It’s a matter of goals. Is my desire to uplift and enlighten? Is my desire to promote limitation and darkness? Either choice being “OK”. Simply a matter of purpose and goals. Do I desire a chocolate cake or a cherry pie? Which ever choice I make as a goal, requires I use the correct ingredients and substances, mixed in balanced proportions, if I desire my activities to be result-oriented.

If results don’t matter, if my intent is all that counts and to hell with results and consequences, then, of course, ANYTHING GOES! Which we are looking at on the World stage right now.

So what’s it going to be?

The time now is for Leadership with Vision to rise. Especially in consideration of all that has come to Light, regarding those in leadership positions, that LACKED Vision. One thing that can be said about EVERY corporation going down and in straits right now, is that it LACKED Vision when it came to market potentials and future trends. The blind led the blind and everyone ended up going face down into the ditch.

2000 years ago, we, as a whole, didn’t have the slightest feelings of Sympathy towards one another. What’s really *sad*, is that there are groups of us today, that still express being lacking in this sensitivity. Dullards of Awareness. For Sensitivity is Awareness, not a lot of hu-rah ugga ugga cave man or boohooing poor thing.

Sympathy is an EXCELLENT leap we have made in our Progressive Evolution. Now it’s time we take our next step. Towards Compassion. Sympathy is not Compassion. Since it’s not, it doesn’t have the same effect or results.

Choice/Consequence. Cause/Effect. Goal/Achievement.

It is a contradiction to claim one, and live in denial of the other.

Like I said, Sympathy is not Compassion. Just like a sow’s ear is not the same as a silk purse. No matter what I make the sow’s ear to look like, it will still be a sow’s ear, made of an altogether different substance then is silk.

I can put cherries in my cake mix all I want and a chocolate cake will never come out of my oven.

I asked questions about “caring for each other”?

The reason I ask is because of the essential underlying substance that fuels our feelings. I ask in Acknowledgment of Praise for the Evolutionary Progress we have achieved, expressed by us feeling ANYTHING. We have come a long way from where we were 2000 years ago. At least most of us.

The best and most commonly known example I can think of right now to convey the difference between Sympathy and Compassion, is that of Mary, Mother of Jesus. She nurtured her Son with Compassion and Understanding. She did not smother him with worries and fears about his survival. What was her Son’s goal? What was her Son’s Purpose? What was her Son’s Soul Passion? Did she act in support of it? Did she act in denial and resistance to it? Did she fan the flames of Courage? Did she fan the flames of victim hood?

Did she Love her son? Was her love about him?

Did she just love what he meant to her and her life? Was her love about herself? About maintaining the world she was comfortable living in, with all the people that satisfied her various emotional needs?

Do you imagine Mary limiting her experiences of happiness to only those situations where everything was going her way?

What Path did Mary support her son in walking?

Now THAT was Love.

What was mentioned was:

“Love others as I have Loved you.”

The *knowing* is all in the phrase: “Pick up thy bed and walk.”

In that statement is the Acknowledgment and Recognition of the Presence within, capable of achievement. Respect for that Presence. Honor for that Presence. It was a statement of Compassion. What was expressed was a *knowing* of what it is like to be human and a *knowing* of our Spiritual Nature as well. Fused and combined in that one statement.

And you’re never going to be able to sell me the idea that all our “poor suffering victim”, helpless, hapless, victims of Creation nonsense is Loving AT ALL. It’s definitely Human, though.

What goal does Sympathy achieve?

Keeping each other BLIND and living in restriction and limitation of our creative powers over our own reality. So long as we continue to choose to see ourselves as victims, we are forever helpless and hapless when it comes to improving any of our living conditions and circumstances.

We choose our Beliefs citing respect for our freedoms of choice,yet totally deny responsibility and accountability for the consequences and results of those beliefs that we have to life with. Yes, live with.

Of what earthly or practical USE is ANY belief system or philosophy of Life, that only promises rewards after we’re dead?

One that is useless in improving any conditions while we’re alive.

