Journey to the Sacred Altar
It is such a blessing to be in Divine Science. I have found that Divine Science
speaks directly to my consciousness. The writings of Nona Brooks and Ernest
Holmes are deep and profound. Even though I have been a minister for ten years
and taught many different classes in Buddhism and New Thought, I must say that
never a day goes by that I don't learn more and these classes have been a wonderful
experience. Divine Science Principles and Consecration are particularly powerful.
Brooks Divinity School is growing as more and more people discover Divine Science
and awaken to the power of the presence of God in their lives. I believe that
Divine Science is a vehicle for growth for many and that individuality among
teachers and practitioners is essential to growth. I believe that we must remain
relaxed and loving, caring and compassionate in all our choices and embrace
others from any denomination in Divine Science regardless of their attitudes.
We must see, live and speak love and kindness. When we counsel others, whether
in person, on the phone, or through cyberspace, we must always dwell within
Unity consciousness modeling and demonstrating New Thought through seeing and
affirming health, happiness and love. As New Thought ministers, we cannot afford
to let events discombobulate us. It is easy for people to be misled by surface
interpretation and make grave errors and then even to act upon false perceptions.
This affirms all the more the need for relaxed loving affirmation of the presence
of God in all places, people and events. The Lords Prayer is perhaps the richest
example of New Thought and it is an admonishment that the ultimate development
of consciousness is when we are able to deal with the most difficult circumstances
but remain centered. I have sometimes heard people talk about living one's pain.
I think that the important thing is to acknowledge that you have pain or that
you have had it, but not to live it and if you have pain to let go of it. Healing
is about letting go of false perceptions and dwelling in the perception of perfection
of Higher/Christ Consciousness. New Thought teaches us to do this, to focus
on what we wish to manifest, to know that even in the Valley of the shadow,
we will not want, in fact God will prepare us a banquet. I think instead of
living pain we must live love and freedom from pain through the development
of our consciousness to the point that we know the message of Psalm 23 clearly
and that we learn to live our lives through such deep love and compassion that
we are able to live the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. We must understand
that others have their difficulties and their challenges and instead of condemning
them for the mote in their eye, we need instead to pluck out the beam in our
own. It is a great challenge to do this. It is easier to find fault than to
turn the mirror on ourselves, but just because something is difficult does not
mean we should shrink from it. We must be unafraid and walk in the clear knowledge
that God is with us now and always because the whole of Divine Science is the
practice of the presence of God in our lives.
ONENESS WITH NATURE - THE ALTAR OF REVERENCE
For me, one of the most sacred spots in the world is the upper hotspring in
the Jemez Mountains. The hotspring has been naturally carved through time and
geology into the shape of a five pointed star. Likewise for me, New Thought
is a sacred teaching that is the key to higher consciousness and is like the
North Star enabling us to continue our progress in the right direction to God.
Each class in Divine Science is a gift and an opportunity to grow. I don't mean
the hour or two of class though that is a great opportunity as well, but rather
the entire assignment of each class. When I dedicated an hour within the bosom
of nature as part of consecration class, I decided to drive to one of the most
beautiful parts of the world so that this special communion would have a deeper
meaning to me. I suppose this has to do with the fact that I live in my heart
and have spent a great deal of my life learning to master language and later
more than one language in order to communicate about what I feel are the most
important parts of life. When I read the works of Nona Brooks, I am continually
reminded of shared feelings and perspectives about Life, Love, Spirit and the
Cosmos. It feels the same when I am reading Ernest Holmes or Emmet Fox. But
one thing I have learned lately through the Center is that I should share my
feelings in the context of writing or public speaking. One experience that taught
me this was sharing something about a men's group that I was asked to attend
with someone outside of the group and having them totally misinterpret what
had happened at the group and then later lash out at me in a very aggressive
manner. This experience taught me a great deal about how important it is to
stay grounded and in integrity in all situations and not to share everything,
but to selectively share those things which will be understood. Some things
can be misunderstood and so they should not be shared. It is like flirting.
People who flirt often get themselves into trouble. It is best to be grounded
and loving and not to share all things. Also painful events in my life over
the last summer led me to acknowledge that the deepest source in my life, God,
is a well that I can always draw upon, a presence that is always there for me.
