sunrise

the ceremony this morning was deeply satisfying and energizing. the colors in the sky were stunning, the temperature was perfect, and the chemistry of the group was pure synergy. check out this incredible picture that Lena took. it's a bit darker than the sky really was, but you can still feel the magic!

summer solstice

tomorrow at dawn I will be in the beautiful Rocky Mountains watching the sunrise while facilitating a solstice ceremony. I love marking the touchstones of the yearly cycle with ritual and intention. I was thinking this morning that time moves forward just like a spiral - marching onward year after year, yet within each year moving full circle. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I move forward like a spiral through my arbitrary experience of time - guess it depends on which model of the universe we are subscribing to at the moment.

In any case, I wanted to share some of the ceremony with you here, so you can join us virtually from wherever you happen to be if you wish.



At 4:45 am, we will gather together in a circle at the trailhead. I will mist a blend of purifying essential oils, sound a resonating chime, and offer a short prayer and blessing to attune us to the reason we have gathered, and help each of us clear our minds and hearts and become fully present to experience of the moment.

We will then hike in silence to a location high on a hill, where the eastern horizon is visible, immersing ourselves fully in the quiet stillness of the early early morning, before most people have woken up and started rushing around and thinking too much, while the earth is still fresh and cool and clean from the purification of the night. It is likely that we will encounter some deer grazing, and even possibly catch a glimpse of a mountain lion, for this is their finest hunting hour. We will most certainly be enveloped in birdsong.

When we reach the vantage point, we will each look around for a patch of ground that calls to us and make ourselves comfortable there.

Sitting in silence, we will internally prepare some personal intentions for the coming season, knowing that at solstice, the intensity of the sun is at its zenith, and that we can use intention to symbolically harness that power and link it to our will, thus infusing us with energy and focus to help us powerfully manifest our intentions.

After the sun is risen, we will invite the light of the sun to illuminate the pages of our journals as we record our sacred intentions. We will then gather together in a circle to share a light breakfast, and to tell the others what we plan to make manifest in the coming season, thus also harnessing the exponential power of two or more gathered in support of each other, joining their hearts and minds in a singular purpose.

We will then hike back in the full glory of a hot and sunny morning, laughing and talking and playing along the way, reveling in the joy of being human on this bountiful planet.

so there you go! join us in your mind - we will hold space in our circle for you.

lost performative

my colleague Michael Neill ( http://www.geniuscatalyst.com) hit the nail on the head with this lucid explanation for one of my last remaining pet peeves. the day before his e-newsletter came, I was trying in vain to find the words to explain how the semantics of a complaint make an significant difference in terms of how energetically accessible we are to a solution. and here it is, all neatly packaged up for me! lost performatives .... I must have slept through english class the day they were teaching that ...

the following is excerpted with permission from his e-newsletter:

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DON'T JUDGE THE JUDGE!
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"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

-Mother Theresa


I was talking with a potential client recently who told me that one of her most important goals was 'to become less judgmental'. When I asked her why she wanted that, she said (without a trace of irony) 'because making judgments is wrong.'

The fact is, no matter how much many of us think we 'shouldn't' judge, we are so conditioned to do so that without increasing our self-awareness, we will not only judge one another but we will continually judge ourselves and even our judgments!

In order to begin gently upping our awareness, it is useful to make a clear distinction about what constitutes a judgment (as opposed to an assessment or distinction, both of which are essential in the process of making decisions and moving towards goals).

Here's the distinction that I use, based on the work of Barry Neil Kaufman (see the 'Want to Learn More?' section at the end of the tip to learn more):

*A judgment is any evaluation of something as being good, bad, right or wrong

When we judge (describe something in terms of external moral values), we are essentially setting ourselves up as moral arbiters, claiming we know best what God wants or the world is supposed to be like. Not only is this a trifle presumptuous, it creates an environment where conflict and violence are both natural and ongoing. (If that doesn't make sense to you yet, simply imagine someone you don't really know repeatedly and forcefully telling you that you need to change because they're right and you're wrong. Notice if you feel more personally inclined towards conflict or violence!)

One remedy for this is understanding a language pattern called 'lost performatives'. A lost performative occurs in our language any time we make a judgment but leave out the identity of the person making the judgment. That is, we literally 'lose the 'performer' of the judgment. And for most of us in most situations, that performer (i.e. the one doing the judging) is us!

Here are some examples of how people use 'lost performatives' to disguise their own opinions and preferences:

'That dog is ugly.' instead of 'I don't like the way that dog looks.'
'The government is wrong.' instead of 'I don't agree with governmental policy.'
'She is a great singer.' instead of 'I really enjoy her singing.'

The minute we 'reclaim the judge within' and take ownership of our own opinions and preferences, we simplify our communication (and our lives) tremendously and reduce the opportunity for creating conflict and violence. When we hear someone else communicating in this way, we can begin to listen for and appreciate their unique point of view instead of getting caught up in disagreeing with and even fighting against their overly generalized judgment.

Ultimately, each time we let go of a judgment (without necessary letting go of our own preference and/or opinion), we experience greater freedom in our lives.

With love,
michael

Comments? Feedback?
Check out the discussion forums at:
http://www.geniuscatalyst.com/forums/index.php

PS - Yet more new reviews for 'You Can Have What You Want' up on Amazon.co.uk - you can read them at:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1401910785/geniuscatalys-21

You can read also read the introduction and qualify to read chapter one immediately at:

http://www.geniuscatalyst.com/public/whatyouwant.php

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WANT TO LEARN MORE?
=========================

Here are some of my favorite resources for eliminating judgments and developing discernment:

Books

*The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1878424319/geniuscatalys-20

*Loving What Is by Byron Katie
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0609608746/geniuscatalys-20

*The Path of Least Resistance by Robert Fritz
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0449903370/geniuscatalys-20

*Power Dialogues by Barry Neil Kaufman
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1887254072/geniuscatalys-20

*Time to Think by Nancy Kline (UK edition only)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0706377451/geniuscatalys-21

*You Can Have What You Want by Michael Neill (UK edition only) http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1401910785/geniuscatalys-21

©2006 Michael Neill All Rights Reserved

byron katie

great article about her and The Work:

http://www.aarpmagazine.org/health/quit_your_pain.html

I haven't had time for writing lately - my practice is busier than ever, and when I am not working, Kevin are I are busy reorganizing and purging our stuff in preparation for him moving in with me.

We decided to redecorate the biggest room together to sort of re-set the vibration of the house as ours, not just mine. The coolest rug came home for the living room this week, and today I am painting the walls to match it: slate blue, olive green, and dark cranberry. I'll post a pic when it's finished. Too bad I forgot to take a 'before' shot. Wish me luck with that paint spayer I borrowed from my new neighbor! LOL

I feel so blessed to have the privilege of witnessing inner peace and joy manifesting themselves in the material world. Life is good!