Like I’ve been saying…

“Fear of Death”, a “love”, a “caring” focused and fueled by feelings of fear for survival is NOT the same as “Love of Life”, which is fueled by Respect and Recognition of the Infinite and Eternal Nature of all Life’s expressions. One code of ‘morality’ operates by creating conditions, where Life is admired and where it is not, depending on how and what that Life is expressing. The other  “moral’ code operates in extending Appreciation and Love for sharing the experience of  Life itself, uncolored by any conditions.

The Law of Karma operates through those conditions, where Life is accepted and where it is not, with intrinsic Value of Life itself being denied, regulated, with external conditions created to take Life’s place. Judgments of value, of person, based on race, gender, sexual orientation, job, family, community, nation, which end we break an egg, etc. The Law of Karma is based upon pure SUPERFICIALITY.

The Law of Grace operates by looking BEYOND purely superficial appearances, and RECOGNIZING the Spirit of Life expressing itself, any time one of us says anything. First, there was the WORD. “SELF” Expression. “Self” IN Expression is what Existence and the Whole of Creation is all about.

For it is the expression of Consciousness. And it is very PRECIOUS. In whatever form it takes.

Consciousness and Existence, they go together, like one hand washing the other. I can’t very well experience being conscious if there was nothing to be conscious OF, now can I? What’s the use of having any senses in a sense deprivation tank? And existence, how would I know anything existed if I wasn’t conscious to begin with?

Aha! Must be one of those hilarious jokes like “peacekeeping”…how can we keep what we do NOT have?

Tell me, how much money could I spend, building a vault to keep all the money I don’t have?

Is the song we’re singing “Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?”?

Or is it “Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow”.

One Mary bitches and whines and complains  about how her garden grows.    The other  guards the Immaculate concept within all sheep.

What song is being sung by the Mother of our emotional natures?

Sympathy does not accomplish, what only Compassion can empower.

Extending fear,  is not the same as extending Love.

A quote from the Historian, Livy. -

“Que non viribus istis Munera conveiunt.”

These lines form part of the tale of Metamorphoses, of Phobe’s speech to Phaeton after the latter had requested permission to drive the sun chariot for a day.

Just yesterday I remembered what I had heard on TV. The Voice of Opposition to our *new* President’s requirement of capping executive salaries. When I heard complaints about being able to attract and hire QUOTE “the brightest, the best and most talented”.

“Hey, wait a minute,” I mumbled to my husband, “Did you hear that? When did the definition of success become divorced from results? If this is the result of the decision making of the ‘best, the brightest and most talented’ that we’ve got, then we’re in deeper *shit* then I thought.”

It was incredulous to me. Of course I’ve known about “golden parachutes” for a long time. They became increasingly popular after corporations began taking over and gobbling up other companies and corporations.

It was insurance for executives if the company or the corporation was not as successful as its competition. “Fire sale” insurance. Entrance to this level of ‘executives’ was usually like being invited into a men’s club, of sorts.

In other words, “golden parachutes” rewarded and personally insured, decision making that did not result in profitable consequences.

Educated fools are a dime a dozen. George W. Bush graduated from Yale and Harvard Business School. While his self expression in total contradiction with any intelligence belongs on “Ripley’s Believe It or Not?” show.

What’s the use in knowing a lot of facts if we don’t have any sense when it comes to putting them together?

Sense = cents.

No sense = no cents.

How obvious could it get?

Using one of the same type of tools that dug this hole we are in…, looking to one of us that’s been beguiled and indoctrinated into believing in the screwed up economics started back in the late 70’s…, the one divorced from a reality of accountability and responsibility for  results, ISN’T the way to go.  Trusting in those of us who have betrayed the public Trust ISN’T the way to go.

Calling all sheep!

Now’s the time to take a ewe turn…

My daughter got behind in her school work in December. What with the holidays in November, she thought she’d have plenty of time to catch up over Christmas.  But as things went, with the frozen pipes and tree branches covered in ice snapping limbs and cutting off our power, then our laptop dying…she didn’t get to her work.