I never feel a need to appeal to an angel or a saint because I know that God
is the power and the presence in my life and that I can cultivate the Christ
within through meditation and the other tools of transformation. Through this
I always keep my perspective correct, which is that God is in all places, and
all people, at all times. As I travelled to the hotspring I had many thoughts
and feelings such as these that were carressing my spirit. I would observe these
thoughts and their consequent feelings, where they were taking me, and then
let them go and refocus on the moment I was in.
THE JOURNEY
I paused by the side of the road when I came over the first hill on my way to
the sacred rendezvous. I stopped the engine next to the roadside historic sign
about that particlar pueblo history and got out of the truck. The contrast of
the air conditioned truck and natures actual temperature was immediate the hot
sun beat down upon the desert. The rhythmic sound of the occasional passing
vehicle behind me was a reminder of the strength of the human presence even
outside the city. I squatted down in the bracken to feel the power of the moment.
I noticed the mixture of the nature with the refuse of humanity. Three old Miller
beer bottles, one broken, 5 Budweiser can in various states of disintegration,
the ants moving steadily throughout the scene searching and working. I looked
at the way the sand seemed to slowly be devouring the presence of these articles
and how the labels of the Miller bottles were bleached white. There were flying
insects, a desert wasp of some sort that was landing on small yellow flowers
and moving around me. The heat dancing on my hat was slowly penetrating into
every part of my body, an ant found my flesh and bit me. It was time to rise,
this part of the journey was over.
I GOT BACK IN THE TRUCK.
In the short time I was outside, it had heated up and though the air-conditioning
came on, it seemed to only move the heat. Looking out upon the scene one last
time, across the fence, across the valley a sign told the tale of a pueblo that
was only used for ceremonial purposes now. There had been changes in the water
shed and the pueblo had been abandoned except for special ceremonies. I started
the engine and as I drove toward on toward San Ysidro, I thought about the ceremonies.
I then thought about other ceremonies as the vistas changed and the mountains
rose on the left where they were mining lime or some kind of white rock. I recalled
how sometimes huge trucks would lumber out of the dirt road and onto the highway
I was on. I passed the natural gas pumping station on the left and then the
entrance to the new pueblo. Other ceremonies came to my mind as I commuted toward
my destination. Catholic ceremonies in different countries and Tibetan Buddhist
ceremonies as well. They seemed to have much in common, the hats, musical tones.
I felt happy that in my faith ceremony and costume was not considered essential.
I thought about Emmet Fox's admonitions against such accouterments. I made the
turn at San Ysidro and then drove through Jemez Pueblo. I didn't stop. I thought
about it for a moment but then I pulled off again at Red Rocks.
RED ROCKS
I parked the car. Greeted the natives selling grease puffs and honey to excited
tourists. The tourists had purchased soft drinks at the gas station across the
way. They stood next to the roadsite booth watching the boiling lard and then
devoured the grease puffs with honey washing them down with coca cola. One man
had a six pack of budweiser and seemed to be beating back the heat by quaffing
one after the other. He drank at least 3 while I was watching. I wondered if
my sense of time was off. I turned and walked out into the sacred fields of
Pinons and when I was sufficiently far into the low forest, I sat in the shade
of a Pinon tree and looked at the majestic red rocks and all their beautiful
natural cuts and curves. This was one of the sacred places that my friends had
taken me, long ago, and that I had spent 20 years visiting. More than once I
had taught spiritual classes in this very place and before those classes I had
taught actors the sacred art of exploring and revealing human emotions. The
last class I had taught here was to a small group of five about how we are one
with God and the only thing that ever separates us is ourselves. Here, under
these trees, we had had a talking circle for three hours. My mind was brought
back to the eternal now by the presence of a jackrabbit, his tall ears impossibly
erect when one would think they would droop. But he did not linger long because
high above a bird of prey circled. I watched it for a moment moving in absolute
harmony with the sky, the wind, then it dropped down and disappeared into the
trees maybe 100 yards away. I looked at the rocks to see if I could see an ayrie
but I saw nothing. I thought I saw some movement in the trees and then I noticed
that the ants were not only on the ground around me but were on my sandaled
feet. It was time to return to the car and resume the journey. I drove past
the high school and then up through the canyon and then dropped down into the
valley. I pulled over into one of the national forest stops.
