3 Card Reading

King of Wands (R)

You find yourself frustrated over your lack of achievement which has resulted from your excessive changeability. You are using psychological armor and defenses - afraid to reveal your true self and your real feelings. Take your time in any upcoming agreement before making your final decision. Prepare your mind for change - your lifestyle can be altered now, as changes occur that may turn the tide of affairs. You will experience a strong focus and directional clarity. You have become disturbed by a situation which has had a bad influence on you - your qualities have been altered as your natural energy has encountered obstacles and defeats.

You have not lost your force - these experiences have helped you become tempered and more understanding of others. You can now easily recognize the people who are inclined to be intolerant and strict in their manner - the people who could be opposing you. Remain receptive to indications of a disagreement or dispute and be the first to withdraw. Acknowledge when you are feeling uneasy and be sure that all the facts are correct. Accept that you need never allow anyone to be overly aggressive with you. You may now face the dynamic part of your "inner" assertive nature - allow yourself to "feel" your determination and apply your inspired vision without holding back in any way.
Questions to Answer: How are you expressing your sense of self? How are you using your decision-making and leadership abilities? Who is controlling the situation? Who do you admire for their sense of self?

Strength

LOVE is the source of your strength - the "energy" of your unconscious "tamed" and released by the direction of your conscious understanding - harnessing your natural energy so that you work in harmony with it. Your "inner" qualities represent love, patience and gentleness - they are always superior to the material powers of force and hate, for they provide you with the "inner" strength to confront yourself calmly and without fear. Choose to use the love you feel within - believe that the process of self-discovery is a joyous one. Control your own emotions - look directly at any obstacle and see if it is real.

Strength is "total" living - living with the undiluted multiplicity of your being. Combining your capacity to destroy with your power to regenerate and heal. Taming your powers and drives by finding the "inner" power that gives you your strength. Affirm all your individual qualities - be sensitive to what you are feeling every moment.

Wanting to control your life - your "ego" conscious suppresses your feelings, fears and desires which creates confusion. In order to realize satisfaction and joy - success requires organization. Your "inner" strength allows your passions to emerge - releasing your deepest emotions with love and faith, for this is the first step in going beyond the "ego" and opening up your personality with a sense of peace, love of life itself and a great confidence in the final result. It requires a great deal of courage as well as strength - for you must control and direct the energy rather than allowing it to take you wherever it wants to go.

Free yourself from the forces of repression - "doubt" reduces thought to indecision and it appears when the Higher Self and the physical "ego" self are not in balance. "Certainty" allows you to doubt "within limits" while still maintaining faith in the expected outcome. You will begin to understand others if you will take the time to imagine yourself in their place. You have the ability to face life - particularly this difficult problem or change - with hope and eagerness. You are strong within - allow yourself to experience life passionately, yet peacefully - without being controlled or carried away by your passions. Joy as you feel the "inner" strength to begin this new project or continue a difficult project - despite your fear and emotional strain. Find the place where you can make a statement and get your idea across - leave a lasting impression.

Your subconscious mind controls your body and its functions - you receive, then act upon the suggestions sent from your conscious mind. Choose to cultivate your desires and you set up a chain reaction which will eventually produce tangible results. Power, strength, discipline, intelligence, justice, karma, respect and unity are all possible when you act powerfully, but with a sense of "inner" calm. Your "inner" resources will always overcome any adversity as the love in your heart unites with your spirit, heart and body and produces harmonious action.

New - Here is the eighth stop. Properly channeled and controlled emotions. You are on solid ground, centered. Strong self-image and self-respect. Confidence. There are extensions of self in place and functioning, i.e. family/extended family and creative projects. A feeling of invincibility. An emotional sense of the eternal, of permanence, Loyalty, Constancy without stagnation. A harnessing of our lower energies to support/generate higher energies. Here is the source of courage, the assumption of responsibility for one's own existence, hence emotional independence. The feeling of duality is strong but the self is in harmony with all extensions of the self, and with nature.

