Solar Wind

Define Yourself

Reverend Harold Boulette — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:38:00 GMT

"Your whole idea about yourself is borrowed - borrowed from those who have no idea of who they are themselves." ~Osho

If someone asks you to describe yourself, you will probably not find it difficult to do so, but, in all likelihood, you will be describing yourself according to the opinions and beliefs of others. If I say I am old, it is because I have reached an age that others consider old. I don't feel old, but others think I am and so I accept it. I am considered tall because I am a little taller than the average American man, but if I moved to certain parts of Africa, I would suddenly become short without actually changing.
To some extent, in order to function as a member of society, we have to accept what the society defines us as, but we all should spend some time, general in the evening before we go to sleep, to think about ourselves and define ourselves as we really think we are and as God defines us, namely, as immortal beings of Light.

Life is Worth Living

Reverend Harold Boulette — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:16:00 GMT

"You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing and dance, and write poems, and suffer, and understand, for all that is life." ~Jiddu Krishnamurti

    In our modern age, nearly all of us have become specialists. It isn't possible to do everything well, so we learn to do one thing, or a few things well, and let others take care of the rest. This is an understandable, and probably even necessary, philosophy regarding our jobs, but not a wise philosophy regarding life.
    It is understandable that people with limited finances can't travel much and experience too many things, but even people who can afford to, often don't. They don't travel outside of a few well known spots. They don't do things other than the same things they have been doing for years, with only a few slight variations. This is sad because we really learn best from experience. No matter how well someone describes to you the scent of a rose, you will never know what it is until you actually smell one yourself.
    This is even more important when it come to religion and spiritual growth. Many of us have been members of the same church all of our lives. Many have never even visited another church and especially not a church, temple, or synagogue of a completely different faith. This not only limits our understanding of people, it also limits our understanding of religion and spirituality and the common truths that lie at the core of all religions. The same gift, just wrapped in different color wrapping paper and ribbons.

Spiritual Symbols: Pearls

Reverend Harold Boulette — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:44:00 GMT

Nearly two years ago, I covered pearls in one of my Crystals and Gems posts. Now we will look at pearls as symbols. In general, pearls are lunar symbols. They are also symbolic of the power of water. They can also symbolize the divine essence and the power of life. Some ancients believed that pearls were created when lightning struck the oysters so the pearl symbolized the union of fire and water. A pearl is used to represent the third eye, the spiritual eye, of Buddha and Siva. Pearls can represent spiritual essence and spiritual enlightenment. In Christianity, a pearl can represent salvation, Christ, the Word of God or Gnosis. Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty was also called "Lady of the Pearls". The flaming pearl symbolizes man's search for spiritual enlightenment. The gate to heaven is called "The Pearly Gates" because in the Book of Revelation, the entrance to heaven is described as:

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.

This is, of course, a symbolic description, like virtually all of the Book of Revelation, and not meant to be taken literally.

Water and Light

Reverend Harold Boulette — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:56:00 GMT

"In one drop of water are found all of the secrets of the oceans". ~Kahlil Gibran

If he were alive today, I'm sure Gibran would be fascinated with the books of Dr. Emoto, the theories of quantum mechanics and holography. In holography, a hologram can be cut into many pieces, yet each piece contains the entire image. In quantum mechanics, some say that as the many beams of light cross each other they exchange information with the result that each beam contains all of the information in the universe if we simple knew how to tap into it. Dr. Emoto has shown that thoughts and emotions can affect water so doesn't it follow that they also effect light? And, since quantum mechanics tells us that everything is light, than thought and emotions affect everything.

Random Thoughts 3-14-2010

Reverend Harold Boulette — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:03:00 GMT

I am back from my vacation today, so this will be an unusual entry. I will be adding to it during the cruise than post it on the last day.

This is CocoCay, Bahamas. I 'll post more picture later.

Scripture: James 1:5-8

Reverend Harold Boulette — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:55:00 GMT

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Wisdom comes from God, not from books. It comes to us through God's Light. But you have to be a true believer to receive it.

Conquer Yourself

Reverend Harold Boulette — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:25:00 GMT

Many people in the world today, and throughout history, believe that the way to achieve happiness, world peace, or whatever their goal is, is to conquer others. Others they think are their opponents. In truth, the only one you need to change is yourself. You need to conquer your own unworthy desires and your egotistical wishes. A huge ego may help you become a corporate president, but it will not help you at all to become spiritual. That is why Jesus told the wealthy man that he would have to give his wealth to the poor if he wanted to join them. People who are too attached to material things can't significantly develop their spiritual side.

Healing Herbs: Anise

Reverend Harold Boulette — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:42:00 GMT

Anise is a herb that is often used to flavor things. It is one of the ingredients in some natural root beers. A number of liquors including absinthe and ouzo use it for flavoring. It tastes like licorice. Anise can help with toothache and digestive problems. A cup of anise tea is said to be quite effective at relieving gas and bloating. Its oil is used to treat lice and psoriasis. Anise oil is also used as an expectorant and decongestant and is a common ingredient in cough drops and cough medicine. In ancient Greece, anise was used to treat breathing problems and to relieve pain. Chew an anise seed or two when you want to freshen your breath.

