Monthly Archives: April 2016

107 years ago today Rudolf Steiner laid the foundation stone for the Rosicrucian Temple of the “Frances of Assisi” Lodge in Malsch – April 5-6, 1909

Celestial Event, Insight, Lecture, Quote, Remembering, Rudolf Steiner Quote, Spring

easter resurrection!

Dear Friends – I am resurrecting my practice of writing a poem a day for the ReverseRitual Blog. Here is my offering for today April 5th 2016:

I stare into the Sun

Fore-gathering

Noetic sight

Into squinting syllables.

Watch it pour out honeyed unguents –

A sweet viscus light

Overflowing the ashen cup of night.

My I’s washed

With April snow

Floating like a shaken globe

Falling fragrant on the flower.

~   ~   ~

anthrosofi

The 3rd Stage: (Part 4 of the 12 part series) Encountering the Inner Layers of the Earth as a Rosicrucian/Christian Initiation, in relation to the Beatitudes and the 9-fold human being.

Here we see an extension of equanimity into positivity & open mindedness. At this stage we must learn to brave the world morally & intellectually, with a special emphasis on abstaining from anger – even when everything we hold dear is being attacked. To develop the capacity to remain engaged but detached when everything is tumbling down around us – to be able to say “Yes” when the rest of the world says “No”, that is what must be achieved before the next step can be taken. Rudolf Steiner calls this stage: The Crowning with Thorns, which leads us to the Guardian of the Threshold.

This gives rise to a new symptom, or indication, recognized by those who work with the class lessons as the power to detach the faculties of Thinking, feeling, & willing. We must learn to separate & also to re-unite them at will.

So long as some outer event carries us away, we are immature. If we are not masters of our own impulses, our actions may have a shattering influence in all worlds.  The disciple must be able to remain positive & open minded in the face of any event, no matter how catastrophic.

That is the only way to reach freedom.   

The separation of Thinking, feeling, & willing actually produces a change in the brain that is symbolized by the Crown of Thorns.

Dr. Steiner warns that if the disciple has not properly achieved the earlier stages, tries to go too fast, or receives wrong guidance, the change in the brain may lead to insanity – which is an involuntary separation of these faculties without the possibility of their reunification by  the inner will. The disciple must bring about the separation by an act of conscious volition.

So here we meet the phenomenon known as the Guardian of the Threshold, which Steiner calls the appearance of the lower double. It is often dreadful, for it is the offspring of all our urges & unresolved karma – All impulses of will, selfish desires & chaotic thoughts, which appear to the Initiate in visible form – our own personification in the astral world. This form must be met before we can find the higher Self. 

The Guardian of the Threshold, is a phenomenon of astral vision since ancient times. In the Egyptian Book of the Dead it is referred to as the ‘evil pilot’. It is the origin of all the myths concerning the struggles of Heroes with monsters- of Perseus & Hercules of St. George & Siegfried…

So what is our work here? In striving toward this stage of initiation we must be able to find strength within our own Ego under the influence of Christ, to purify our astral bodies here on earth.

The 3rd Beatitude is a help for this: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

It is the antidote to the 3rd layer of the inner earth known as the Vapor Earth. Some of the outer characteristics described by Steiner’s clairvoyant vision speak of it as displaying a will-like expression capable of enormous expansion, like a cancer. “Life present at every point”. The substance is imbued with inner forces resembling passions and urges.

This is a realm of inverted feeling; joy becomes sorrow; sorrow is joy. The original quality of any feeling or sensation is extinguished & converted into its opposite.  

The 3rd Beatitude thru Steiner is: “Blessed and filled in their astral bodies with God are those who become meek thru the power of their own Ego, who can foster calmness and equanimity within themselves; all comfort and well-being on earth shall be their reward, they will inherit the kingdom of earth.”

As we know, the astral body was incorporated into the human being during the Moon evolution, & the Luciferic beings who gained influence over humanity at that time established themselves specifically in the astral body, in an attempt to keep the human being from reaching our highest earthly goal.

This influence was also inscribed into the planetary spheres. We saw on Holy Wednesday of this year an eclipse of the vernal full moon (that’s 3 years in a row that we have had a lunar eclipse during Holy Week) But there was another Planetary alignment happening that day as well! Around the eclipse of the Vernal Full Moon in Libra, which sets up the rhythm of the movable feast of Easter every year, Mercury, ruler of Wednesday, & herald of the spiritual world, also stood in conjunction with Sun & Moon & Earth, gathering up the message humanity offers to the gods.

