Haiku Ellipses...Invitation...Response...

ORBITS orbits of color shooting out from the center in search of their home fact: we came from somewhere--verified empirically by the fact that we are alive and "here" fact: we are going somewhere--empirically verified by the passage of our lives from day to day, sunrise to sunset, and after our death, empirically verified by the thousands of accounts of near-death experiences, reincarnation accounts, and scientifically validated mediumship communication with those that have died.  practice: meditate on where you believe you came from, what the purpose of your earthly journey is, and where you believe you will go/be when you die? these are important questions that shape the course of our lives...take time to seriously reflect, contemplate, meditate, and respond to them again and again over the life span, as the responses may change over time.

YEARS marking the years past contemplating the years now wondering how far looking back, looking here and now, looking forward...the sweep of a lifetime...so many memories...all the present moment senses, intuitions, and experiences...and the hopeful plans for the future...we live with both hope and uncertainty, not knowing the hour or manner of our death at the end of our lifetime. it behooves us all to examine our lives...to give an account of where we've been, what we've accomplished, especially how much we have loved, to savor the present moment blessings of the day with whomever we are with, and to make hopeful plans for the future to provide for us and our loved ones needs...the sweep of a lifetime. create your own timeline, using whatever symbols seem appropriate, and meditate on where you've been, where you are, and where you would like to travel...give thanks for the human embodiment, make any course corrections where needed to align with your deepest values, and e...

MIND MAPPING start at the center 1 word per squiggly line mind mapping the brain Tony Buzan popularized the term "mind mapping" in the 1970's as a visual tool that uses images and branch like associations to mirror the way the brain works...some of the principles of mind mapping are: start with a central idea in the center of a page, branch out from the center by adding squiggly lines with one word per line preferably in color and with an image. as a practice, sit in meditation and ask yourself, "how is it with you right now?"--mentally place each "thing" in response to this question outside of yourself and keep asking the question until you feel "done"...pick one item to work with, represent it visually as one word on the center of a blank page...branch out from the center with related ideas, each represented by a squiggly line, one word per line, use colors and symbols whenever possible...when the map feels complete, meditate on it with sof...

ROUND & ROUND head at the center circles itself round and round still seeking the end at the center, our head, our intellect, provides meaning, purpose, destination, a path to follow...and then life proceeds to take us in circles, learning lessons with each loop around the center of ourselves...there is no apparent end to this seeking and learning, the process of searching and learning is the meaning and purpose consider your life span from childhood to whatever your current age is...what lessons have you learned thus far, and how can you communicate these lessons to best serve others in your circle of relationships? Each colored circle within the larger circles of the image represents another lesson learned...see if you can create at least 10 meaningful/significant lessons, and make an attempt to communicate at least one lesson with someone using whatever communication channel seems most appropriate.  

FLOATING TRIANGLES floating triangles surrounded by colored dots revealing the face dots create lines that make up triangles, that make up the star in the center of which is a face...our face, their face, nature's face, G's face...all are there hiding at center...distracted by the colorful dots and triangles of life, sometimes it's hard to catch a glimpse of the face at the center, to be aware of the awareness that makes it possible to see the face, to contemplate the face of all faces. how many triangles are in your life... people, issues, challenges, problems, things you need to do, beliefs, habits, titles, roles, beauties, things...STOP the outward gaze and look inward to see your own face in meditation...contemplate the face...see others in your face, nature in your face, the universe in your face, G in your face...

4 SENTINALS the 4 sentinals standing guard around the fire of light, life, and love the 4 directions each have their own sentinal that guards the inner fire...the north sentinal protects the fire from the winds and snow that could snuff out the fire and still let in some air that the fire requires to continue to flame...the southern sentinal allows warmth from the south and protects from fierce heat that might overtake the fire...the east sentinal protects from too many new things, like 100's of seeds wanting to take root, letting in only those that the fire can support with light, life, and love...and the west sentinal protects from the darkness of death, and allowing some needed pruning of plants that grow in the fire's light...for light, life, and love to flourish, they need protection and support. how are you protecting your well-being, guarding your time to nourish your mind, body, and spirit...and how well are you protecting your loved ones so that they may flourish, and ...

UP & DOWN double-headed tree growing upwards and downwards knows no gravity trees grow in two directions...up and down...this curious double headed tree knows no gravity, no soil, growing in both directions, suspended in mid air...dreamlike from our central trunk, we can grow upwards and downwards, stretching toward the sky and also downwards into the ground (in this case an airy "ground"). for any idea you might meditate on, take the idea in 2 directions, metaphorically up and down...see where it leads...which direction yields more fruit for the well-being of all...  

ENFOLDED sitting at center  enfolded by pink ovals waiting for green life from the ovules in the hidden part of the ovary, moving outward through the enfolded pink ovals toward the sticky pink branching stigma that attracts, awaits, and captures the anther-produced pollen born on the filaments of the stamen...all a process designed to create and nurture new life... the wonderous process of creating new life from male and female parts of a flower mirrors the birthing of new ideas in the mind what hidden ideas in the unconscious are making their way up through the enfolded ovals in the flower of your mind...can you identify what attracts other ideas into this protected and hidden area...how will you know when the two forces meet and new life is born...what is the accompanying sensation(s) that accompanu new birth...do you feel...a quiver, a flash of warmth, goose bumps, tingles, something else...pay attention to the body's messages that signal new life forming...nurture the environme...

2 CIRCLES from the 2 circles touching and overlapping reality births from the 2 comes the many, from male and female comes new life, from thesis and antithesis comes synthesis...the touching and overlap seems to facilitate new birth(s) at the intersection of the circles, the vortex, the vesica piscis, the mandorla (almond), the portal of new life... consider 2  vital ideas/parts of yourself...meditate on how the parts/ideas overlap, interrelate, connect...open...look/sense the portal of new life emerging...what implications does this have for being and doing?   

FEELERS 1 human being sending feelers everywhere cosmic perception there are a multitude of ways to FEEL...we have the sensory organs to feel touch with skin, sound with ears, sight with eyes, smell with nose, and taste with tongue, AND we also have our sense of intuition from heart and gut which modern science tells us have their own kind of brains...all surrounded by AWARENESS, that magical universal essence of beingness that inhabits our bodies and lives eternally...other traditions/systems identify organs and chakras as places of awareness...whatever their origin, we can send our awareness in and out from our body to feel everywhere imaginable...this is cosmic perception. begin with the 5 senses and see feel each in turn...stretch out your feelers inside (to all of your organs and glands...as many parts of the body as you can) and outside of you, to your immediate and greater surroundings, and even farther using your intuition and imagination...HOW MUCH CAN YOU FEEL? how far can yo...