BeautyDialogues

Matilda is 12 Today!

Staying with the Spring theme, here's a photo I took yesterday morning of my neighbor's tree. Its freshness and delicacy reminds me of my beautiful Goddaughter Matilda, who lives in England and is turning 12 today. I am dedicating this image to her, with the wish that her life continues to be blessed, and that she is true to herself always. Happy Birthday, Tilda!

Yep, Definitely Spring

My friend and neighbor Barbara Speed, wife of photo-blogger Fletcher Oakes and a darn good photographer herself, sent these in response to my "It's Spring!" post...

It's Spring!

I guess I've been spending too much time indoors lately, because when I finally went out for a walk the other day I was stunned at how beautiful and green and totally alive everything is. It must be Spring ...

The Discipline of Peace

Every Monday night a group of us have been gathering in the Medicine Wheel in Third Life where we are guided through a process by the amazing FireHawk Hulin. Each month we focus on one of the eight directions, following a pattern called the Discipline of Peace, articulated by RainbowHawk and WindEagle of Ehama Institute.

These two wise teachers have written a book on this pattern, a handbook for creating circles of what they call the First Peace, peace within ourselves. My copy arrived yesterday. The multi-talented FireHawk designed it and I am totally enchanted by its beauty.

Here's what WindEagle and RainbowHawk have to say about the NW, the direction of the wheel our group is exploring this month:

THE UNIVERSAL RELATIONSHIP OF
CO-CREATION EXISTS THROUGH
CAUSE AND EFFECT

Through cause and effect the spirit
consciousness co-creates the Universe.

CONSCIOUS DREAMING
From the diamond of the true self,
step on the high path of
higher consciousness,
open to all potential,
align all thoughts, words
and deeds to be life affirming.

Co-create with the spirit of the Universe.

Impossible in Real Life

Even some of my most techno-freak friends have been unable to "grock" my fascination with Second Life, and I usually find myself avoiding the topic since I seem to be unable to convey why I find it not only mesmerizing, but also somehow really important. I know the idea of a "virtual world" pushes up against many closely held assumptions but I hope this post begins to open a different window.

The other morning after my woman's group in Second Life (which meets in a five-chambered cave carved into the side of a beautiful mountain on Sunseed Bardeen's Third Life), I found myself in a spontaneous conversation with some people from another Second Life group I'm part of -  Bettina Tizzy's Impossible IRL (Impossible in Real Life). The creative collaborations that Bettina has attracted and the art she showcases and promotes on her island are examples of some of what's most exciting to me about Second Life - visit her place in Chakryn and you'll see what I mean.

In this instance, she was sharing a video she'd found and posted on her wonderful blog:

World Builder from Bruce Branit on Vimeo.

My New Avatar

I've been working with Kara Brown on an avatar for my social networking sites, and am pleased to show you the jewel she came up with...  and share what a wonderful experience it's been working with her on this project.

First she looked at my other avatars, which were mostly photographic, and then we talked about who I am and what I want to say about myself in this medium. She was totally open to my thoughts and feedback, and really heard the essence of my message.

I love what she did with the background, indicating a magical web of connection and inspiration, a green web that connects us to each other and to the natural world.

If you'd like your own, completely customized avatar, or have other illustration needs that could use her playful impressionistic style, give Tara a call! She's talented, intuitive, reasonably priced and I can't recommend her enough.

Our Luminous Ground

You may remember a project I mentioned in a post written last October, on the Powers of Place - well, I'm pleased to say I'm now the point person for creating the online communications for the whole project - stay tuned for more about that - but for now I'm excited to announce the launch of Our Luminous Ground.

Our Luminous Ground is a spin-off from the main project and it's been a joint effort coming from myself, Ria Baeck, Sheryl Erickson, and Karen Speerstra (a celebrated writer who has been the main author of this blog).

Luminous Ground is a WONDERFUL journey into the pattern language of sacred lanscapes all over the earth and I want to invite you who find the earth sacred and/or have something to share about your own experience with power spots around the world to come check it out, subscribe, and contribute.

On the Mountain

All those who live in my region are blessed by the presence of a sacred mountain, Mount Tamalpais, who shelters and graces us with her presence. She was sacred to the Native Americans who lived along these shores long long ago, and she is sacred still to those of us who know her.

I was driving over this very mountain Sunday on my way to Bolinas, and I had an experience that I wanted to share with you here. But before I could write it, I found myself in my Medicine Wheel circle on Second Life telling the story:

"It was one of those foggy wet days we get here (when we're lucky :-) and everything had that rain-drenched glow - all the colors standing out rich and deep like river stones in a glass of water. There were streams crashing white against the dark rocks that held their banks and trees like arcs of green tinged with a still lighter hue; prism drops of rain-light falling from them."

image by Eric in SF, found on Flickr

"It was so enchanting. I was lost in admiration and just so grateful, feeling the gift of this world - experiencing the infinite beauty of each tiny part. I heard myself think, "Darn! I wish I had brought my camera!"

But then I realized that it was a blessing, this time, not to have it and instead to feel the record of that perfect drive etched on my skin, captured in my eye's membrane instead of the camera lens. In that moment I felt the full power of my work as "Record Keeper"; the sacred work of keeping my eyes open, keeping them clear so I can see the beauty in this life and share it with others."

So, on this day I didn't bring my camera, and that triggered the epiphany, but there are many ways to record the beauty of this world, and I plan to try as many of them as I can. That's part of my work as a Record Keeper, a Light Bearer.

We light-beings are precious to each other, and to those around us, especially in these times - our light is truly needed now. Here is my prayer for all of us: May we be strong and clear. May we see the beauty around us, even in these days of darkening and fear. May we become beacons of light, sharing the beauty & clarity we see with those around us. And may they too be strengthened by our vision.