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The Seven Sacred Stones: An Outward Expression of the Practice of the Presence of God -- Honouring the Elements

Last Weeks post offered an explanation for the Sacred Stones Logo. This week I offer an expansion upon why the stones may be considered sacred, and why these particular seven stones honour the four elements that sustain humanity.

Over the past two years I have come to understand that spirituality is in part a study and contemplation of the natural law and order of the Universe; that it should include a deep and abiding honour for the four elements that all life on earth depend on. The elements of Earth, Air, Water and Fire sustain life, can destroy life, and can re-build life. It behoves us, as mere humans dependent upon these elements, to both respect and honour the forces that nourish our existence.

Carrying and safe-guarding these Seven Sacred Stones has helped me to cultivate a deeper perspective of the reality of our existence. These rocks that were found and claimed as my spiritual talisman are........ancient. These rocks have been here, on this planet, since the beginning of time. They are part of the original Creation. They are millions of years old. Compared to the mere five decades I have walked this planet, these Seven Sacred Stones have far more history than I; they have been gathering up and resonating out, the living current of the Creator's life impulses for ever.

Consider the possible history of the white stone, the one found in the laundry room of my apartment building(with a predominantly Oriental tenant-base); it likely was brought here from another country. Perhaps an immigrant brought it along from their homeland. That immigrant would have held that stone in his/her hand on their journey here; rubbing it in their fingers as they wondered what their new life would be like, as they worried about leaving all they knew behind. Those feelings of hope and regret would have left a psychic imprint upon that stone, just as now, the intention of my hopes are transfered to it as I sit at my desk, writing articles and planning the development of an enterprise.

These Seven Sacred Stones have an energy within them. A power to change an attitude. When I appointed this set of stones as my personal representation of the Earth beneath my feet, I began to consider all the wounds we inflict upon this Mother Earth that sustains us. As I walk my sons's dog I am no longer able to walk past garbage. I carry two bags now when I walk Mr. Hugo the pug: one for his waste and one for the waste carelessly thrown on the ground that I happen upon. It takes mere seconds to bend down and pick it up.

The surfaces of these Seven Sacred Stones are very smooth; so smooth they remind me of the perfect skin on my babies. As new-borns I would hold them and rub my forefinger along the soft, soft smooth skin on their cheeks, arms, or back. The touch was soothing for both the baby and myself and helped create the deep bond so necessary for a psychologically healthy baby, while generating an incredible feeling of protectiveness and profound caring deep within my heart and soul.

I find now that the bond between myself and these Seven Sacred Stones has stirred a similar protective, caring attitude towards this greatly wounded planet we live on. I gently rub the stones and consider what I can do to improve our relationship. I contemplate the great Universal currents that keep everything orbiting and operating according to the natural order created in the beginning of time with the Breath of the One, upon his Word.

So are they just stones? Not any more. They are now my personal connection with the Great Force at work in the Universe, helping to ground me and keep me congruent with the Will of our most Gracious Creator. They are what Lay-Brother Lawrence (a humble kitchen servant in a 1600's Carmelite monastery) called, the Practice of the Presence of God. They are what will keep me consciously mindful of what I need to do to clean up, protect and nurture the ground beneath my feet. And if I am mindful, perhaps my neighbours will be too, and their neighbours too....................

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FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF EXEMPLARY LEADERS

By Serena Aubrey (Copyright, 2011 -- All Rights Reserved)

In JESUS, CEO: Using Ancient Wisdom For Visionary Leadership (1995), Laurie Beth Jones wrote:

Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the greatest leaders of our time, personally supported a number of students financially. I once read an article that said a young man remembered getting checks for $75 per month, made [out] and signed by Eleanor Roosevelt on her personal account. He said he received those checks for years, even after she ceased to be the First Lady. It would have been much easier for her to refer him to some giant scholarship committee, maybe even write him a nice recommendation letter. However, she was personally committed to education and supporting students she felt were worthy. She supported more than twenty-five students out of her own personal funds.

On December 9, 2010 the Wall Street Journal podcast, digits, interviewed Jason Franklin, adjunct professor of philanthropy at NYU. Franklin is also the Executive Director of BOLDER GIVING, an organization whose call to action is: GIVE MORE. RISK MORE. INSPIRE MORE. Their mission is to inspire and support people to give at their full, lifetime potential (http://www.boldergiving.org/).

Email Sent To The Canadian Gals With Passion & Purpose Community

As a way of sharing the path I walk in creating the Serene Promotions (TM) enterprise, and the entities associated with it, I will post the steps I take in the development of my vision.