PAUSING BY THE JEMEZ RIVER
I observed the low bushes and the trees next to the river. I got out and this
time it was not so hot as it was even at Red Rocks. There was no one there,
just the smells of the restrooms and once clear of the parking lot, the cool
smells of the river. I moved to the edge and sat in the shade and looked across
the ripples and waves. My thoughts disappeared into the rambling rush of the
rivers flow. The rocks, the water over the rocks, the white bubbles, the noise,
the dance of dragonflies near the rivers edge. Green algae growing in a strip
of mud. Water vegetation. Roots of trees. Water flowing. Late summer flowers
bending in the breeze.
SOUNDS OF CHILDREN
The sounds of children startled me from my reverie. A car had pulled in next
to me and I had not heard it pull in because I was at one with the river. But
the sound of the children and the slam of the car doors reminded me that I was
still not at my destiny. Three children and a jolly, heavy mother who seemed
very happy to be out of the country were clustered about a station wagon. She
was struggling with a cooler so I offered to help her which she accepted. After
helping her put the cooler near a picnic table, I was back in the car travelling
toward the sacred hotspring. I drove through Jemez Springs, past the old Servants
of the Paraclete retreat which was now closed and stopped at Soda dam.
SODA DAM
There was a gaggle of Japanese tourists, taking each others pictures at the
entrance of the cave. I navigated my way through them with a well placed "Arigato",
which caused me to remember that Arigato comes from the Portuguese "obrigado".
I guess the Japanese did not have a word for thank you until after the Portuguese
missionairies. I wonder if they just used a bow or sign to express gratitude.
I thought about my Japanese friends in Vienna. The various retreats and the
sharing of different traditions, different points of view, different choices.
I left these thoughts, these memories, behind in the warm dampness of the cave.
The honeycomb of the soda is beautiful. The greens and yellows of the pool inside
the cave. I listened to the sounds of the water, the rush of the stream, with
the chatter of the tourists blending in behind it all. I heard a sound behind
me. A petite Japanese woman stood behind me with sparkling eyes and bowed. The
cave was small. She said "buddhaful." I said: "yes" We smiled
at each other and exchanged places. Soon I was back on the road again. Past
Hummingbird, past Battleship rock, I came to the parking place. There were some
cars parked in the lot. I pulled in, turned off the engine and grabbed my pack.
When I opened the door the air was cool and nice. The sun was moving toward
the far side of the valley. I checked the flashlight in the pack and then I
closed up the truck and took the direct descent. Since I was alone, I didn't
have to worry about a companion or leading a group of people. The way was steep.
I slipped on the gravel, sat down with the motion of the energy and slip part
way down. No scrapes, so I was fine. I resumed my descent, grabbing a root for
a moment then using the mountain goat descent. Soon I was at the base of the
incline near the river. I took a moment to sit next to the river. This was a
different biosphere. A verdant green permeated everything. I saw a fish, probably
a trout near the shore. There were insects dancing in pools of sunlight and
in the shade. A soft breeze blew late summer fragrance through the narrow river
gorge. Water roared. Beauty is in everything, everywhere. I heard a noise and
turned to be greeted by two women. One wore a t-shirt that read: "dykes
love bikes", the other was dressed very fem with long flowing red hair,
a five pointed star hanging around her neck. The redhead smiled. The T-shirt
woman reached out to her companion and said "let's go." But her partner
just stared at me with this smile which seemed to aggravate her companion. I
said: "blessed be." They both looked at me and responded: "blessed
be." At that moment, the T-shirt woman seemed to relax and asked: "Is
this the way to the Spring?"
"Actually it is up the path," I said, "I'll show you if you need
to know," walking toward the spring.
"Are you Gardenian?" the redhead said.
"No," I responded with a smile, "My name is A'lan, and I am not
Gardenian. "
"My name is Colleen, this is Asp."
"Great name, Asp, I like that."
Asp over took her companion and asked "Have you been here often?"
"Yes, on and off for many years."
"Are you a Wiccan?"