But she’s a trooper and put her ‘nose to the grindstone’. Over the past couple of weeks, she’s been doing one week’s worth of work in each of her classes per day, working between 10-12 hours a day, while I have concentrated all my attention on doing whatever I can to help her.

Her dad is ‘waiting in the wings’ for her to get finished. You see, he is waiting for me to help him with his homework, too. He’s got a giant bid to prepare for a job he is getting ready to start.

And my son in college, recently sent me an email, reminding me that it is time again to fill out his FAFSA for his student grants. It’s nice to be reminded but this is not something that needs to be done right *now*. It goes on my list after doing our taxes for this year.

And I start doing that the 1st of next month. It usually takes me a couple of days, as the first thing I do is total all our receipts for the year. I’ve got bags of them. One thing for sure, it’s a lot quicker to do the taxes now that there are software programs to make my job easier.

The first thing I used to do at this time of year is study all the new tax codes. You see, I’ve been in charge of doing my family’s taxes are far back as I can remember: Schedule A, Schedule B, Schedule C, Schedule D, you name it and I’ve filed it.

My dad raised me to have a sense for business, to be a Steward of family Values.

Everyday if I bother to even look at TV, there’s a story about another *smuck* who has lost all their money. Now a lot of us may bristle over my use of the term *smuck* but that really is too “bad”. For the way I m seeing it, is that a lot of us simply didn’t do our ~homework~ when it came to investing our resources.

The stock market has never been a “sure” thing. Wise and savvy investors have always studied a stock, pouring over financial statements in order to determine a company’s worth and profitability. It’s the responsible thing to do, that is. And what we’re looking at now, is simply the result of not being responsible. Lots of people desired to gain without doing any ~homework~.

When even my daughter understands that she can’t expect to get an “A” or a “B” in any subject, if she doesn’t do any ~homework~.

I find it absurd so many of us expect our governments to come up with some magic wand that will somehow restore all the ‘wealth’ we lost through speculation. Gee, if that works, we’ll be lined up at the casinos next, looking for someone to insure our losses there.

How about we start being Responsible and Accountable for our choices and our decision making? Like the decision to invest in stocks? Like the decision to trust in those who had no substance of character? Like the decision to even listen to those of us who have no substance of character?

If we ever expect our governments to have ethics and integrity, it has to start with us, first. If we ever expect our governments to be Accountable and Responsible, we have to be Accountable and Responsible ourselves. For our OWN choices.

What’s going on is not Liberty; it is not about Freedom. For with Liberty and Freedom comes Responsibility and Accountability for our choices. It’s about License. The license to choose as we please and blame something or someone else when our choices turn out to be foolish ones.

I guide to cease our crying over spilt milk. However much money has disappeared, don’t count on getting it back. Instead, learn how to make due with less. For the end result will be to discover and realize how much less we really need in order to be happy and content.

Our Economy based on credit consumption is OVER. It’s a proverbial dead horse. So spending any more money and time shoeing this dead horse, is simply going to increase our losses and retard our recovery.

It’s time we started doing our ~homework~. It’s time we were PRODUCTIVE at home and in our communities. Let us realize that whatever sense of security we imagined we had, it was all an illusion, insulating us from realizing we are members of our human race.

For there are a lot of people throughout our world who NEVER had such opportunities of investing and NEVER dreamed of having enough wealth to feel secure. It is not a “Right”. Nor are any of us “entitled” to it.

Once we cease our whining and complaints about being victims of deceivers, THEN we can start on our road to recovery. For the only ones we have deceived, have been ourselves.

I’m writing this post to give us a “head’s up”. I am currently working on another project, as well as overseeing my daughter’s education as we head into finals. I’m not going to mince my words, nor tiptoe around even trying to be nice about it.

There is an attitude that is prevalent that is not serving Humanity one bit. I’ll call it our attitude of being emotional spoiled brats and wimps.

It’s the attitude expressed by these statements:

“I don’t want to see anything unpleasant.”
“I don’t want to hear anything unpleasant.”
“I don’t want to experience anything unpleasant.”

