Label Me Please May 24, 2013

“Label me, define me, nail me down with cold words and

that box will be your coffin, for I do not know who I am” — Rumi

Using labels to define existence provides us with a tangible experience.  Boxing something or someone’s identity allows the observer to have a personal idea of not only what that item or person is, but more importantly to know their self!  Rumi has it right in that we are all that is, but in order to fully experience this earthly life one has to be in a box or all is nothing!

Try this wonderful exercise and see how it feels to you.  Choose a random moment, pause, look around and say to yourself – “I am That”… “I am”.  You could be looking at a beggar on the street, a flower in your yard, or the computer you sit in front of right now.  Experience what it feels like to “Be” that item or person.  Take your time and let it sink in.

How does it feel?  Did you have a transcendent experience?  I know I often experience a feeling of connection to everything in the Universe during that exercise, but sometimes I don’t feel a thing.  It depends on what I put into it!  Taking my time and relaxing into the process is key.  A fun place to do this exercise is somewhere you don’t normally go or particularly like being.  It stretches the mind and broadens the senses to a point of acceptance, depending on how much you resist the feelings of course.

Where do you find yourself feeling awkward or uneasy?  Prisons, Churches, Gay Bars, Tall Buildings, at sea on a small boat, a room full of animals, sitting in your cubicle, _______ fill in the blank?  The feedback you receive is insight to your make up and conditioning, but does it really tell you who you are?  Now try the exercise in reverse, where do you find yourself feeling safe, welcome, and at home?  Your own living space, sitting at your desk, in the arms of your lover, with family, with friends, in a forest, all by yourself, _________ fill in the blank?

Now think back to a tranquil picture you remember seeing, does the feeling you get seeing the picture compare to actually being there?  For instance, seeing a picture of Yosemite National Park compare to actually being there?  Do you expect it to?  The idea is for the picture to remind you of past experiences.  If you have never had the experience then the photo can inspire you to visit the place or have the experience.  Fantasy pictures are more about invoking an emotional response sense going there is not an option.   What does “Be a Unicorn” mean to you?  If you see a pretty picture of a Unicorn can you image being the Unicorn?  Are you in the Unicorn box?  Do you see the purpose boxes provide?

Without a box or identity how can you experience anything in particular?  I find being in a box (labeled identity) helps me more fully experience life, whatever that life is at the time.  When I was living as a man the box allowed me to more fully embrace the experience of being a man.  Now that I live as a woman whether I label it as transwoman or not I have a clearer idea of who I am.  I live based on my own ideas of what a woman is, while also feeling my way through the experience.  The clothing, behavior, and thought process is very natural and takes little effort on my part.

I have sat in a field and put myself in Tree box, imagining myself to be a tree, feeling the sun, sinking my roots deep into the earth, and feeling the connection to all the animals, insects, and other plants!   It is a cleansing experience, one that humbles me, and reminds me how important each living thing is in this world.  Without the box though, this would not be possible.

On a side note labels are simply a tool, and can be used to separate you from other things and people.  If you go around saying I am not that, or that is a tree and I am not a tree, then the feeling of separation takes over – the feeling of fear sets in.   Connection is a feeling of Love and perhaps this is the purpose of the whole exercise!  To feel Love!  Have fun on your Journey of Love.

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     Free eBooks click here

Feel It May 13, 2013

Why does a person do what they do?  I know the question of why can often lead down a circumferential path but let’s just give it a go, for fun.  Why do you drink coffee every morning, or walk in the shadows on a hot day?  Given the choice of going to a familiar restaurant and eating food you have had many times and enjoyed or going to a new place serving unfamiliar food, which would you choose?

The answer is going to vary a lot by each person and reflects the person’s character.  On a deeper level though the choices you make determine your experience of life and in turn influence future decisions.  Often life is based on an experience from your past, so in effect the past becomes your future!  This can be a very dangerous and limiting habit.  What if instead you made your decisions based on the joy offered?  By listening to your inner voice and letting your soul guide you the experience changes for the better.  This is a practice of faith and demonstrates a belief in a benevolent world.