Your heart has begun to know things for itself, with the help, but independent, of mind. (The hypothalamus is that aspect of mind, of reason, belonging to the heart.) Here ideas are generated in the gut, the Solar Plexus, before reason and perspective of higher mind get a crack at them. Conversely however, it is proper to say that this is the effect of mind in the emotions. We see here that true strength lies in our hearts, in our emotional stability.

Questions to Answer: How strong is your love? How are you being called upon to show courage and perseverance? What do you desire to create? What inner passion needs to be expressed? What inner passion needs to be reconciled? What is the "natural" or instinctive thing to do?

Temperance

It is time for you to apply what you have learned - see what you have mastered - you are an artist in all phases of your life. Try new things now, while at the same time - maintaining a solid hold on your present security. Allow yourself to experience "profound" meditation - use your "inner" resources - for they are your invitation to the possibilities of spiritual knowledge and realization.

Your Higher Self will always warn, inform and help you appreciate an experience - while never suppressing temptation itself - for without temptation, there can be no spiritual progress. That is why it is so important for you to maintain balance right now. Trust that your patience will build your dreams. Focus all your energy on maintaining harmony between the material and the spiritual. Take it easy and don't rush things - do not give up your security - you need more time before making any major decisions.

You are experiencing your ability to heal yourself by correcting the imbalances and reconciling the difficulties in the environment through compassion. Truth will be realized from within as you unite your human endeavor with the gift of Gods grace. Your lessons are learned through your experiences. Balance is essential now - use diplomacy, tact and temper your emotions when your strength is being tested. As you give birth to new beliefs from the death of old ones - you experience new freedoms which require re-adjustments in your behavior. With freedom comes the responsibility for your actions and the birth of "natural guilt" - the creative mechanism for solving problems and preventing violence. You learn to resolve your dilemmas and assimilate your beliefs by seeing mistakes as information and problems as challenges. A balance of rights is achieved through your compassionate identification with others and the communication of your emotions and aggressive feelings.
Vision and inspiration are the means of arriving at intuition. Authentic inspiration always entails an "inner" upheaval which pierces the soul like an arrow - wounding it and making it experience "profound" emotion which is the synthesis of joy and sorrow. Inspiration is the knowledge of how to be active and passive at the same time. Active - in what concerns your "question" and passive - in what concerns the "answer". Humility alone - honoring the vows of poverty, obedience and love renders you open to "inspiration". Say to yourself that you know nothing - but are capable of knowing everything and in this position of humility -immerse yourself in the pure, strengthening element of "thinking together" or inspiration.

Free yourself from this artificial personality - your behavior and reactions have become a string of habits. Begin to combine your spontaneity with knowledge, moderation and self control. You need never go to extremes - begin to develop a true and proper response to all situations "as they arise". Separation develops from your inability to take life as it comes - moment by moment - combining the elements of your personality, so that they work in harmony with the outer world and flow together naturally. You withdrew from the world to find your "inner" Self. The time has come for you to return to the normal activities of life and involvement with the outer world. The energy of your unconscious, which was once displayed as the "sexuality" of your undeveloped personality - has been transformed and channeled through your awareness to become spirituality. Your "strength" has become energy and the process will be complete once the two combine. Allow yourself to experience the death of your "old" patterns, for they do not reflect the truth and joy of life. You do not need to preform miracles to KNOW your connection with the universe - you need only be yourself. Become the master of your fate - learn correct action - doing the correct thing in whatever situation arises, dealing with life as it comes - not according to your old routines or habits of defense. Communicate the abundance of your feelings in compassionate and nurturing ways and this balanced blend of activities and feelings - once achieved, will produce the sense of harmony and peace that you seek.
Here is the fourteenth stop on your journey, where you begin to appreciate the lessons of the higher emotions. This is a mature emotional constitution, where consideration for self and others strive to balance. This is Stage Four and the effect of higher mind on the Emotional Plane guides us to thoughtful behavior. Recognition and practice of both give and take in equal proportion, even as the opening of the heart chakra has elevated the emotions to the higher level wherein compassion transforms us into willing givers moving happily toward universal love. Temperance is the exercise of emotional balance horizontally in the earth plane, to generate movement vertically from below to above. Here is authentic expression and a higher understanding of your passionatc nature, which must grow even as you become more compassionate.

