The Storm in the Heart of the Sun

Again, here's the same quote as posted previously ~~ with a different focus: the storm in the heart of the sun. Since time immemorial, we humans have looked up into the heavens. We have followed the progress of the sun and the moon and the stars. We have watched the various styles of weather and shifts in our capacity to see.

We also follow the effect of the sun and the moon on our planet ~ and on ourselves. In this snippet of the mythos of Dr. Who, he is a Storm of the Sun. This correlates most closely with what we know and name Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections which "are extremely large explosions on the photosphere. In just a few minutes, the flares heat to several million degrees F. and release as much energy as a billion megatons of TNT. ...

Solar flares emit x-rays and magnetic fields which bombard the Earth as geomagnetic storms. ...during sunspot maximums, the Earth will see an increase in the Northern and Southern Lights and a disruption in power grids and radio transmissions. The storms can even change polarity in satellites which can damage sophisticated electronics." [http://www.crh.noaa.gov/fsd/?n=sunspots]

A Storm in the Heart of the Sun. Think about the power of that image; the possibility of influence over a vast array of power. What would you do with that kind of power? What in your life influences you that much, that completely? How many 'storms' have you weathered? and of what magnitude?

Snow Day

Today was a most amazing day. It started out cold.... well, cold for the Pacific NW.... then it began to snow. And snow. And snow. And it's still snowing.

The school district announced that schools were closing at 1:00 p.m. due to the continuation of the snow and storm front coming through. But, wait, it really didn't mean 'closed' ~ it meant that, well, if you could pick up your child, you could do that after 1:00 p.m. ~ but really, schools will be open until the usual end of day. And, oh, that text and/or email sent to you about schools closing at 1? Never mind.

Traffic was an absolute mess. An hour and a half to drive the distance that normally takes less than 20 minutes. Interstate 5 was a parking lot for much of its length through the stormy section.

Oh, yes, and now comes the email and the text announcing that school is closed tomorrow. For a snow day. Maybe, perhaps, for real this time.

Do Your Words Matter?

When I was very young, I didn't speak much. I watched others and waited to see what the next event would be. Words mattered only slightly because I lived in a different world: one where every presence was noticed and colorful.

When I got a little older, I thought my words mattered. I thought others should listen to what I had to say because it was deep and ponderous and important. I still spoke little. And often people did listen because I'd spent years paying attention and learning. Much of what I said made sense.

Then I realized that what I said, my words, didn't matter as much as the meaning and force of them did. Sound contradictory? In a general way, it is. Over the years, I began to see my self as important as the deliverer of the significant words. One day, it struck me that it wasn't me ~ or any one person ~ who was the all-important deliverer of the words, it was how the words were formed, how they struck the soul, that made all the difference in the world.

What about you? Do your words matter? Why? or Why not?

Ancient and Forever

Doctor Who, The Family of Blood, 2 June 2007:

Because I've seen him. He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night, and the storm in the heart of the sun. He's ancient and forever... He burns at the center of time and he can see the turn of the universe... And... he's wonderful.

What fantastic writing!
At first read, the phrase "ancient and forever" appears redundant. Especially since the tone and tense of the statements remains in the present. Ancient generally implies the past, but clearly not in this statement. It's about a being that has been alive for a very, very long time. Forever implying that this being will continue on for a very long time as well.

I know that this particular quote came from a Doctor Who episode ~ yet it can describe any being from any mythology with an eternal presence. Ancient and forever ~ past, present and future ~ one who is everpresent in the conscious world.

That's why the writing is so glorious! Paul Cornell, the writer of this episode, captures the essence of the eternal being in mythology. The obverse is that this being is also ageless.... and capable of changing appearance!

What do you think of when you hear the phrase "ancient and forever"? How important is an eternal being in your life?

Extreme Moons of January

©MLMonroe

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines PERIGEE as "the point in outer space where an object traveling around the Earth is closest to the Earth." What we refer to as Super Moons happen when the moon is at its perigee. It looks closer and larger than it does at other times.

In January of 2014, there are two Super Moons; two times during the same month when the moon is at its perigee. Both of those times are New Moons so the size of these moons is not observable to the naked eye. The first of these moons arrived on January 1st; the second will arrive on January 30th.

The opposite of PERIGEE is APOGEE, defined by the Merriam-Webster online dictionary as "the point in outer space where an object traveling around the Earth is farthest away from the Earth."

And in January 2014, there was a Mini Moon, the moon at its apogee, on January 16th. This Mini Moon was the first full moon of 2014; it was at its farthest point away from the Earth.

Extremes and somewhat unusual occurrences to be happening not just once in a month, or even twice, but three times in one month. What do you think that promises for the year of 2014?

Janus & Resolutions

Janus, the god for whom the month of January is named, is the guardian god of transitions. A fitting god to guard the transition from one year to the next. Because he looks both forward and back, the possibilities are all seen by and available to him.

January is the month for considering changes and new beginnings, which is the very reason for making resolutions.

The simple fact that Janus stands firmly in the present moment gets overlooked as the duality of his vision grows in focus. Looking at all the possibilities and options available does not mean leaving the reality of Now.

The above image shows Janus's two faces as being old and young. This is one view, probably coming from the same imaginative place as the old Father Time and the diapered Baby New Year images. It's easier for us to think of him this way... yet we still miss the Now when we do.

What do you see when you look back on 2013? What do you see when you look forward to 2014? How is your vision of Now influenced by looking back and looking forward?

Make Mistakes

Read this quote from Neil Gaiman.... then read it again. And again, so the message truly reaches you. What an incredible thought: MAKE MISTAKES! Every mistake we make brings us closer to ... well, to being fully alive and human. It's the only way to learn. If you're afraid to make mistakes, you're really stuck.

In the interest of full disclosure, I find myself challenged when it comes to making mistakes! It's not so much that I want to be perfect as it is that I don't want to look bad. What's strikes me as the oddest angle is the simple fact that I often snitch on myself when it comes to doing things incorrectly or incompletely or perhaps not knowing how to do something.

Mostly, it's the inner critic, the voice inside my head, the worrier part of me that is afraid of making mistakes. She acts as though she can see the future and knows what and how it all turns out. In truth, she is as ignorant of the future as I am. That's where the first mistake gets made: listening to her maddening voice.

Do you make mistakes? Do you learn from them? Do you have that inner voice that urges you onward toward perfection? What response do you have to it?