What if you drink coffee for the flavor experience and the pleasure it brings you and if it wakes you up then all the better?  How about staying in the shade to protect your skin and stay cool?  The other motivation might be fear of dying of cancer or getting sunburned.  Fear is a dreadful feeling and poor for your health.  The fear itself is the problem not the sun or coffee or any ‘thing’ outside you.  How you think about things makes a difference in your experience of it.  Thoughts are things, how you use them determines the outcome.

The ultimate reward for all you do is the experience or feeling gained.  Giving feels good, thus it is a good thing to do.  Swimming in clean clear warm water feels good, thus it is a good thing to do.  Not all experience is going to feel good, but this does not mean the outcome will not be good.  This is where listening to your inner voice, the soft quiet one, is your best guidance.  The feeling good part is often another person’s experience as a result of your actions.  It feels good to be a part of making another person feel good, even if it hurts in the short term.  An example would be jumping into cold water to save a person’s life or running into a burning building to save someone.

As obvious as all this may seem, how often do you think about the feeling you experience when making a choice?  How often do you think of other people’s feelings when you make a choice?  Do the thing which feels right to you and consider others in the decision.  This is what is called a win-win.

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     Free eBooks click here

 

Slight of Mind Revisited May 9, 2013

The actions you take are necessary as proof to yourself that it is not only possible but reality.  The concept of reality is not as fixed as one would believe and because of this we are constantly testing reality.  If it happens then it must be true is the mentality we use.

Have you ever been to a magic show?  Is that reality?  Does the rabbit really disappear from the hat? Of course it does, the question is where does it go?  If reality was fixed could we even believe a trick like this?  Don’t we have to know there is a possibility of the rabbit actually disappearing to make this trick work?  Deep down we all know that this 3d world is an illusion.

A trigger is required for us to believe a certain event.  Let’s take surgery for instance.  Say a large benign tumor exists, can be seen on x-ray and with a large bulge in the skin.  We wish this tumor to be gone.  How do we make it go away?  We go to a surgeon and he cuts it out.  Why don’t we go to the magician to make it disappear?  Belief, personal experience and precedent!

We need matching action of a believable nature to create the result we seek.  The movies use this technique all the time.  Two scenes are shot at different times and spliced together to give the appearance they happened in sequence. (Called Matching Action)  It is a trick for the mind!  In fact movies are all about tricks, they are actually a series of still images shown very quickly ~16 frames per second (sometimes faster up to 32 FPS) and appear to be moving…appear to be real.

Surgery is the matching action, like in the movies, which allows the mind to perceive a miracle cure!  When in reality it is done at a level beyond the mind.  Reality exists beyond the mind and the mind is our lens to this world.  Without the ego mind this world does not exist!  This is why the mind needs proof, i.e. surgery to experience the healing.  The Spirit does not need this trick, because it operates at the level of reality and knows there is no tumor at all.  There never was, because in reality we are perfect beings of light/energy made in the image of God/Universal Intelligence/Great Spirit.

The magic trick diverts the attention while the appearance is manipulated, but in reality the rabbit does not even exist so anything that is done is perfectly believable.  Now that we have this information, do we still need surgery to remove a tumor?  Or make a rabbit disappear?  This depends on your level of belief and faith in reality!

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity

Ps. Apply this to SRS/GRS and ask yourself if you really need surgery to believe who you are?  In the Spirit world there is no gender… perhaps this is what you desire.

 

Faithful Living May 1, 2013

What is it to live without faith?  Could you be living a faithful life without even knowing it?  I believe most people are living in faith whether they consciously choose to or not.  Over 90% of people believe in a higher power according to a recent Gallup poll so this easily translates to faithful living.

So just what is Faith?  According to Dictionary.com it means:

1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another’s ability.

2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.

3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.

4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.

5. a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.

Number 3 means over 90% of the people have Faith!  Number 4 is really general and would apply to ~99% of people as we all believe in something! (Atheism and Science are beliefs)  So the proof is mounting, but then number 2 indicates we need no proof to have faith.  Whatever you believe is true!  For those who have been around a while having confidence or trust in another person is bound to have occurred at some point in your life and if you are a Spiritual person it is most likely a daily practice.  The religious belief category is the only one which may not apply to the majority of people, although most have been there at one point or another in their lives.  So you can see Faith is a part of everyone’s life.