I joined the BraveHeart Women Global Community on Nov. 28th, 2010. Ellie Drake's social and business platform gives members an opportunity to create seperate communites within her community. Immediately I saw the potential of creating a Canadian Community. BUT, one must be a CORE member in order to create such communities. To join the site is free, but to become a CORE member it costs $27 per month, or $197 per year. Although I think it is worthwhile, I can't afford this right now. So I began to think of ways I could circumvent the requirement until such time that I can afford to become a CORE member -- which I most certainly intend to do ASAP.

What Would It Look Like?

A rather lengthy video clip (25 minutes), this piece asks WHAT IF? Thought provoking, it leads to contemplation of what each of us needs to do in order to turn the tides of the effects of human progress on the earth, and how to achieve oneness of global intent without giving up diversity of culture.

An Awesome Video That Gives Pause For Thought!

This video by P. Stefan Johannes was posted to YouTube under his channel. He says, "My videos are not for sale, but for the joy of God's creation. You can watch them for free."

The deep-space images are photos captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. Aren't they just awesome? I thought at first they were computer generated images, but no, this is what is really out there my friends. Amazing, amazing creation!

The video is called Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh.

The accompanying music is by ADONAI, the power of worship from Israel. Beautiful isn't it? It gives me shivers everytime I watch it. It reminds me to hold gratitude in my mind, my heart and my soul, for the most awesome universe that we are fortunate to be a part of.

Serene Promotions on Facebook!

I am sooooo excited. I spent most of the day creating a Facebook page for Serene Promotions. There is a LOT to learn for this process, but it is NOT impossible. I haven't published it yet, because I am still figuring out which elements to include and how they all work. But, it is shaping up nicely. Here's a link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Serene-Promotions/101987616547484

The Guy on YouTube Singing with His Daughter

This article on the Man Of The House blog, by editor-in-chief Craig J. Heimbuch, explains the background of Jorge Narvaez and his little girl Alexa.

The BraveHeart Women Community

This awesome site was founded by Ellie Drake. I have been a member since late November and I just continue to love it more and more.

Home Is Where Ever I'm With You

Wow, watch this awesome video of a Dad and his little girl. Soooooooooo sweet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTrpVrTnwBo

Amazing, the love between them and the range of the little girls voice!

Serene Promotions: A State Of Grace

Serene Promotions: A State Of Grace

This post is actually on the July 6 post, in it's entirety. But I don't know how to move comments so I'll just leave this alone for now since I finally got a comment and I AM LOVING IT!
LOL.

Serena

A State Of Grace

Finding Your Inner Voice and Authentic Path:
The Process of Creating a Vision

Grace was in all her steps,
Heaven in her eyes.
In every gesture,
Dignity and love.

Milton

I found this quote in a Calgary, Alberta curio shop I was exploring with my partner/husband, Jhon, in early 2008. He was in the midst of "a dark night of the soul" that lasted more than a year and saw us horribly fractured (but never totally broken).

The Milton quote touched something deep inside me and I borrowed a pen from the shop owner to write it on the inside flap of a cigarette pack (which I still have, after much traipsing around the country). I think I was trying to be Jhon's "saving grace", and you know how that goes -- one can only change oneself and should not even pretend to know what is right and good for someone else, even when your motive is love.

Elemental Living

Assignment 2 ENG-109 Feature Story Serena Aubrey

Elemental Living

When I woke up Monday morning I found it a bit chilly, so I turned the heat up. I looked out the window and noticed the fog. Everything was wet outside from the mist. I shivered at the sight of it, glad for my home, grateful that I do not have to struggle with attempting survival in the elements.

I had determined, the night before, that Monday was the day I was going to go see the “porch man”. I had noticed that a homeless man had moved onto the porch of a vacant house on Cliffe Avenue, between 19th & 17th Street. I thought I would go talk to this individual and ask him how this unfortunate situation had occurred. Sitting at my kitchen table, sipping my coffee, my thoughts turned to this guy. I wondered how cold he had been last night? I wondered if he was wet from the mist in the air?