It’s this attitude of rejection and denial that has been selling itself as supposedly ’spiritual’, when it couldn’t be farther from it.

Each of the attitudes expresses a LACK, a DEFICIT of inner strength and of Spiritual Integration. And our hope at this time, does not lie in being BIG BABIES.

I have HAD IT, with the selling of this attitude being related to ANYTHING Spiritual and those of us who have been selling this idea, and personally profiting off the ignorance of others, are going down. Realities wiped out unless changed and transformed.

It is not wise at this time to look to outer authorities to solve our problems. As all our problems at this time are a result and consequence of our LACK in self discipline.

I realize there a many of us who think of discipline as “unpleasant” and those of us who believe this, are going to discover that the consequences of lacking it, are far more unpleasant then discipline itself.

It is not a ‘good’ time to be a sheep.

I share this from a friend of mine…

The 10 Reasons I Procrastinate:

1.

According to basic accounting principals, if my professional services require I attend continuing education and business conferences, then those expenses are written off my gross income, under “business expenses”  on my schedule C, as per IRS rules.

Even though said expenses may have been covered by “donations”…(in other words, paid for by others),  it does not negate the fact that these expenses are considered under business ethics and law, as,

“the costs of doing business”.

If I were them, as I guess I AM, if I desired to stay IN business,  I would suggest WE start cutting *this* business’ costs.

Donations can just go to paying off their debt to US.  For those that made them had a vested interest in the “business” staying IN business and courting these “agents” favor, too.

And instead of relying on the *old* energy and *power* of ~money~,  start integrating business models based upon business principals and ethics related to the concepts of Responsibility and Accountability for the use of Life’s resources.

My daughter is my daughter.  She is also her father’s daughter.  So she comes by her tendencies to speak her mind, honestly.  A lot of times we clash, when I do not agree.

We had such an instance today, when it came to California’s “Proposition 8″, which made same sex “marriages”, illegal.  Angela doesn’t like the idea of negating freedoms AT ALL.  She cites bias and prejudice towards alternative lifestyles, as the basis for her perspective of what is going on. And marched off in a huff because I didn’t agree with her~victimization scenario~.

Angela is only 14.  And has just reached the age where I can share with her what I understand.  She is asking, expressing interest.  And will become a far better messenger and communicator then I ever could be, when she comes into her own Power.  Far more naturally attractive to Mass Humanity then I, because Humanity will have changed by then.  So I guess I could say I do what I do for my daughter.  To pave the way for the realization of her Passions.

I recognize the validity of same sex marriage.  I simply don’t recognize the state’s right to deny the Sovereignty of our Hearts.  We WILL Love and Live with whom we WILL.  We do NOT need a “license” or any other “authority” to sanction Loving someone.  To be “married” or “joined together” in our Hearts and Souls.

Licenses and blood tests came about related to the health of possible children.  And does NOT relate to “same sex marriage”.

In observation of the fact that opponents to same sex marriages adamantly express being LACKING in genuine and essential qualities of character, namely LACKING in Tolerance, LACKING in Acceptance, LACKING in being Understanding and filled with FEAR, I question this group’s “parenting skills” to begin with.  So as concerns possible children of said marriage, our choice of the way we express personal intimacy, sexually, has very little to do with parenting.

As for what is going on, as I told my daughter, this is about *benefits*.  It’s about who is going to get their *benefits* paid for, by others.  And what I told my daughter was…

We have the Liberty to Love and Live with whom we will.  Sovereignty belongs to the People.  This whole drama is being created  by giving false power to an outside ‘authority’.  That, is Self betrayal.   And choosing Self betrayal, is what both sides of the issue have in common.

Proponents of same sex marriage are seeking the VALIDATION of the State, having surrendered the Authority of their own Hearts, just like the opponents to same sex marriage, have surrendered the Authority of their own Hearts, over to their preachers and priests.

Surrendering the Sovereignty of our own Hearts was our *old* way of doing things.  While CLAIMING it, is our *new*.