Making it a conscious part of your life simply takes the commitment to be aware of your practices.  Practicing faith consciously is something we can all do easily.  First of all look within to find your beliefs, principles, and morals.  As you define them just be observant of your life – your words, behavior, and thoughts.  How are they aligned with these beliefs?  The more conscious you become the easier it is to align with the Faith you already have.  Practice makes perfect is applicable here, however as your journey continues this becomes perfection is always present, now and forever.  Faith is instinctual to one who has chosen it.  Perfection resides in all people, places, things -the journey makes this perfectly clear!

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity    Free eBook “a Love Based Society”

“As you start to walk out on the way, the way appears.” Rumi

Do you have Intrinsic Value? April 22, 2013

Intrinsic value, do you in and of yourself have value?  To whom?  Why?  This is our topic today because I am sure you have asked these questions before.  I know I have, and I am still working on a viable answer.  This question is also essential to a Natural Law/Resource Based Economy/Love Based Society.

A quick review of today’s society shows that value is based on what something or someone brings to the table.  How big the bank account is coupled with the amount of credit a person has denotes a person’s value in our present Capitalistic system.  There is much more to value than economics however.  Think about this carefully, because you may not be aware of the purpose certain people play in your life.  This exercise falls into the category of gratitude.  For instance the bus driver is there to get you where you are going but also to guide you or possibly share companionship.  Those who ride the same bus every day at the same time get to know the bus driver and the value of that relationship grows.  A person who is always smiling and laughing is of value to all whom they are around.  Someone who dresses nicely, feels good about themself, and radiates this energy everywhere they go is of value to society.  It matters not how much money they have in their pocket!

Have you thought of anyone with no intrinsic value yet?  How about the villain?  Make your choice carefully, because they are plentiful in our society.  I think you know without a villain there are no heroes.  Ok, so how about a homeless person?  Do they have any value?  What purpose do they serve?

The purpose we all serve is to our Higher Self/ Soul.  We are here for a purpose and the purpose itself has value to you if to no one else.  What makes a person homeless?  No home right!  It is of course a lot deeper than that.  The person is homeless because they have made choices that lead to their present situation.  It could be they lost a job, or are too unstable in mind to hold a job, or they simply do not wish to play the human game, which brings up another topic – jobs.

Does a person need a job to have worth/value?  Do they have to “contribute to society in monetary form” to have worth/value?  Do they have value just for being themselves?  What if you did nothing, would you still have value, or to state it another way, do you have intrinsic value?  Does a person in a vegetative state or coma have value?  The answer is blowing in the wind…life is a balance and needs both those in need and those to help.  It just depends on which role you decide to play. (This choice is usually made unconsciously or as some would say, it is made by a higher power)  Are you a hero or a villain; charity case or welfare worker?  It really matters not, because we all have intrinsic value or else we would not be here!  We are all a part of the story.

No matter what you do or don’t do, you have value to yourself at least, but probably to others you have no idea even exist.  Life is not hard although we often make it that way.  Be nice to yourself today and see the beauty in your existence!  “a Love Based Society” knows the value of each and every person while making sure they know it too!

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity    Free eBook “a Love Based Society”

“Value is not intrinsic; it is not in things. It is within us; it is the way in which man reacts to the conditions of his environment.” — Ludwig von Mises, Austrian economist  Meaning value is not in things, but in people!  YOU!

Second Half Of The Human Game April 18, 2013

This Blog is a sharing from a book I am reading now called Butterflies are Free to Fly, A New and Radical Approach To Spiritual Evolution by Stephen Davis.  I will not preface this much but to say in the book he explains The Holographic Universe and how it applies to us.  He divides life into two parts and calls them the Human Game.  Most of the people you know (probably yourself included, but not necessarily) are in the first half of the game and basically, the second half the Human Game is the opposite of the first half.  The following are the tenets of the second half.  (You are the Player)

1. The Player knows what it has been calling “reality” is not real at all, but a hologram created by its Infinite I to play the Human Game. This Game is being played by consciousness, in consciousness, and for consciousness; and in fact “there is no ‘out there’ out there,” no independent objective reality.

2. The Player knows once it has moved into the second half, all holograms experienced by the Player will be totally in support of its metamorphosis into a butterfly, rather than toward more limitation and restriction (first half of the game).