"I am a Divine Scientist."
"But you said, 'Blessed be'"
"Yes."
"Do you believe in Earth Spirits?"
"I believe that there is one source of all energy and that as we turn to
the source, the Creator, this Creative Energy, our way is made easier for us.
I believe we must value what we have, take care of Mother Earth, insure that
Father Sky is clean and pure, see that all things are fruitful and multiply.
Live through love because love is the energy that unifies. When we are rooted
in Love and Compassion then we best embody Great Spirit."
"Sounds like what we believe."
I smiled and kept ascending the mountain, rounding the big rock, crossing the
stream, noticing the way the sunlight filters through the trees. The lush grass,
contrasting with the rusting spikes that probably once held a log stairway in
place or some landscaping timbers that had long since rotted away. One must
be aware. It is essential to be fully aware of all things, to focus upon the
path, to feel the breeze, listen to the water and the movement of the trees.
We were practically there. A murder of crows flew by and landed upon a rock
above. They seemed to be looking at me while I ascended to the lower spring.
Everywhere around the lower spring were drapped nude women, mostly younger women,
a few were older. Some were kissing each other, others were in the act of multiple
massages, many wore the same five pointed star as the redhead. Some of the younger
ones were tattooed and pierced. There were a few men men, but they did not seem
to constitute but maybe ten percent of the gathering. One of them had many tattoos
over his body and peircings through his private parts. Obviously, I had come
at the time of a gathering of Wiccans. I asked my acquaintances what the gathering
was for.
"Full moon," was the reply.
"Ah, yes." I stood at the top of the spring and looked out across
the valley. The wind moved through the trees. I sat down on the edge of a log.
I was alone. I closed my eyes and relaxed into the movement of the wind. I was
one with the wind, dancing through the treetops feeling the whispers of life
permeating the valley, lifting wings into the clouds. "You are welcome
to stay." I turned to the voice. It was an older woman with long brown
hair that had elegant grey streaks. She was in good shape, relaxed, comfortable
with her nudity blending in with the large boulders and the pine trees behind
her. She offered me something to smoke but I declined. "I'm ok", I
said.
"Take off your clothes and stay awhile", she responded.
"Thank you, I need some solitude first. I am writing in a journal. A spiritual
moment, an hour or so."
"Please return, blessed be"
"Blessed be."
I turned to go but she stopped me with a touch of my arm, "Is there another
spring?"
I thought for an instant. Usually I did not confirm the existence of the higher
spring and Wiccans often burned candles around it which covered the rocks in
wax. "Yes. The sacred spring is smaller. It can only hold a few people."
"Every spring is sacred," she replied.
"Yes." I smiled, "We are blessed to share such beauty."
"Do you mind if I come up later and share your special spring with you?"
"The Spring is for all who love it."
"Thank you," she turned to the lower spring and began to descend through
the boulders. A young woman went to her, glancing at me and then saying something.
The older woman smiled and nodded her head. They both waved. I waved back and
moved on up the hill toward the high spring.
There is always a moment of wondering if it will be challenging to find the
spring as I climb the hill. I have been here many times,but still it always
occurs. This time I took the right hand path, crossed the marshy stream below
the upper spring then turned left, saw the rocks and arrived at the spring.
The Sacred Spring gushed forth from the loins of mother earth; I was blessed
to be alone. I crossed the stream flowing out of the pool, took off my pack,
arranged my things, put down the mexican blanket, disrobed, reached out and
touched the spring. It was hot, very hot. I moved in and felt the heat surround
my body. I knew the rule, never dunk your head in the spring. The flow in this
spring was fast though and it probably didn't matter but I followed the rule.
Amoebic meningitis was not to be courted. We must use our minds in conjunction
with our hearts. I left the thought behind, eased into one of the sitting places
and looked about the spring. In one nook there was a spiders web and on the
edge of the web, a spider waiting for one of the mosquitos or a larger insect
to become ensnared. After a moment or two I heard a noise, turned, and a squirrel
came into the small nook above my head. He knew that people would often leave
some granola or something behind and that there might be a snack from this new
visitor. He looked about then left. I looked upward at the pines bending in
the breeze. The sun was already against the far side of the valley and the sunset
would begin. A dragon fly danced for a moment across the hot surface of the
spring, competing against the spider for a snack. I watched its perfect dance.