Questions to Answer: What are you feeling optimistic about? How are you combining the resources available to you? What are you testing or trying out? What needs to be healed or brought into balance

Daria Werbowy//Equipment

Watch this on The Scene

Blue Moon//Full Moon//Aquarius//July 31

“You are experiencing new aspects of yourself. You are giving birth to the new you. Giving birth is painful. This is real work. This is real growth. The more you love and value yourself. The more you have to give to other people…”

Lot's more here...

Pharrell Williams/It Girl

8 Things Mentally Strong People Do Every Single Day

Just like people aren't born with physical strength, no one is blessed with incredible mental strength at birth. Instead, mental strength is developed over time by individuals who choose to make personal development a priority.

In addition to avoiding the things that could hold them back, mentally strong people create healthy habits that assist them in growing stronger. Here are eight things mentally strong people do every day to strengthen their mental muscles:

1) They Use their Mental Energy Wisely

It’s easy to get distracted throughout the day by a variety of unimportant and unproductive tasks. Mentally strong people choose to use their time and energy carefully. They devote their efforts to the things that matter most so they can accomplish their goals.

2) They Reframe Their Negative Thoughts

Everyone has negative thoughts sometimes, but mentally strong people don't let those thoughts hold them back or drag them down. Instead, they respond to their pessimistic predictions and harsh criticisms with a more productive inner dialogue. They stay motivated to do their best by talking to themselves like a trusted friend or a helpful coach.

3) They Work Toward Established Goals

Mentally strong people establish clear personal and professional goals that give them meaning and purpose. They forgo immediate gratification by keeping their long-term goals in mind. They view obstacles as challenges, rather than roadblocks to their success.

4) They Reflect on Their Progress

Mentally strong people reflect on their progress toward their goals every day. They set aside time to examine what they're doing well, and they humbly acknowledge areas that need improvement. They hold themselves accountable for mistakes and they constantly strive to grow better.

5) They Tolerate Discomfort for a Greater Purpose

While some people go to great lengths to avoid any type of distress, others endure pain simply to prove they're tough. Mentally strong people, however, tolerate discomfort when it serves a greater purpose. Whether they're exercising when they feel tired, or they're delivering a speech when they feel terrified, they use their pain to become better.

6) They Practice Gratitude

You can't be at your best if you're insisting you deserve better. Mentally strong people acknowledge they already have everything they need. They recognize their good fortune and express gratitude for all things big and small.

7) They Balance Emotions with Logic

Mentally strong people know their feelings play a major role in their perceptions and their behavior. They pay close attention to the ways their emotions could influence their judgement. They carefully balance their emotions with logic so they can make the best possible decisions.

8) They Live According to their Values

Although it may be tempting to measure your self-worth by comparing yourself to your competition, mentally strong people don’t fall prey to such distractions. They focus on living according to their values and doing their best, despite their circumstances. At the end of the day they don’t ask themselves, “Did I beat everyone else?” Instead, they ask, “Did I stay true to my values?”

more, here

MarinaAndTheDiamonds//Happy

I May Have Missed My Calling//New Hobby

Note to Self//Q of P (R)

It is time that you recognize and accept your need for stable, nurturing relationships in your life. Begin to release the people in your life who find it difficult to trust anyone. The fear of failing can make a person quite changeable. Soon they develop a suspicious nature and lack any motivation - which causes them to be lazy and neglect their responsibilities. This results in nervousness and confusion - they become afraid, mistrustful of others and even begin to doubt their abilities and their value as a person.

Trust yourself - focus all your energy on utilizing your abilities to manifest beauty, health and fulfillment in specific, practical ways in the areas of your life where it is needed and necessary. Focus on your meditation, on grounding your emotions in natural things, ordinary pleasures and satisfying work.