I had been watching the porch for about a week, trying to catch a look at the fellow who made his bed there every night. I wasn't sure if the gentleman would be willing to share his story, or if it was even wise for me to make contact with a “street-person”. When I finally saw who the man was I felt okay about approaching him. I thought he wouldn’t mind so much. He hangs around Safeway, you see, and I had run into him before, given him a few cigarettes. On Sunday, while shopping, I sought him out at his regular spot by the Starbuck’s stand. I sat with him and asked if he was living on the porch of the house on Cliffe. He peered at me bright sky-blue eyes and quite readily told me he was. I asked him if I could visit with him the next morning, on his porch, to talk about his situation, and ask him some questions. I explained that I was a journalism student, assigned a feature story, and wondered if I might write about him. He was agreeable.

http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3002041&Sort=Region

Follow the link above to the full wide angle view of LeRoy Zimmerman's photograph

In relation to my blog, Searching For The Light: One Woman's Journey, I found this picture and the photographer's explanation for taking the picture. How fitting with my essay! In his own words:

There are many reasons that people go to church. And surely one of those reasons is to 'seek the light'. Sometimes through beliefs, and other times through a camera. There is a simple Russian Orthodox Church in the village of Ninilchik, in south central Alaska, along the coast of the Cook Inlet. A shot I had long envisioned getting, auroras over the historic church, was never easy to do as it was almost 500 miles from my home in Fairbanks. I do not find myself in that area too often. But the auroras had been active for the few nights previous, so I was making a photo-trip around the state at that time; it made sense to park myself at the church that night. So that became my reason to attend church that evening, as I too was their to 'seek the light'.

There are many ways to be aware that there are greater forces at work in this world than we can ever understand. Some may go inside the church to know, and some of us can know from being outside the church. I welcome the mystery of not knowing some of the secrets of this world, and this night, was a reminder of just how humble one should be.

Leroy Zimmerman

http://www.leroyzimmerman.com/

LeRoy Zimmerman's photographic work is part of the World At Night collection at the website http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photographers_about.asp?photographer=Babak%20A.%20Tafreshi

Be sure to follow the link above, to see this wonderful and artful compilation of the work of many, many photographers who turn their lenses to the night sky that covers us all, no matter where we are standing when we gaze upwards towards the heavens. It is another way of realizing that we, as inhabitants of this planet, share so many things. The billions of sparkling, twinkling, inspiring, wondrous flickers of the night stars are as numerous as our brothers and sisters upon this earth.

We should consider each beating heart that shares our space on this planet as if they were one of those sparks of celestial beauty in the night sky. We are all as precious to our maker as each one of his stars - and if you stop to think about it, we all throw off our own little version of "the Light" and with that I say goodnight. May I wish upon a star...................................

Woodstock Writers Festival

Here's A Link For All You Writers Out There

www.woodstockwritersfestival.com

Check out the workshop schedules to see what they're up to at these events

My girl, Julie Powell is a guest-speaker at this festival. She was my inspiration for starting this blog. Do you know that the movie Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep, was based on Julie Powell's blog, right here on this same www.blogger.com site? Yes indeed.

From her humble little blog -- recounting her efforts to cook each and every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking -- came a best-selling book and then eventually a box-office movie hit! Fabulous, don't-cha think? And look, now she's guest-speaking at writers festivals. LOL!

If only the same could happen to each and every one of us. Hah! Keep blogging my fine friends. You just never know what the cosmos have lined up for YOU!

You Must Be Flexible: you can not demand order from chaos

http://www.firstnations.com/tj2000/tj97-visionquest.htm

The above title is a paraphrase from an article by Jody Patterson on July 24, 1997:

http://www.visionquestsociety.org/PattersonArticles.htm

If you get a chance, check out the series of articles written by Jody Patterson, a Times Colonist columnist (wow, that's a bit of a tongue twister, LOL), back in the summer of 1997. I came across the site while I was doing research and development work for my novel, Murder On Pink Mountain. I was looking up the official account of the murder of RCMP Const. Michael Joseph Buday in Teslin, Yukon in 1985. Certain elements of the incident, that ended with the death of Const. Buday, are very similar to the storyline of my novel.

However, back to Vision Quest -- in 1995 RCMP Staff Sgt. Ed Hill and his friend, Roy Henry Vickers, painted the Teslin Lake scene that was the last thing Const. Buday saw as he lay dying on the shore of the lake; shot in the back by the murderous draft-dodger, Michael Oros. He had been descending into a crazed state for thirteen years, culminating in that tragic shooting.

Sales from the painting raised over $100,000 and was the beginning of the official fundraising efforts for the vision Roy Vickers had held in his heart from the time he was 28; to build a treatment centre for others, like himself, who were sick of battling the grip of addiction. In 1997, Vickers was 51 and addiction-free.

Digital Storytelling

Wow! I have just been turned on to the website http://www.storycenter.org/stories/ and what a powerful site it is.

My friend, Sophie, from Fort McMurray, just pointed me in its' direction. We were discussing courses we are taking and she mentioned she was in a digital storytelling class and pointed me this way so I could see what she was talking about. I am HOOKED!

There are some powerful stories included. Don't go there if you don't have lots of time though, because the stories are a plenty and they are all told wonderfully and with such depth of meaning.

