Archives for category: General Rants

I love this in-between week each year.

Wedged between the family/friend/work holiday bustle, and the New Year’s beginning, anything may happen.

I decided to take a little time and unfold this year of unfolding.

I dedicate this post to all my loved ones and friends, especially those with whom I’ve not been in touch as much as I would have liked. I love you all and think of you often, even if I seldom take the time to tell you that. And I hope you know who you are… if you wonder whether you’re one, then you are one :)

The rose blooms, while spinning wildly…

Centrifugal force flings the petals wide; centripetal force draws the heart in tenderly. Reflection yields peace of mind.

I’ve learned that I can be both spontaneous and thoughtful without contradiction.

I’ve learned that I can be both fearless and scared s**tless at the same time.

I’ve learned that there are some secrets best kept hidden, and some best shared. And that none of them merit shame.

I’ve learned that what was lost may easily be replaced.

I’ve learned to trust and leap – it all turns out fine in the ‘end’.

I’m learning to trust myself…

I’ve learned to accept my wrinkles and aches, and the brevity of life.

I’ve learned who I was in some previous lives, and that helps me understand that sometimes it’s good to have a brief life.

I’ve learned that I’m not crazy, and that I’m not alone.

And that even if I were crazy and alone, that would be okay, too.

I’ve learned that life and needs and wishes flow unpredictably…

So I decided just to lie back into the current and watch the sky as I travel.

I’ve learned that I don’t need to be afraid of telling people what I think and believe and experience… but it helps if I don’t expect them to understand.

They can love me anyway – it’s possible.

So, my friends, this little blog exposes just the tip of the iceberg of what’s been going on in my life recently.

If you look on All About Enlightenment, you’ll get a glimpse of something that began for me back in 2010. That’s been a huge part of my life since then. Lately I’ve been focusing on using it to publish the parts of the book by the same name. But as soon as I get the last half-dozen or so sections posted, I’ll start talking more about how I came to this point, and how I use the pendulum.

It’s pretty wild. I’ve been talking with Enlightened Beings.

If you look on Because U Think To Ask, you’ll get a very early peek at something that arose in my life very recently (this past September). I’m still trying to make sense of it all, but I think I’m onto something here, because through this I’ve connected some really wonderful people who have really pure hearts. That refreshes me.

It’s pretty wild, too. Now I’m also talking with “Extra-Terrestrials”.

What surprised me about this the most is that I’m seeing that the line, veil, whatever you want to call it, between the two types of being becomes very, very thin at times.

As I come to understand better how things work together in this Universe, it deeply reassures me.

I’ve learned that most of the people in this world seem to be terrified of the unknown. But, you know what? There’s nothing to fear.

If you look on Raging Pandit (once I get something posted…), you’ll find some strong words that need saying about modern Buddhism and faith and religion in general.

Many of you know that I was a Buddhist nun for 4-1/2 years; these posts will help explain why I’m not one any more.

Thank you for joining me on this journey, meeting me on the lane, and appearing in my dreams. I love you all.

May we all have an eye-opening, heart-warming, soul-inspiring 2012.


Sometimes the delivery kills the message.

I can’t tell you – personally – the message that Fox News delivers, because I can’t stand to listen to or watch it.

I’ve been meditating (regularly) for 12 years – maybe longer. One thing I’ve learned from that practice is that anything that delivers aggressively disturbs my mind, and is not worth my time and energy.

I guess I’ve gotten pretty sensitive. If I walk into a room, even if the TV volume is muted, I often know right away if Fox News is playing. And I want to leave – immediately.

It’s kind of a shame, because I do know this: Fox News broadcasts people talking. And these people reallyREALLY – want to be heard. But I’m not hearing them…

When someone gets in my face, I tune it out.

I figure that if they feel they have to brutally accost me with a riot mentality, then I’m probably better off not hearing what they have to say.

And the world – my world – is far better off without that energy.