Irresponsible vs doting. Disregard for nature vs extreme interest in and identity with environmental factors. Abuse of material items. Bad money manager. Recurrent health problems versus the health fanatic.

Questions to Answer: How are you channeling your physical resources? Who inspires your need for practical skills and nurtures your desire for knowledge? Who is reliable and trustworthy? How are you grounded in Mother Earth?

Let Me Go//

No one recalling the koan about the monk and his disciple travelling across ancient Japan. they come to some marshy ground and see a courtesan trying to get across without getting her fine clothes dirty so the old monk, without a word, picks her up and carries her across. On the other side he puts her down, bows to her and the pair continue. Hours pass until the disciple can no longer contain himself.

'Master' he says 'our order prohibits touching women and you carried that.. that.. courtesan'

'Yes' the monk replied 'but I put her down and you appear to be still carrying her'...

more, here

Note to Self//6 P(R)

Six of Pentacles (R) - If you are experiencing an unsatisfactory situation - accept your feelings. Feelings of insecurity are created when you are not recognized for the hard work that you produce or when a stable, but basically unequal and unsatisfying situation has been disrupted. Feelings of insecurity result in dissatisfaction as you begin to think that things are unfair and your prosperity is threatened.

Any relationship is based on the dynamics between those who have and those who don't. Doling out attentions, promises, "sexual favors" or finances can be a manipulative means of keeping people bound to you. You are now learning to give with no conditions, according to your ability and to receive what is freely given you - for only then will you find true stability and security in your relationships. When success is measured in terms of what you give - everyone shares in it. If success is measured in terms of what you get, you will always be chained to the need for more. Release your defensive attitude.

There is an indication that your situation - emotionally or economically dominates you - giving you very little, but just enough to keep you from looking for something else. Analyze your situation very carefully now. Does your job give small material benefits with little satisfaction or chance for improvement? Are you involved in an unhappy, yet comfortable relationship? Do you feel your situation is oppressed, yet find that you do not want to endanger what little security you do have?

In situations like these - nothing is ever truly reconciled - the situation maintains balance and just keeps going. Can you show generosity and give spontaneously or do find that you measure out what you think you can afford to loose and give only what you will not miss? Do you find that you relate easily to others - while always hold back your deepest feelings and allowing yourself to accept only limited "gifts" from others? Does the display of strong emotions embarrass or scare you? Do you find that you place an offer of help in the category of "charity" and give people only what you "think" they are able to receive - unconsciously measuring out your giving according to what other people expect from you - always trying to avoid making yourself or another person uncomfortable?

You are challenged now to give more freely - to share from the heart and stop measuring out what you feel you can afford to loose. Release this "your win is my loss" attitude. Have the courage to continue the process you have started - it will result in a freer, more equal situation. Place yourself in the position to receive and stop cutting yourself off spiritually. Success is achieved through disciplined, step-by-step procedures - remaining open and flexible to opportunities that are presented. It is attainable as a result of following that which has heart and meaning in your life. Stay in your authenticity and truth now. Organize your communication so that context and timing are all aligned and put consistent energy into your life situations.

Distortion - giving too much or too little...or receiving too much or too little. Things like bribery, use of favors for expected gain, generosity to a fault. One cannot give beyond one's means, however nobel the motivations. We can share only what we have - beyond that, we are obligating someone else's resources without their permission. Lower emotions clouding the physical.

Questions to Answer: With whom are you sharing your prosperity, resources or abilities? How and to whom are you mentor, advisor or patron? How are you sharing your wealth of money, talent and information? What do you have to give that others need? How are you managing your time? What and from whom do you receive?

Snow Day Mix

OSHO//Accept Your Sadness

First be one with yourself. 
And then the second step is: be one with existence. 
The second is easy. The first has become difficult because of so much conditioning, so much education, and so many civilizing efforts. The first has become difficult.

If you have taken the first step of just accepting yourself and loving yourself as you are, moment to moment.... For example, you are sad. This moment you are sad. Your whole conditioning says to you “You should not be sad. This is bad. You should not be sad. You have to be happy.” Now the division, now the problem.

