Today I am grateful for Unity.
For me it is useful to think of unity in terms of harmony.
As a musician, I love thinking about unity in this way. For harmony does not mean everybody is on the same note. Actually harmony requires us not to be. But rather, when two notes (or positions or viewpoints or ideas or desires) come together to create a vibration that resonates in a larger way - like how silent strings begin to vibrate all on their own when a resonant note nearby is sounded. I see this as a wonder, a kind of miracle of the natural world.
In this way, I am grateful for whenever it is that all my being is unified - body, mind and soul are in harmony, everything aligned and I am stand in awe with a deep awareness at the unity of all things. That despite however it might appear on the surface, this underlying unity of all things is an elemental Truth - and that when things don't feel harmonious it is because I have forgotten this, some part of my inner light having been covered over by doubt or worry or regret or judgement...
I am grateful for when people work together in harmony - whether this be friends or partners or families or work colleagues or governments or nations. For even when we do not disagree - in harmony - we can work together for the common good.
I am grateful those moments of deep awareness of my individual human self in harmony with God/Spirit/Divinity/The Great Mystery/Nature/Goodness. Those moments when I am in love with EVERYTHING; those moments I am aware of the innate divinity of all of creation.
I believe we are meant to be in unity, to resonate with each other in this way. And when we do not, it is simply an indication that we have lost sight of the sacred, the sanctity of Life. We have lost our understanding of our true purpose - to love ourselves, one another, and this sweet Earth upon which we live.
I have been reading lately about ritual - and how ritual allows us to connect at a deeper level - with our own inner being as well as with others. How ritual weaves us together with the larger meaning and fabric of life.
This meaning is actually inherent in the word itself - for the word 'ritual' actually comes from the Latin 'ritus' - "to fit together".
The Western world has not done such a good job of recognizing the importance of ritual in this way. And not just ritual on a few isolated holidays - but daily, regular practice of ritual.
This practice is especially important right now - as the pandemic and all the challenges of this year have created more isolation, a feeling of deep disconnection from others.
This has been as true for me as it has been for so many.
I LOVE Christmas - this beautiful time of giving and receiving and welcoming in new life - such a sacred time of the year! And ALWAYS spend it with one or the other of my daughters - and now their little ones. I decided years ago I would make this my practice.
But this year, as I did at Thanksgiving, I will be spending it on my own. Just me.
I was truly disheartened by this for quite a while. So so so so sad.
So this past weekend and again today, I have taken some dedicated time to sit myself down and ask - how can I create rituals - either new or modifying old ones - around this holiday that will connect me to others and to the beautiful meaning of this sacred holiday so dear to my heart?
Once I did this, a truly beautiful plan for 24 hours of celebration began to unfold. To be honest it didn't even take a lot of effort or imagination. What was required was that I stop, give myself both the space and time for it all to unfold.
Allowing myself this moved me from a place of deep sadness to a place of light and joy and hope. This is the power of ritual.
I offer you here some of the rituals I have and will engage in, in hopes they might inspire you to do the same.
The first thing I did was take some time away. I spent two days last weekend in the forest, just me and the trees - knowing that spending time in nature always returns me to harmony - with myself, the Earth, and the larger world. It was incredibly healing.
I took a walk out under the night sky far away from the disturbance of city lights and stood in awe at its beauty.
The next day I made sure to be in a place that would allow me to fully witness the incredible planetary event that was the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter.
Then last night I offered a special yoga class celebrating Solstice and the coming of new light. I filled the room with candles and light to create a softly lit ambience. It was a truly beautiful experience to be able to do this with others.
Today I relit all the candles, just so I could soak up their light and consciously - again - invite in new life and light.
I will do this again tonight as I gather with others in spiritual community for meditation, study and heartfelt sharing in the mindfulness/vipassana tradition.
I will celebrate Christmas Eve by attending a meaningful service offered by my church online. I will step outside my door afterwards at a designated time to offer a Christmas song along with others in my neighborhood as we lift our voices together - in harmony.
On Christmas morning, I will make myself a special breakfast - just as we do when we are gathered together. I will Zoom with my daughters and grandbabies as we unwrap gifts and open stockings. I will sing a song I wrote for my mama that celebrates how by focusing on giving she made Christmas a truly special and sacred time for us all. I will write cards of gratitude and thanks. I will bake and share these treats with others. I will take an afternoon walk in nature to offer my gratitude and thanks to the natural world.
And again on Christmas night I will light my candles, welcoming in the warmth and beauty of Light and all it represents.
And you? What will you do to help bring your beautiful self into harmony with all that is? What rituals will you create to weave your life - even in this time of isolation - together with the life that is pulsing in your veins and that unites you with All Life?
My love to all - with the deepest wishes for harmony, beauty, love and light, this day - and always,
Cindy