Then some 40 days later, during the ten days from Ascension to Pentecost, we will see, Mercury will come to another conjunction to return the message from our vernal queries in a rare configuration called a ‘transit’- which only happens 13 or 14 times each century!

~from The Astronomical Letters of Elisabeth Vreede September, 1928, p. 121 “When Mercury Stood in Libra: The approaching opening of the Goetheanum at Michaelmas brings before the soul that September evening when the foundation stone of the house dedicated to spiritual science was laid at nightfall by Dr. Steiner in a solemn ritual. With an invocation of the hierarchies, the foundation stone, the double dodecahedron, “symbol in its twofold twelvefoldness of the striving human soul, was sunk as microcosm into the macrocosm, “let down “into the condensed kingdom of the elements.” To this stone was added the document that contained the solemn vow of humankind toward the spiritual world. This document closed with the words: “Laid by the Johannes Building Association…on the twentieth day of September 1880, after the Mystery of Golgotha, that is, 1913 after the birth of Christ, when Mercury as evening star stood in Libra, the Balance.”

Mercury, in the same transit that occurred on Holy Wednesday 2016, was a cosmic witness to the laying of the foundation stone at the 1st Goetheanum, the only celestial body mentioned in this sacred ceremony!

When the seed of individuality was planted into the astral body during the Old Moon phase, a possibility for humanity to become disconnected from the spiritual world was also implanted into the Mercury sphere.

By laying the foundation stone at the time of the Mercury transit, was Rudolf Steiner working to heal this possible rift?

Since the descent of Christ to earth, when it became possible for our Ego to be imbued with the Christ Impulse, humanity has been sanctioned to fulfill the mission of the earth by finding the power within to bridle the astral body & drive out the Luciferic influences.

Steiner on the 3rd Beatitude: “Those who can curb their astral body, who are so strong that they cannot be moved to anger without the consent of their Ego, who are even-tempered & inwardly strong enough to overcome the astral body, will fulfill the purpose of earthly evolution.”

So in the 3rd Beatitude we have the formula to overcome the cancerous urges of the 3rd layer of the inner earth.

Where will we find ourselves tomorrow?

Until soon

Blessings & Peace – ~hag = Hazel Archer Ginsberg at ReverseRitual@gmail.com

anthroposopia3

Equanimity: The 2nd Stage

Insight, Lecture, Rudolf Steiner Quote, Uncategorized

“I am — It thinks — She feels — He wills” ~Esoteric Lessons by Rudolf Steiner 

Buddhaeyes

The 2nd Stage: (Part 3 of the 12 part series) Encountering the Inner Layers of the Earth as a Rosicrucian/Christian Initiation, in relation to the Beatitudes and the 9-fold human being.

Next we contend with the 3rd of the 6 basic exercises, & meet the 8-fold path in the teachings of the Buddha, at this 2nd stage of the Christian Initiation called by Steiner: The Scourging.

We know that life brings all kinds of suffering— physical, moral, intellectual, even spiritual. The disciple must endure suffering with perfect equanimity of soul & heroic courage. We can’t run away, we must conquer physical & moral fear.

When we become fearless, Steiner tells us we may be able to see, in lucid dream, the scene of the Scourging. As our compassion deepens we may begin to see ourselves in the Christ Who is scourged.

Certain symptoms or indications in physical life accompany this event: There is an intensification in the life of feeling, a wider sense of what can be called a love of life.

Steiner gives us the example in the life of Goethe – his sublime intelligence on the one hand, but also his intense sympathy with all living beings, which gave him the key to unlock the mysteries of nature.

This is a refinement & an extension of the forces of life. So you see, this is connected to the etheric body, which gives the compensation for the trial of the Scourging. When the neophyte acquires a feeling of love for all beings this gives a sense of living in the heart of Nature herself.

This correlates to the 2nd Beatitude – the antidote to the 2nd layer of the inner earth, called the

Fluid Earth, which is held under tremendous pressure by the Mineral Earth. Steiner describes this layer as ‘dimly sentient’, calling its effect ‘negative of life’, it destroys & dissolves, expels & kills all life, it is a realm of death.

The 2nd Beatitude is a balm for this: “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

The medicine of this stage proclaimed in the Sermon on the Mount as revealed by Steiner expands this Beatitude: “Blessed or God-filled are they who do not banish sorrow, but who endure it, developing the power of Ego whereby they can find the Paraclete or Holy Spirit who reveals itself thru the ego”.