3. The Player knows it can never and will never experience anything in any hologram its Infinite I has not created and wanted to experience, and that its Infinite I has written and approved the script being used by anyone else appearing in the Player’s hologram. No one in the Player’s hologram can ever do or say anything its Infinite I has not requested.

4. The Player knows its focus changes from thinking to feeling. In the second half there is nothing to analyze, dissect, or understand – never any reason to ask “why?”  Thinking and studying are now only the results of an inner curiosity to expand one’s knowledge instead of being required to figure out the world or make a Player “better” or more “enlightened.”

5. The Player switches from “giving its power away” to make a hologram real, to “taking its power back” from it. When holograms appear that cause any kind of discomfort, it is an indication that the Player assigned some power to that hologram to make it real while playing in the first half of the game, and this is the opportunity to recognize the hologram was in fact not real at all and reclaim that power from it.

6. The Player leaves behind any and all judgment of anyone or anything in any hologram at any time, such as “good” and “bad,” or “right” and “wrong.” As Rudyard Kipling said in his poem, If: “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same….”

7. The Player knows there is never anything that needs to be fixed or changed or improved in the holograms it experiences.

8. The Player changes from being “proactive” to being “reactive.” There is nothing the Player ever again needs to “make happen.” Being “reactive” means that when a holographic illusion that appears “out there” seems to require a decision, a response, or an action, the Player takes it (as long as it does not include discomfort). Or, when the Player feels an internal motivation or impulse to act, it does. In other words, the Player follows its inner excitement as long as it is fun and brings total joy.

9. The Player lives from moment to moment, one day at a time. There are no goals, no planning, no targets, no objectives, and no agendas. There is no past and no future –just “now.”

10. The Player develops a deep love and sincere appreciation for its Infinite I, for itself as the Player, and for all the first half holographic creations, even though at the time of the experience they may have seemed less than joyful. The Player marvels in awe at the beautiful, perfect, and miraculous job the Player did in the first half to convince itself it was real, and that the holographic world it saw around it was real.

11. The Player has the “knowing” and the complete trust its Infinite I will take care of all its needs (including money), and there is no reason to worry about anything. The Infinite I would not create a hologram it wanted the Player to experience if it did not also give it everything it needs for that experience.

12. The Player wakes up each day looking forward with curious anticipation to the experiences its Infinite I will create for it that day; and the Player buckles up, relaxes, and enjoys the ride.

(Stephen Davis, 2010 ButterfliesFree.com)

* * *

The eBook Butterflies are Free to Fly is free to download at the above website.  I recommend reading it to fully understand the list above.  My new passion is Quantum Physics and this book has been a big part of this most recent adventure.  Just like one reaches the beach before entering the sea, this is the next step on the Journey of Love.

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     Free eBooks click here

 

 

Acceptance is Key April 4, 2013

The Transgender Journey is much like any journey.  Preparation helps all go smoothly while being ready to handle the unexpected becomes a valued skill.  Learning to accept what you have and working with it is both the beginning and the end of the journey.  The “what you have” is dynamic as is the journey.  So let’s begin.

First of all find out who you are.  This is not as simple as it may seem.  The person you see in the mirror is not necessarily who you are.  The body is simply a vehicle rather than who you are.  Just like your car is not who you are, neither is your body.  Getting to the point where you are happy (accept) with the image in the mirror and with yourself is sometimes a long road.  There is no right way to get there, so leave the GPS at home and use your intuition instead.

Introspection comes easily for some of us and much harder for others, so if you are one of those who does not like to look within, then this will be even more important to you, although you may need to get help.

The journey goes something like this, look in the mirror, what do you see?  Ok, this is your vehicle.  It was given you for a reason and most likely that reason is that it will take you where you need to go, not necessarily where you want to go.  Accept this gift!  Right here and now, STOP thinking you know where you are going.  Stop thinking you know who you are.  Let go of any preconceptions you may have acquired.  Each day is a new day and one with the potential to discover your true self.

Now that you have discovered your vehicle go take it for a ride.  Test the cornering ability, the acceleration, and the stopping distance.  See how good you are at changing situations, demands on your services or skills.  On the road keep a notebook with you and record your best features, skills, and attributes.  Get to know what you are good at and what you need work on.  Accept where you are as perfect in this moment, all is well.