Hovering, moving, wings beating, then it flitted away in an instant and disappeared.
I watched the top of the pines and felt myself transported there, moving, one
with the water, one with the earth, one with the trees.
AN AFFIRMATIVE PRAYER
God is everything, Creator flows through everything, Creating always, the Creation
always without end, Creator moves through me, I open up, accept and receive
a beautiful wonderful experience, a beautiful transformation of self, consecrating
myself to Divine Science, I see Divine Life Center expanding and growing, people
coming and loving the light, the love, the kindness. I see Gabriella in the
light of love and compassion. Bless her with joy and happiness, deep spiritual
growth and love. I see everyone opening up and flowering in Unity consciousness.
I see Divine Science everywhere and the presence of God is everywhere. The various
denominations are letting go of their divisions. A Divine Scientist is a Divine
Scientist. All is one. There are many wonderful teachers. I open up, accept
and receive all this beauty in my heart and I give thanks for it and release
these thoughts into the hands of God, Creator, knowing they are so and so it
is. My prayer carries on in my heart beyond my words. A quiet acceptance, a
gentle knowing that everything will unfold into Unity and Peace. I recall Anne's
kind email telling me to seek out other Divine Science ministers in order to
have the benefit of being being taught by more teachers. It seems like a wise
idea. I look forward to learning Spiritual Psychology. and to doing a class
with Happy and with someone else. I know there are challenges in life but these
make us stronger. My mind turns for a moment toward my recent difficulties but
I remember the teachings of Ernest Holmes. Direct your attention to that which
you wish to see and want to manifest. Acknowledge reality but continue to direct
your attention to what you would like to see manifesting. I do this. I think
about Brooks Divinity School growing and expanding. I remember the students
to whom I have taught New Thought Principles. The basics, identifying hidden
belief systems and then letting them go by replacing those beliefs with new
ones and imbedding the new Unity beliefs into your consciousness. Change your
Mind, Change Your Life. I am drifting in the spring. It is time for me to drink
some water. I get out. Drink and write more notes in the log, chicken scratch
on now damp paper. I do my best to dry my hands but somehow there is still dampness.
When I finish writing again, I drink more water then I slide back into the Spring
and witness the beginning of the Sunset. There are enough clouds to make it
glorious. The clouds become filled with light. There are oranges, yellows, soon
reds. The colors are dazzlingly beautiful. My mind strays for a moment to the
coven below. I seem to hear some chanting. I let it go returning my focus to
the sunset. The dance of colors interweaving in a glorious symphony of nature,
a natural of spectrum of cosmic beauty. Soon the purples are taking over, the
reds are what is left of the oranges, the yellows are gone and only the outline
of the clouds persist in being gilded with divine gold. Then this passes and
the oranges are now turned into dark crimson which is soon transformed to a
deep purple, a bright star shines through, the clouds pass over it. The light
of the sun fades away and night begins its reign. With scarcely a pause, with
the measuring of the beats of my heart, the moon is climbing into the sky and
soon there is a soft gentle light bathing the valley and outlining the tops
of the pines. I will not need the flashlight to descend. I climb out of the
spring again and make some more notes. I think about my beliefs. I am consecrated
to Divine Science. Though I am one with nature, I do not consider my path to
be the path a shaman. Instead I feel total committment to Divine Science. I
do not have a need for duality. The shadows are only an absence of light. There
are no demons in the darkness, perhaps a bear or two but the only real energy
is God. We might postulate other forces but the only real, lasting, and true
energy is God and when we dwell upon this presence, all anguish and all shadows
are dispelled. I recall a friend who once told me I was being stalked by a demon.
I wanted to tell her about God, about Divine Science, about how we believe in
Unity and not in duality. But I had failed, I had had the perfect opportunity
to talk about New Thought and Divine Science but I had failed at that moment.
I guess perhaps my academic propensity toward acceptance had caused me to let
this opportunity pass. I thought about how I had gone through Fundamentals of
Religious Science years ago and learned the importance of Unity consciousness
and the letting go of old dualistic beliefs. I thought about the other advice
that I was given about letting go of "five dark hearts" in my life.