You are sad: that is the truth of this moment.

And your conditioning, your mind says, “You should not be like this, you have to be happy. Smile! What will people think of you?”

When you are sad, accept the sadness: this is you. 
Don’t say, “I am sad.” Don’t say that sadness is something separate from you. Simply say, “I am sadness. This moment, I am sadness.”

Live your sadness in total authenticity.

And you will be surprised that a miraculous door opens in your being. If you can live your sadness with no image of being happy, you become happy immediately, because the division disappears. There is no division any more. “I am sadness” and there is no question of any ideal to be anything else. So there is no effort, no conflict. “I am simply this” and there is relaxation. And in that relaxation is grace, and in that relaxation is joy. 

All psychological pain exists only because you are divided. Pain means division. and bliss means no-division. It will look paradoxical to you: if one is sad, accepting one’s sadness how can one become joyous? It will look paradoxical, but it is so. Try it.

You are the way you are: accept it with joy, with gratitude.

Suddenly a harmony will be felt. The two selves in you, the ideal self and the real self, will not be there to fight any more. They will meet and merge into one.

It is not really sadness that gives you pain. It is the interpretation that sadness is wrong that gives you pain, and that becomes a psychological problem. It is not anger that is painful; it is the idea that anger is wrong that creates psychological anxiety. It is the interpretation, not the fact. The fact is always liberating.

When there is no interpretation, all is beautiful//When all is beautiful, you are relaxed.

In that relaxation you have fallen into your own source, and that brings self-knowledge. Falling into one’s own source is what is meant by “Know thyself.” It is not a question of knowledge, it is a question of inner transformation.

And what transformation am I talking about? I am not giving you any ideal that you have to be like; I am not saying that you have to transform from what you are and become somebody else. You have simply to relax into whatsoever you are, and just see.

You then have a magic key, which unlocks all the locks.

If you accept sadness, sadness will disappear. How long can you be sad if you accept sadness? If you are capable of accepting sadness you will be capable of absorbing it in your being; it will become your depth.

Osho, Unio Mystica, Vol. 1, Talk #3

Random Assortment

 

 

Diatomist

Cowboy Junkies//Sweet Jane

Quality vs. Quantity

Humans Could Be In The Middle Of A Huge Evolutionary Transition//Christina Sterbenz

Mankind is undergoing a major evolutionary transition comparable to the shifts from prosimians to monkeys, monkeys to apes, and apes to humans, according to Cadell Last, an evolutionary anthropology Ph.D. student and researcher at the Global Brain Institute.

Human life expectancy has already increased from about 45 at the start of the 20th century to 80 today. Last predicts it will increase to 120 as soon as 2050 — a concept known as radical life extension — through a combination of new technology, behavior, and natural selection.

In addition to longer lives, humans will demonstrate delayed sexual maturation and biological reproduction, according to Last. Taken together, these changes could signify a new type of human. 

Last makes his case in a paper from the most recent issue of Current Aging Science. Citing other futurists like Ray Kurzweil and Francis Heylighen, Last theorizes about human interaction with technology, relying on observations of past primate evolution and biology.

From "Living Fast And Dying Young" To "Living Slow And "Dying Old"

According to life history theory, natural selection shapes the length of an organism's life and the timing of key events to produce the most surviving offspring. In the "fundamental life history trade-off," organisms must choose between spending their time producing as many offspring as possible or rearing those offspring to make them as successful as possible, according to Last.

And as brain sizes increases, organisms require more energy and longer rearing time to reach their full potentials.

Based on these ideas, three major shifts in primate history have occurred toward longer lives and delayed reproduction: between prosimians and monkeys, monkeys and apes, and apes and humans.

Humans already dedicate the most time and energy toward nurturing offspring of any primate species, and this pattern is only becoming more extreme.

"Human life history throughout our species evolution can be thought of as one long trend towards delayed sexual maturation and biological reproduction (i.e. from 'living fast and dying young' to 'living slow and dying old')," Last writes.

While physical needs fueled previous evolutionary changes, cultural and technological innovations will drive the next shift, which has been accelerating since the Industrial Revolution.