You have a long list now and are ready to pursue this even further.  Stay focused on the desirable features, skills, and attributes, the ones you put on your list and have already accepted.  Staying motivated at this level is about focusing on your goodness and forgiving all else.  If you noticed any undesirable attributes on the list you can acknowledge them, thank them for being a part of you, and then let them go.  To symbolize this write them down on a piece of paper.  In a safe location, burn the paper while focusing on gratitude – be grateful for the learning they afforded you.  Everything in your life serves a purpose so be grateful while at the same time do not get attached to them.  For instance, fat is often a shield we use to protect us from perceived danger or undesirable situations.  Notice I did not say “real” danger.  Once you become comfortable with the situations in your life and can accept your gifts of physical beauty and vigor then life supports this reality.  It all starts with your acceptance and willingness to see the beauty no matter your perceptions.

What is next for you?  Be optimistic and joyful, you have just let go of all your troubles.  The process continues and goes deeper each time.  Accept and repeat.  Life will evolve and get better and better!  Before you know it love and acceptance will exist in you on a deeper level than you even knew existed!  As this occurs your experience in the outer world conforms and reflects this reality.  The only real way to change the world is to change yourself!  The world is just you reflected!

Remember a few things along the way.  Everything happens for a reason, resistance is futile, and everyone is going through a similar journey, so give them what you would wish in return, acceptance.  Joy is in the journey!

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     Free eBooks click here

 

 

 

Meaning of Marriage March 26, 2013

Marriage is between a man and woman, specifically, the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc. (Dictionary.com)  Here is another definition of marriage I found in a blog, “”True Meaning of Marriage” The true meaning of marriage is love. By love, I mean not just what we feel but what we do. Love just as a feeling is very flimsy, an up and down roller coaster. Love is an action! In order for it to become the ultimate force and for us to rediscover the true meaning of marriage, love has to be unconditional. You are not looking for acceptance or validation. You are giving of yourself to another not because of them, but because of your values. A death to ones self so that another may live and benefit from your sacrifice. This is not an easy road to walk. But it is the most rewarding road however. An old Buddhist saying goes like this, ‘I want peace.’ If you take your ego (I) and your desires (want) out of the equation, i.e., the self, you will have only peace left. The true meaning of marriage is expressing love unconditionally to another. It is an unstoppable force that can endure anything. How do you find it? Within yourself. You have to draw strength from you. Neither seeking validation nor acceptance, just seeking the opportunity to show love.” (TalkAboutMarriage.com)

Here is another quote which exposes the issue of marriage nicely, “The meaning of marriage can be looked at from a legal perspective. Legally, marriage is a binding contract between the two parties that joins together their possessions, income, and lives. Marriage is recognized by the state, and the dissolving of the contract can only happen through the legal process of divorce.

But, for most people, marriage has meaning beyond the legal sense. Marriage is also an agreement between the man and woman. Husband and wife take certain vows, to love one another, to cherish one another, and to stay together through sickness and health, for better and for worse. In most cases, this agreement includes sexual faithfulness, and a promise that each person will do what they can to make the other one happy. For some people, this agreement between man and woman takes the form of a covenant between not only the couple, but God as well. Thus, many marriages are performed within the rites of various churches and religious institutions.

The meaning of marriage should be looked at from a sociological perspective as well. A marriage is the conduit by which children are born; a marriage provides both a mother and a father for the children. The family unit, the relationship between parents and child, are all based on the marriage relationship.” (laboroflove.com)

Now let’s break this down and apply it to the current debate over same-sex marriage.  The first thing to notice is marriage is between a man and woman, not necessarily a male and female, although there are arguments about having children.  It is also monogamous, supporting, and legal.  Marriage is a social construct created by man for mankind.  Religious institutions use it to control their congregation and impose their ideology.  The Government further supports this manipulation by imposing financial benefits and legal constrictions on the nuptials.