Get Off the Throne

Reverend Harold Boulette — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:11:00 GMT

"For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe." ~Larry Eisenberg

What Mr. Eisenberg is trying to tell us it that we need humility. Most of us act at times as if we are the center of the universe and everything revolves around us. We define "good" as that which provides us with something we want and "bad" as those thing that deny us what we want. In truth, if most of us got our way all the time, we would die at a very early age from all the excess! In any case, hubris is not the path to enlightenment, humility is. Humility doesn't mean we have to be wimps and let others push us around. It does mean that we recognize that there are greater needs than our own selfish desires and putting those needs at the top of our to-do list. It means that we don't consider anyone to be beneath us and we listen to what others have to say. And it also means that, as humans, we are not always placing the immediate needs and desires of humans above the needs of all other species of life on the planet.

A Divine Presence

Reverend Harold Boulette — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:58:00 GMT

Have you ever really felt a Divine Presence with you? If so, chances are you were in a very happy and relaxed state at the time or possible very concerned about something and you turned to God for help. Usually though, people feel this presence only when they are in a very natural setting, away from the crowds and the concerns of the materialistic world. And usually, they are in a relaxed state of reverie, not concentrating on anything and not focusing their eyes on any object.
While this awareness of the Divine Presence, which you may not think of as God but just an overall feeling of goodness, joy, and love, happens spontaneously, it is possible to cultivate it. Just go to a quiet, natural place, sit and relax and try to not concentrate on anything. Don't focus on anything. Just let the moment happen. You may not feel anything the first time, or even the second but, eventually, you will. The best time to do this, is usually at sunrise or sunset, but any time is good.

Parables

Reverend Harold Boulette — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:10:00 GMT

Parables are tales meant to teach a lesson or to hide a truth in words that will not be understood by the uninitiated. The Bible is full of parables. Jesus spoke in parable frequently. Many other spiritual writings from other religions are full of parables also. Joseph Campbell tried to teach us that there were important truths and lessons hid in the common myths found all over the world. But parables are not just in written stories. They happen live, around us, all the time. The way a tree grows can be full of symbolic meaning. The song of a bird or the path of it's flight. Just because something is real, doesn't mean it can't have a symbolic meaning also. And, of course, there are the symbols and parables that come to us in dreams. So it is helpful for our spiritual growth to learn to understand the symbols of parables.

Spiritual Symbols: Ship

Reverend Harold Boulette — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:07:00 GMT

  Since I will be on one this week, I thought I would cover the symbology of ships and boats. In ancient civilizations, the sun and moon was often depicted as being carried across the seas by a ship. The earth itself is sometimes a ship floating on the primordial waters. A ship can symbolize a savior or protector. Ships often represent passing from the physical to the spiritual or from earth to heaven. A ship can represent the Great Mother or the female aspect of God. The ancient Egyptians, and others, believed that the soul or spirit was carried on a ship or boat to the afterlife. The ancient Greeks often put a gold coin in the mouth of a dead person to pay for his passage on the ferry down the river Styx to the underworld.
    The Bronze Age paintings in Scandinavia often depict ships and the significance is debated by scholars. Some say it simple depicted the everyday life of people who traveled largely by sea yet, the fact that some of the drawings depict the use of boats and ship in funerals and other religious ceremonies indicates a symbolic meaning.
    To see yourself on a ship in a dream generally means that you are exploring areas of your mental or spiritual being. But, if you see yourself on an abandoned or ruined ship, it indicates that you need to let go of something from the past that is holding you back.

Random Thoughts 3-7-2010

Reverend Harold Boulette — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 11:50:00 GMT

The Animal Rescue Site provides food for shelter animals. Manufacturers donate most of the food and the amount is based on the number of visitors to the site. So follow this link to help provide food for homeless pets.
You can also make a donation or buy items on the site to help even more.

I am on vacation this week. As usual, I've set up some articles to automatically post while I'm away but I may not respond to comments for several days. I will try to get on line and possibly send a few comments from on board the ship.

A record year for snow in many areas, and now earthquakes. Are there still some doubts that these are the end times?

"It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there will be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from you action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result." ~Gandhi

Scripture: The Amritabindu Upanishad 19

Reverend Harold Boulette — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:42:00 GMT

The milk of cows of any hue is white.
The sages say that wisdom is the milk
and the sacred scriptures are the cows.

Spiritual truths are the same for all of us. It doesn't matter whether you find those truths in the Bible, the Koran, the Upanishads, or other sacred books. If you truly understand what the great prophets are trying to say, you will realize that they are all saying the same thing. Unfortunately, over time, this tends to get distorted and altered by their followers and by translators who understand language but don't understand spirituality.

Divine Knowledge and Book Learning

Reverend Harold Boulette — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 09:33:00 GMT

Divine knowledge, gnosis, is not the same as mental knowledge gained from books or studies in the material world. It's actually a bit odd that so many ministers today use the title "Dr." as if having an advance degree from an accredited university makes them advanced spiritual teachers. Not only is gnosis different from intellectual knowledge, but the brain isn't even capable of understanding it except in a very superficial way. Only the soul can understand gnosis which is why awakening the soul is so important. Of course, there is nothing wrong with getting a college degree, but it doesn't make you a spiritual teacher. At best, it might make you a religious historian, but that is something very different.