Our world arises from our minds. What we absorb and pay attention to… that’s what manifests our world.

I want a world filled with thoughtful, considerate, well-researched objective journalism, that presents facts and credits the populace with the intelligence to reach their own conclusions.

I’m happy to consider anyone’s point of view; I just don’t like being bullied, so I refuse to participate.

When it’s all over but the shouting, the shouting tends to drown out the answers. When Fox News stops yelling, I’ll start listening.



Hmmm…. does two posts, every two days, count?

Or, do two posts every two days count?

Enquiring minds want to know… twice!

(where is that copy of strunk and white…?)


So the buzz hums over the past few days, about the Earth’s magnetic pole shifting over time. The constellations now hang around in different spots of the heavens than when the Babylonians developed the twelve astrological signs most familiar to us. Astrologers and astronomers go at it again, trying to sort through the context of the quotes, the implications, and who’s producing responsible journalism.

Rumor tells it that most people’s astrological signs (in the West, at least), have changed.

Bombast and conflagration!

I say bravo! I love reminders that this world IS a state of flux, a manifestation of Emptiness.

I visited Wikipedia, and found at least 55 types of astrology listed. Hmmm. Were we ever really certain that we knew our “sign” before this brouhaha?

I was born in early January, which used to be smack-dab in the middle of Capricorn. Now, if I subscribe to the panic about the new signs, I’m smack dab in the middle of Sagittarius. Wow, are there any two signs that are more dissimilar than those?

From Time Newsfeed:

CAPRICORN: “Symbolized by the goat, Capricorn is the epitome of professionalism and traditional values. Capricorns are known to be good managers and hard workers, preferring to stick to practicality and reason in their daily lives.”

SAGITTARIUS: “Archers are energetic yet pensive, frequently seeking the answers to life’s big questions. Sagittarians are extroverts who enjoy the company of others, and they thrive in a constantly changing world.”

Funny: until recently, I’ve lived my life as a devout Capricorn, assuming the role fully, inescapably.

Lately, I’ve lived more like a Sagittarius, and wondered what the heck was going on.

It feels sort of like a chicken-and-egg scenario, and I’m beginning to wonder who’s calling the shots here. Did the major shifts in my life cause the earth to wobble, or did the Earth’s wobble cause my life to change? I am being a bit facetious here, but since I believe the world arises from my mind, my world is sort of rocking right now. Even Rachel Maddow is speaking my truth… And that’s news.

I skimmed a few more articles online, and discovered the expected response from the astrological community: It’s going to be alright. Don’t panic. But I kind of like the idea of becoming Sagittarian… I never liked butting people around with those goat horns… And once again, I kept uncovering more of the he-said-she-said patter of writers scrambling to get to, and reveal, the Concrete Truth.

My favorite article came up fairly randomly, and it shows images of an astrological chart that Kepler (yes, Kepler, one of the bastions of classical astronomy…) generated for a client. Kepler once wrote: “God provides for every animal his means of sustenance – for an astronomer he has provided astrology.”

My goodness! The man played both sides! Slander and calumny! Another certainty laid to waste!

I thoroughly enjoy the intrigue of watching still more assumptions being rent asunder, still more pieces of the puzzle coming together to assemble a world in which I spin along best if I don’t worry about whether the North Pole remains in its proper place, and whether I am inherently professional, good-mannered and practical. Just follow the heart, don’t fret about the constellations.

It’s going to be alright. If your sign’s not changing, then maybe you’re perfect as you are. If it shifted, maybe that’s a hints at what lies ahead for you. Or a nice place you might consider visiting.

I also enjoyed this post on Salon, which the writer modified as new information came to light. Another example of transformation and learning.

So, enjoy your new world… once again. Maybe if this sort of thing (like ice in Atlanta, GA, USA, that stays around for almost a week…) shakes us up often enough, we’ll get comfortable with shifting our paradigms, and see more and more… that change is not so scary as spending your entire life as a Capricorn.