This does add another layer to everything doesn't it now? And once again I ask

Just how fascinating is this life?

Volunteers Are Wonderful!

COMOX VALLEY VOLUNTEERS HARD AT IT TO PREVENT FLOOD DAMAGE
By Serena Aubrey
January 13, 2010

Comox Valley volunteers are to be commended for their civic minded activities when flooding threatens our community.

Last week I was walking down the estuary path, past the marina, when I saw a Kodiak style boat being loaded back up on a trailer, pulled by a truck that had COMOX VALLEY GROUND SEARCH & RESCUE emblazoned on its sides.

Curious, I thought maybe someone had fallen into the river and a tragedy was unfolding with a possible horrid outcome. I asked the young man loading the boat if they were on a rescue or if they were just on a training exercise. Surprisingly, he said that no, they were out picking up debris that had been swept down the river by the rising waters. Things like propane tanks, picnic tables, garbage cans, shopping carts.

Things, ordinary people like myself, don't even think could happen. I did watch a seal clipping along in the current and thought to myself, my he certainly does not have to put much effort into his swimming today. I gave absolutely no thought to the possibility that maybe he was keeping his head above water to try and dodge a propane tank missile, or maybe a picnic table that would slam into him and twist his sleek body into a broken victim of the flooding.

The Aurora Borealis, taken by Jan Curtis (March, 1996) in Alaska.

Some of her work is posted on Michigan Tech - Geological & Mining Engineering & Science website on the Aurora Page. Clicking the picture will take you there.

http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/

Awesome Auras

About 15 years ago I went through what I now call my “Metaphysical Stage”. I studied and researched all manner of beliefs, spent hours in metaphysical shops, read all sorts of relevant books - “The Celestine Prophecies” being at the top of the list - bought Viking Runes, played with Tarot Cards. I looked into everything, was intrigued with most of it, but held a fairly healthy dose of skepticism.

I had a friend, Louise, who was my partner in my search for the truth of all these beliefs. She was a dedicated Rune Reader. We spent hours in deep discussions of the pros and cons of each different system. We shared books, we travelled country roads at night to search the stars and observe meteorite showers and we attended more than one psychic fair to consult with readers.

At one such fair we came across an aura photographer. “Let’s try this.” she coaxed me.

I had to laugh! For $30 (back then) I had a firm grip on my skepticism that day.

“You go ahead,” I told her, “I’ll see how yours turns out.”

Searching For The Light: One Woman's Journey

By Serena Aubrey (Copyright, 2010 -- All Rights Reserved)

Hark ye O man, and list to my Voice. Open thy mind-space and drink of my wisdom. Dark is the pathway of LIFE that ye travel. Many the pitfalls that lie in thy way. Seek ye ever to gain greater wisdom. Attain and it shall be light on thy way. Open thy SOUL, O man, to the Cosmic and let it flow in as one with thy SOUL. LIGHT is eternal and darkness is fleeting. Seek ye ever, O man, for the LIGHT. Know ye that ever as Light fills thy being, darkness for thee shall soon disappear. Open thy souls to the BROTHERS OF BRIGHTNESS. Let them enter and fill thee with LIGHT. Lift up thine eyes to the LIGHT of the Cosmos. Keep thou ever thy face to the goal. Only by gaining the light of all wisdom, art thou one with the Infinite goal. Seek ye ever the ONENESS eternal. Seek ever the Light into One. Hear ye, O man, list to my Voice singing the song of Light and of Life. Throughout all space, Light is prevalent, encompassing ALL with its banners of flames. Seek ye forever in the veil of darkness, somewhere ye shall surely find Light. Hidden and buried, lost to man’s knowledge, deep in the finite the Infinite exists. Lost, but existing, flowing through all things, living in ALL is the INFINITE BRAIN. In all space, there is only ONE wisdom. Through seeming decided it is ONE in the ONE. All that exists comes forth from the LIGHT, and the LIGHT comes forth from the ALL.

Excerpt from: The Emerald Tablets, Tablet Seven

Searching For The Light: One Woman's Journey

Many of us live blindly with eyes wide open. Living in the morass of today’s society, the pace an ever-quickening chaos, we allow our technologies and habits to assault our senses almost constantly. We sometimes have trouble finding meaning on the surface of life, never mind on a deeper level. There is hardly ever any real quiet to hear the inner voice that tries to remind one of the higher consciousness. And yet an appetence still nudges the hardy soul, not allowing the flickering flame to sputter out. When one is ready, the “Teachers” will most certainly arrive, with the bellows of knowledge that will fan the embers of an inner inkling into a bonfire of desire to learn and to know. This then is the road I have set my shoes to walking upon, one foot in front of the other.