On election day I sat across the table from one of my in-laws.  A very Precious Lady.  Sincere and genuine.  While her children filled out their ballots, voting for those I already knew were going to lose.  She told me a story of one of her friends.  Her friend had been all confused about “voting” and “elections”.   Anything having to do with “civics” being totally beyond her understanding.

So when she spoke of Freedom of Religion I said, “Yes, we all have the Liberty to choose our Beliefs.  But the definition of Liberty is the freedom of choice while being responsible and accountable for the costs and the consequences.  License is not Liberty.  License is when we insist on freedom of choice and deny the costs and the consequences of those choices.  And I am speaking about being responsible and accountable for the consequences of our beliefs, to our mental and emotional health and sense of well being.  Believing in the worship of fear and ignorance carries with it costs and consequences.

This week has been an active one for me.  From ‘reports’ I’ve had coming in, I’ not the ~only~ one experiencing such activity.  Most of what I hear about, comes to me in the form of people calling me.  Sometimes not really knowing why they called, just feeling like calling.  Like my son did from college yesterday.  I had time to catch up with him late last night.

What’s going on concerns the subject of “power”.  And as the bottom falls out of our understanding of what it is and how to use it, the ground is also swelling under a totally *new* understanding of what it is and how to use it.  We’re swtiching from one energy flow to another on a very basic level.  Likened to swtiching from AC to DC currents.  Some of us call this level “quantum”.

Even my own energy field has been fluxuating.  Electronics and electrical appliances and equipment acting ~scewry~.  Blowing light bulbs all over the place.  I spent yesterday replacing a pressure swtich to our pump system…so we would have running water again.

Hear that?  I did it.

I was able to perform the task, with the arm and hand dexterity required.  My left arm and my left hand.    The ones that used to be numb and paralyzed, then operated only under severe pain.   And I did it without feeling any pain or discomfort at all.

that’s not all that has changed…

I am taking my walks now, without tears streaming down my face from the pain in my legs.  It simply happened all of a sudden, ~this~ week.  I can walk all the way to my destination of the bend in the river and back without stopping to rest until the pain subsides.  There and back…NO pain.

And the reason why my son and other people have called me, is because they *know*, I *know* what is happening and how to understand it.

I am going to speak for all the people in our world that have never ‘qualified’ for credit.  The ones of us that did not meet the “conditions”.

Since the markets have been fueled by credit demand, they have responded to only fulfilling the desires of those who have it and use it, while a vast percentage of our populations’ basic needs have been ignored.  Like a basic need for water.

When our pipes started flowing with water that tasted ‘bad’, how did we respond?

We responded by creating an industry that sold bottled water fit to drink.  Which in turn has created further challenges in disposing of the empty plastic bottles, as well as, all the costs of the materials for the plastic itself, and the energy expended in the production of said plastic bottles.

Which also left a lot of people stuck with the awful tasting water coming out of municipal pipes.

BECAUSE this was the way we RESPONDED to our need for water, ~now~ more and more of us are going to be stuck drinking the awful tasting water coming out of our pipes, UNTIL SUCH TIME as the problem is addressed that satifies the need of the many.  It’s simply a matter of HOW many it is going to take until such time as we decided to RESPOND differently to the problem.

HINT.  HINT.

Take PROFIT out of the picture when it comes to our water supply.

How about that scare a few months ago involving our pet food?    Ever take a look at how MANY brand names were effected?   ALL coming from the same plant?

Did it even dawn on us to question WHY we needed ALL those brands of essentially a lot of the same thing?

Last but not least I ask…

Wouldn’t it cost a lot less and get us a lot further, if we based our markets on the SPIRIT of Cooperation, rather then Competition?

After we walk the mile in another’s moccasins, we end up *knowing* the value of a good pair of walking shoes…ones with support.

Every day it seems I hear some moron on TV talking about how our nations’ security depends on oil. I understand the relics in the oil industries’ security is tied to oil but not this country’s. To even sell that idea to the American public is a betrayal of the public Trust.

Trust, now that’s a word, isn’t it? What’s happening to all that Trust now? The Trust we misplaced in others?