I took this as good advice but more in the vein of trimming the tree, pruning
the vine. Letting go of unhealthy relationships is always a good thing. We must
not be trapped in co-dependence. At this moment for some reason I recall some
of the signs of the abuser. An abuser demands absolute loyalty, no deviation
from a spoken or unspoken set of rules, or a combination of both. An abuser
blames and shames and finds fault always and rarely finds beauty. I was happy
to let go of such people. I was happy to be accepting, to be loving, to be forgiving.
I let go of those people and let God guide me to my highest good and them to
theirs. I wondered about the dark hearts though. I am not sure that there are
any dark hearts. I think perhaps there are only people who are deluded, people
who are sick and delusion can be dispelled, sickness can be healed. As the moon
moved through the sky, soft shadows moved in correspondence to the movement
of the celestial body and it was obvious. Light dispells the shadows. The shadows
have no substance in and of themselves. I thought about the New Thought classes
I had taught in past. I thought about the Buddhism classes I had taught. The
meditation classes. The Divine Voice class. They dispelled shadows and helped
to bring people to a consciousness of their own power. I thought about what
had happened to me of late. Why? I saw many lessons unfolding for me and I realized
that everything is in Divine Right Order. I must be quieter. I realized that
I must know that the moon will move and change and the sun will rise but God
is always in me, a light that never descends, never wanes, is always there.
ANOTHER PRAYER
I felt the movement of the breeze on the water. Felt the bite of a mosquito
and began another prayer: "God is Everything, Creator moves through everything,
Creator moves through Andrea, Rayanne, Nonnie, Margie, Mara and Happy and all
members of Divine Life Center. I open up, accept and receive, a wonderful ordination
for Happy, perfect love and harmony among all who attend. I open up, accept
and receive transformation for each person to the deepest understanding of Unity
consciousness. I see each person as a beautiful light of God Consciousness shining
upon the world they move through and dispelling all shadows. I see all these
people loving and sharing and being one in Great Spirit, in Life, in Love and
I give thanks for this, expressing deepest gratitude and releasing this into
the hands of the Creator, knowing that my words are always answered with a resounding
yes and with deepest love and joy releasing this into the hands of God knowing
it is so and so it is.
The movement of pines permeated the forest with soft creaking noises, the leaves
moving together and dancing a divine dance through the full moon night. I open
my heart to love and life and joy and express my highest gratitude for being
consecrated to Divine Science. I am happy to have learned and taught for over
ten years and now to be moving toward a new ordination in New Thought. I am
happy for all the work I am doing on the internet, helping different New Thought
groups and most of all to be helping Nonnie, Margie and Mara build up their
Brooks Campus. I see the most beautiful unfoldment of love and kindness and
Unity. I see them teaching the deepest truth of the power of the presence of
God, the divine spark within us all. I see the Center radiating love and light
and joy and in turn receiving love and light and joy. I see Happy ordained in
a wonderful ceremony. I hear a noise.
"Hello. Are we here?"
"You are almost here," I spoke up. "Just follow the stream, cross
it at the broken log, then come up the hill, then turn left at the pine tree."
After a moment, three women were standing over the spring looking at me through
the soft moonlight. They were adventurers, wearing hiking boots, the younger
in Doc Martens. One of them was the woman I had spoken with earlier.
"There are apples in the backpack, and some natural juice and cups if you
are thirsty." I offered.
"Thank you." One voice responded.
"Your welcome."
"Is it nice in there?"
"Yes. Very"
"May we join you?"
"Of course, it is your spring as much as mine."
"We are all one in Goddess." One of them said.
One of the other women responded: "Blessed be."
They disrobed in the soft moonlight and got into the pool. We talked as the
moon moved through the sky about all the amazing things in the world. About
love and life and the different names people use for Great Spirit. We spoke
about transcending gender roles and learning to be truly one with Great Spirit.
We laughed and dreamed and later I descended the mountain, made some final notes
when I was in the truck then drove back to Albuquerque, tired but refreshed
from a beautiful journey to the Altar of Reverence.
Copyright © 2002, 2003 by MySpiritualFriend
Updated 2003-07-04