There is a saying which applies to marriage nicely, ‘two heads are better than one’.  Partnership just makes sense in surviving and thriving so the question becomes how important is Love to the equation?  Having been married twice and divorced twice I would say it is imperative!   I will further posit that same sex marriages have one partner in the man role and one in the woman role by nature.  It is possible the roles flip from time to time and that even happens in hetero marriages.  Also the financial aspects of marriage are of great importance being the leading cause of divorce.  Marriage these days is often simply about security and insurance against loneliness. For the same-sex community it is about being accepted by society and feeling loved by their peers.  It is just another way to fit in and this goes for all marriages, gay or not!

Ideally I would say the “true meaning of marriage” is Love, a selfless unconditional love.  Let us pray this remains the primary reason to marry and to stay together.  We can also acknowledge the facts that marriage is about financial, physical, and emotional support between two individuals of consenting age (now 18).  Equality is about everyone, having the right to equal benefits, and opportunities.  The whole Same-Sex marriage movement could be reduced to the right to file taxes as married, share insurance, and make legal decisions with/for your spouse.  Take money out of society and this entire issue dissolves and marriage will return to its original purpose of sharing love, but this is another story, the many benefits of a moneyless gifting economy.

Love needs no legal document or government/religious approval.  Love is boundless until we put up walls.  We put them there so we can also take them down.  There is no greater and important principle to preserve in our world than Free Will.  It is our inalienable right to make our own decisions, to love whom we choose, and to experience the gifts this produces.  Do we really even need marriage at all?  Why put limits on who you Love, who you live with and who has your children (who’s children you have), especially if you are not going to honor your vows over your entire life?  Certain Truths hold themselves to be self-evident.  The only true relationship you have is with Divine Source (God).  This larger relationship expresses through the smaller ones with the people in your life, your relationship to mother earth, and to yourself.

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     Free eBooks click here

 

To further the journey of understanding marriage I offer this article on The Meaning of Marriage as a Spiritual Union – the metaphysics of marriage.

Redefining Masculine and Feminine March 5, 2013

Redefining Masculine and Feminine and how they fit into society & culture.  As the human race evolves our gender roles and sexual definitions are changing.  It is fascinating to look back at things as simple as the bathing suit to see how it has changed over time, just Google the history of the bathing suit/swim suit.  Or look at women in the military and the roles they play there.  How about men’s fashion?  In some cultures the clothes are becoming more androgynous and the boundaries are breaking down.  Examples would be Europe, Japan and the more cosmopolitan cities around the world.

The purpose of this blog is to open your mind to the changes that are happening all around you right now.  I am sure this depends on the environment in which you live, but it is not restricted to just cities.  For hundreds if not thousands of years women would work around the farm performing work most men these days would balk at.  So this is not necessarily a new trend, but one which has been building over the past several hundred years.  Men are staying at home to raise the children and women are running board rooms and companies.   The business look is becoming more androgynous with women wearing pant suits and dark colors to compete with the men.

So what are these trends all about?  Why now?  Where is all this going?  I have done much research on the new Age of Aquarius and feel this is largely responsible for the changes you are presently experiencing.  There are also a few Universal Laws to consider as well.  Both of which I have blogged about before.  Focusing on the Zodiac cycles for now, it is well known that we just passed the 2012 end date for the end of an era.  We know there are 12 signs in the zodiac and the total period of the cycle is equal to 25,920 years so this makes each era 2160 years.  There is also a cusp period of transition between eras, making the period of change about 200-600 years.  From all the data I have reviewed the end of this transition period is between 1860 and 2600.  “The Age of Aquarius is an astrological age, which shifts roughly every 2,150 years. It’s defined by the sun’s position at the time of the March, or vernal, equinox. The Age of Aquarius begins when the March equinox point moves out of the constellation Pisces and into the constellation Aquarius. But there’s no definitive answer as to when that will be.” (EarthSky.org)  What this means is the influence of Pisces has been waning since about 1860 and the Age of Aquarius has been waxing.   When you look closely at the traits of each it is easy to see this phenomenon in action.