I think we could use a reminder of exactly Who we ARE.

We’re A M E R I C A N S!!!!!!!!!!!!

What follows is a speech given on July 4, 1946…

“I propose today to discuss certain elements of the American character, which have made this nation great. It is well for us to recall them today, for this is a day of recollection and a day of hope.

A nation’s character, like that of an individual, is elusive. It is produced partly by things we have done and partly by what has been done to us. It is the result of physical factors, intellectual factors, and spiritual factors. It is well for us to consider our American character, for in peace, as in war, we will survive or fail according to its measure.

Our government was founded on the essential spiritual idea of integrity of the individual. It was this spiritual sense which inspired the authors of the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.”

Inspired by a deeply spiritual sense, this country, which has ever been devoted to the dignity of man, which has ever fostered the growth of the human spirit, has always met and hurled back the challenge of those deathly philosophies of hate and despair. We have defeated them in the past; we will always defeat them.

Another element in the American character that I would bring to your attention this morning is the idealism of our people. This idealism, this fixed regard for principle, has been an element of the American character from the birth of this nation to the present day.

In recent years, the existence of this element in the American character has been challenged by those who seek to give an economic interpretation to American history. They seek to destroy our faith in our past so that they may guide our future. These cynics are wrong.

In Revolutionary times, the cry “No taxation without representation” was not an economic complaint. Rather, it was directly traceable to the eminently fair and just principle that no sovereign power has the right to govern without the consent of the governed. Anything short of that was tyranny. It was against this tyranny that the colonists “fired the shot heard ’round the world.”

Woodrow Wilson’s idealism was the traditional idealism of America. To such a degree was this true that he was able to say, “Some people call me an idealist. Well, that is the way I know I am an American. America is the only idealistic nation in the world.”

The idealism with which we had entered the battle made the subsequent disillusionment all the more bitter and revealed a dangerous facet to this element of the American character, for this bitterness, a direct result of our inflated hopes, brought a radical change in our foreign policy

We failed to make the adjustment between what we had hoped to win and what we actually could win. Our idealism was too strong. We would not compromise. It is now in the postwar world that this idealism–this devotion to principle–this belief in the natural law– will meet its greatest trial. But, if we remain faithful to the American tradition, our idealism will be a steadfast thing, a constant flame, a torch held aloft for the guidance of other nations.

It will take great faith.

Our idealism, the second element of the American character, is being severely tested. Now, only time will tell whether this element of the American character will be true to its historic tradition.

The third element of the American character that I would bring to your attention this morning is the great patriotic instinct of our people. This American patriotism has always had as its core a strange and almost mystical love of the land.

Early in our history we acquired, as James Truslow Adams has pointed out, “a sense of unlimited energy face to face with unlimited resources.”

The American character has been not only spiritual, idealistic, and patriotic, but because of these it has been essentially individual. The right of the individual against the State has ever been one of our most cherished political principles.

The American Constitution has set down for all men to see the essentially Spiritual and American principle that there are certain rights held by every man which no government and no majority, however powerful, can deny.

Conceived in Grecian thought, strengthened by ethics, and stamped indelibly into American political philosophy, the right of the individual against the State is the keystone of our Constitution. Each man is free.

He is free in thought.

He is free in expression.

He is free in worship.

To us, who have been reared in the American tradition, these rights have become part of our very being. They have become so much a part of our being that most of us are prone to feel that they are rights universally recognized and universally exercised. But the sad fact is that this is not true. They were dearly won for us only a few short centuries ago and they were dearly preserved for us in the days just past. And there are large sections of the world today where these rights are denied as a matter of philosophy and as a matter of government.

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. It was the price yesterday. It is the price today, and it will ever be the price.

The characteristics of the American people have ever been a deep sense of Spirit, a deep sense of idealism, a deep sense of patriotism, and a deep sense of individualism.

Let us not blink the fact that the days which lie ahead of us are bitter ones.

May God grant that, at some distant date, on this day, and on this platform, the orator may be able to say that these are still the great qualities of the American character and that they have prevailed.”

John F. Kennedy