To Get Closer to God, Get Closer to Nature

Reverend Harold Boulette — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:38:00 GMT

    Whether you refer to nature as "Mother Nature", "Gaia", or just nature, it should be obvious to all, or at least those who's egos are smaller than Donald Trumps, that nature is a greater force/being than we are, at least individually. As such, it should be easy to understand that nature is closer to God than we are. So it logically follows that getting close to nature helps us get closer to God.
    A few days ago, while I was driving to work in the early morning, I heard an ad for the National Guard on the radio where they bragged that the National Guard helped us fight the "war against nature" as well as the wars against the enemies of the United States of America (those may not be the exact words of the ad, but it is pretty close). I was shocked and saddened to hear this ad. First off, I didn't know we had officially declared war on nature even though we act as if we are at war with her and, second, I didn't realize it was something a government agency felt they should brag about! Apparently, blizzards, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes still haven't taught some people that in a war against nature WE WILL LOOSE. Besides, Gaia big brother is the sun spirit and you really don't want to get him angry.
    Native Americans, and the aborigines of Australia understand the importance of being close to nature. In our increasingly urban world, we all need to take a clue from them and learn to appreciate nature and get close to her also. It will help us in our physical lives for sure, and can also help us improve our spiritual lives.

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet
and the winds long to play with your hair.
~ Kahlil Gibran

Healing Herbs: Artichoke

Reverend Harold Boulette — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:13:00 GMT

We are familiar with artichoke as a vegetable, but it is becoming popular as a healing plant also (although it's the leaves that are usually used for health purposes). The ancient Egyptians and romans used it as an aid to digestion. In parts of Europe, the leaves of the artichoke plant were used to aid the kidneys and as a diuretic and to stimulate bile flow from the liver and gall bladder. In the early twentieth century, French scientists studied artichoke and verified it's effectiveness for these traditional uses. It is also used to treat jaundice, hepatitis and arteriosclerosis. In the mid twentieth century, Italian scientists found that artichoke contains cynarin. From the 1950s through the 1980s, synthetic cynarin was used to treat liver and gall bladder problems and to reduce cholesterol. Later, it was replaced with new drugs, but people interested in natural health are using artichoke again, usually as artichoke extract capsules, to reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Physical Labor can be Spiritual

Reverend Harold Boulette — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:44:00 GMT

    Physical labor can be spiritual in two ways: by aiding spiritual growth and by helping return the world to spiritual harmony. Fist, let me say that by "physical labor" I don't just mean physically demanding labor. Any physical work is what I mean. Whether it's building an office building or planting a flower garden. It can even be work that is mostly mental like designing the building or drawing a landscaping plan.
    If you are designing a building, designing it and building it according to the laws of divine proportion, divine harmony, and divine geometry make that work spiritual as well as material. Frank Lloyd Wright understood that as did the builders of the great European cathedrals. In many ancient societies, priests or shaman were always consulted on the construction of new buildings.
    In art, the great masters like DaVinci and Michelangelo understood and used divine proportion and divine harmony in their works. When I say the many statues and paintings in Greece on my trip last year, it was obvious that those ancient artists understood divine harmony as well. Not there is anything wrong with modern art that is mostly social commentary, but it isn't spiritual.
    So study divine harmony and divine proportion and let it help you create great work in whatever you do professionally, or as a hobby, and let it also help you and others grow spiritually.

Spiritual Symbols: Chimney

Reverend Harold Boulette — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:22:00 GMT

A chimney, especially on the roof of a church or temple, represents the passage of the soul to the heavens. It can also represent the spiritual sun as a gateway between heaven and earth. In the reverse direction, in can represent gifts flowing from heaven down to earth and is the origin of the story of Santa Clause coming down the chimney with gifts. This may explain the Melville's cryptic work, "I and My Chimney" (I haven't read it myself, but I've read reviews of it). A chimney sweep is often a symbol of poverty or hard times as in Blake's, "The Chimney Sweeper" although they are often associated with good luck, especially in England, and brides often have a chimney sweep give them a kiss for good luck.

Accepting Our Mortality

Reverend Harold Boulette — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:22:00 GMT

We are all mortal, at least physically. No matter what vitamins we take, how often we work out, or what foods we eat or don't eat, our physical body will die. We all know that, yet most of us ack as if we don't. As adults, we joke about teenagers who behave as if they are immortal, yet we adults often do the same in a different way. We put things off thinking: "I will quit smoking next year", "I will go on a diet next month", "I will do something about my drinking problem after the holidays", and so on. And the same is true or our spiritual growth. Many think they have a long time to live so they don't need to be concerned about their spirit and soul just yet: " I can start on that next year", I can worry about that after I turn 50", etc. Unfortunately, with very rare exceptions, none of us know when our physical body will die, so we should approach each day with the idea that it may be our last day on earth.