“The Age of Aquarius is the Age of Freedom, Technology (especially electricity), and the Water Bearer.” (Weaver, Sandra 2012) While ‘The Age of Pisces has been a very spiritual age. It is a time of gentleness, materialism and artistry, but also it is about impracticality.’ (Weaver, Sandra 2012)  War has been the theme of Pisces and Peace is the theme of Aquarius.  Duality has ruled the Age of Pisces with the male and female being polar but this is changing as the Age of Aquarius slowly takes over.  The Age of Aquarius is denoted by androgyny and bi-sexuality.  This makes perfect sense when you take into count the cosmology of each age.  Aquarius is all about Oneness and connection, peace, love and sharing.  Pisces on the other hand was about separation, duality, materialism, and conflict.  The lessons learned from Pisces are profound and offer a divine contrast to the world we are moving into.  Understand neither is the “right way” to experience life, but instead are simply a way to experience life.  Variety is what makes life interesting and we are moving into very interesting times indeed!

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity      Free eBooks

 

 

Ownership = Responsibility February 25, 2013

Ownership is purely a man-made concept which has existed for thousands of years in some form or another.  The question I ask here is simply this, “How does ownership serve you”?  Is it in the Highest and Best Good of the Human Race & Earth?

Ownership as defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica is, “the legal relation between a person (individual, group, corporation, or government) and an object. The object may be corporeal, such as furniture, or completely the creature of law, such as a patent, copyright, or annuity; it may be movable, such as an animal, or immovable, such as land. Because the objects of property and the protected relations are different in every culture and vary according to law, custom and economic system and the relative social status of those who enjoy its privileges, it is difficult to find a least common denominator of “ownership.” Ownership of property probably means at a minimum that one’s government or society will help to exclude others from the use or enjoyment of one’s possession without one’s consent, which may be withheld except at a price.”

What do you own?  Think carefully here.  Are you sure?  Is it because you paid for it?  Or is it simply that you claimed possession?  Can you do with it as you please?  Does it bring you joy?  Is it time to re-assess your viewpoint on ownership?

Ownership can be reduced to a one word definition, responsibility.  Do you own the house you live in or do you simply have responsibility for it while you live there?  You make payments on the mortgage till you either move or pay it off, then you still pay taxes and maintenance fees.  If you decide to dig for diamonds or drill for oil can you?  Doubtful!  Most homes do not include mineral rights. Even if they did, do you have the right to lay claim to something which belongs to Mother Earth (everyone)?

Pets are a living thing we claim ownership over, so what is up with this?  Aren’t you really just offering to provide care and food for the returned love they provide?  Is this ownership?  They see it as you have joined their pack or pride!  And in reality, this is true also.  By owning a pet you have a responsibility to care for this animal plain and simple.  It is a joint venture for the betterment of both, no ownership involved!

Marriage can be viewed from the ownership perspective depending on the society you are living in.  Families used to give their daughter up in a financial deal with another family in a transaction which benefited both families, a form of ownership, which the man or ruling family controls.  In fact, it still exists today in many minds.  The husband owns the wife who must conform to his wishes.  He bears the responsibility to care for her in the exchange.  This is the business of Marriage!  $72 million per year is spent on this in the USA alone.

By owning a car, stereo, computer or any other object you have the responsibility to care for this object till you release this “ownership” by selling, giving, or throwing it away.  This is really what ownership means!  It does not give you the right to abuse the item, pet, or person in your life.

In regards to Marriage and relationships, the responsibility is implied and exists whether married or not.  Ownership has nothing to do with it in reality.  It is not possible to own another person (without their permission – which marriage constitutes).  This is one reason I am done with marriage in any form.  Some things are beyond law!

Ownership of property, living or not denotes responsibility!  Of course simply being a member of society bears responsibility.  What I speak of here is we all own everything.  The idea of privileged use of certain items or land is an affront to civilized behavior!  The lesson we need to be teaching is that we are all one big family and to damage, abuse, deface, or otherwise destroy anything is offensive to yourself and your family.  Even if you are paying for a service like a car wash or renting a bicycle, caring and respecting the item is a part of the temporary ownership you have of that item.  Public space is another good example of community ownership and the responsibility each person has to care for it.

It comes down to simply Loving yourself and everything in your life whether it is “yours” or not, because in reality everything belongs to everyone.  Equality is the goal!  Share and share alike, a resource based economy has this focus and will meet the coming needs of society best.  Maybe we should all be looking carefully at what ownership really means and how it applies to society.  Maybe we should all be treating everything as if we own it and with the realization we own nothing!

Sequoia Elisabeth

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