Simply said, humans need more time to develop to take advantage of our complex world.

Biological Vs. Cultural Reproduction

Considering recent advancements like in-vitro fertilization, egg-freezing, and even adoption, the mechanics of biological reproduction have radically changed. "The biological clock isn't going to be around forever," Last says — or at least, people can turn it off or ignore it for a while.

Today, and even more so in the future, the success of individual and collective human life depends on knowledge and economic prosperity. Passing on new and important ideas to the next generation involves a process called cultural reproduction, which takes more time and energy than simply having babies.

"You have a limited amount of time and energy from birth to death, and you've got to figure out whether you're going to dedicate that time and energy toward biological reproduction or cultural reproduction," Last explains. "We're opting to take ourselves out of the gene pool in favor of immersing ourselves in an idea pool."

Even now, we've seen evidence of delayed reproduction and fewer offspring per person in many countries. Despite fears of overpopulation, Last points out that more than half of countries (with available data) have reached a replacement fertility rate of less than 2.1, as shown in his chart below, compiled from the CIA's World Factbook.

Cadell Last

A chart of fertility rates by country from Last's paper

"As countries become socioeconomically advanced, more and more people, especially women, have the option to engage in cultural reproduction," Last explains.

What's more, the emergence of artificial intelligence will offset the need for low-skill, low-education jobs, giving individuals the "opportunity to explore cultural reproduction as a vocation," Last writes. In many cases, biological reproduction has even become "too costly" in the face of the increasing pressure to adapt to technological advancements.

Altogether, the world should expect a variety of humans who live much longer and have kids much later than what Last calls archaic humans.

"These are sort of the beginning signs that we're making a transition to a radical life extension — within 20 or 30 years," Last says.

Meanwhile, technology has changed human interaction in many ways. Already, a reporter in New York can talk to an evolutionary anthropologist in Canada over Skype. In another few decades, nanotechnology could allow similar conversations to occur entirely in the brain.

"Your 80 or 100 is going to be so radically different than your grandparents," Last says.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/future-human-evolution-2014-9#ixzz3D0ipW7DW

Let the Right Things In...

Stillness...

By teaching stillness we create moments

for our children to rebalance.

Stillness is a natural response

when we observe nature.

Silence falls upon us,

our breath slows,

and

our heart opens.

As we enter the frequency of nature,

we experience inner harmony.

These moments of stillness

become the pauses

within our children’s days

that allow them to momentarily reset

and once again find inner balance.

Stillness is a natural response

as we observe nature.

And for this reason,

the easiest and most natural way

to teach stillness

is by taking the time to observe

the natural world around us.

Take a moment

to think of how we find ourselves

completely still and quiet

as we watch a rabbit nibble

on a patch of grass.

As soon as the words,

‘Look over there!’ are uttered

in reference to some fauna or flora,

silence falls upon us.

We stop talking and look.

Not only does our mind become quiet,

but our body becomes still.

Why is this?

Is this simply old programming

that our modern world has not yet erased?

Or is it something deeper?

Have we awakened our primordial spirit

as we find ourselves once again

in tune with

the rhythms of the natural world?

- Ardel, K & Wilds, E. R., Teaching Mindfulness to Children & Teens, A Brighter Light in the World, 2011

Chromatics//Cherry

Osho//8 of Water//Letting Go

In this image of lotus leaves in the early morning, we can see in the rippling of the water that one drop has just fallen. It is a precious moment, and one that is full of poignancy. In surrendering to gravity and slipping off the leaf, the drop loses its previous identity and joins the vastness of the water below. We can imagine that it must have trembled before it fell, just on the edge between the known and the unknowable.

To choose this card is a recognition that something is finished, something is completing. Whatever it is--a job, a relationship, a home you have loved, anything that might have helped you to define who you are--it is time to let go of it, allowing any sadness but not trying to hold on. Something greater is awaiting you, new dimensions are there to be discovered. You are past the point of no return now, and gravity is doing its work. Go with it--it represents liberation.