Doing the work prescribed at this stage opens the way for the emerging powers of the Ego to “Build the Hut” for the Wisdom of Christ to dwell in, this is a precursor to the achievement that will be seen in the 9th stage to come.

veil paint crystals

Tomorrow we go deeper

Until soon

Blessings & Peace – ~hag = Hazel Archer Ginsberg

Faust workshop / The Working of the Spirit: Reading / Lecture part 2

Chicago Event, Lecture, Quote, Rudolf Steiner Quote

Faust-Goethe-14

Anthroposophical Perspectives on Goethe’s Faust, a weekend workshop with Frederick Amrine – April 8-10, 2016 – Suggested donation $50 for the weekend or $20 per day at the Rudolf Steiner Branch 4249 North Lincoln Avenue. Chicago

Friday April 8th, 7pm-9pm “Faust as a White Magician: Re-enchanting the World” is about Goethe’s Faust as a critique of Baconian science and as precursor of a science of the spirit. 

Saturday April 9th, 2pm -4pm “Faust at the Thresholds: Overcoming the Red Devils and the Black Devils” centers on the mystery of evil, specifically the temptations of Lucifer and Ahriman as described by Rudolf Steiner.

Sunday April 10th, 2pm – 4pm “Rudolf Steiner on Faust in the Light of Mystery Wisdom” explores Steiner’s great contribution to Faust scholarship – seeing the work as a revelation of the teachings of the Greek mystery religions.

Frederick Amrine is Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in German Studies at the University of Michigan, where he teaches literature, philosophy and intellectual history. He has an international reputation as a scholar of Goethe.

~  ~   ~

mystery-drama-300x200

Lemniscate Arts presents: Opening the Realm of New Mystery Drama –The Working of the Spirit – Saturday May 21 and Sunday May 22, 2016 

10:30am to 6:30pm Each day is a staged reading in full with breaks, of the new drama The Working of the Spirit. At the Rudolf Steiner Branch of The Anthroposophical Society, 4249 North Lincoln Avenue. Chicago. Contribution $15.00 – $45.00 per presentation

During the past four years separate initiatives have been underway by artists devoted to the work of Rudolf Steiner to create new mystery dramas based upon Rudolf Steiner’s four Mystery Dramas.

A trope of actors will arrive in Chicago to rehearse May 18, 19, & 20 with the readings happening May 21 & 22. They are filling in some of the parts with local actors. At this time the part of Felix is still open. If you are familiar with this character from Steiner’s Mystery Dramas & would like to read this part contact director Marke Levene 707-695-2969

The troupe is also looking for housing in Chicago. If you have space for an actor to stay in your home contact Barbara Richardson brichardson@centerforanthroposophy.org

A Mystery Play is a dramatic form that has been passed down through the ages. It differs from other plays by showing on stage the connection between the spiritual world and the earth; it reveals the activity of the spiritual beings who work from the heavens to help or hinder human beings in their earthly lives.

For tickets go towww.workingofthespirit.org Tel: 207-841-4760 Lemniscate Arts, One International Blvd, Suite 400, Mahwah, NJ 07495 registered 501(c)3 

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Rudolf Steiner Branch of The Anthroposophical Society, 4249 North Lincoln Avenue. Chicago, IL 60618 (map) calendar of events Check out our Web site! Chicago, IL (Anthroposophical Society in America)

 ~   ~   ~

grass

The 1st Stage: (Part 2 of the 12 part series) Encountering the Inner Layers of the Earth as a Rosicrucian/Christian Initiation, in relation to the Beatitudes and the 9-fold human being. 

The 1st stage in what Steiner calls “The Christian Initiation” has qualities described in ‘How to Know Higher Worlds’ as Reverence. It is a preparatory exercise of a moral character, relating to the scene where Christ washes the feet of the disciples before the Passover Feast – an example of the profound humility & devotion of the Master to His disciples & the work.

In a deeper sense, the story relates to the evolution of all beings in Nature. The scene is really a reference to a profound occult law that says: ‘The higher is a product of the lower’. At 1st this may seem counter-intuitive, but when we really think about it, we see that the plant could not exist without the mineral, the animal needs the plant. And humanity sustains life from the plants & animals.

So the esoteric meaning of the 1st Stage called ‘The Washing of the Feet’ is that the Cosmic Being of The Christ, because of His vastness, could not have accomplished His great deed on earth without being centered in the circle of the 12, an earthly representation of the zodiac.  We see this same configuration in the initiation of Christian Rosenkreutz – another example of a sacred container for the spirit. The higher needs the chalice of the lower to support it.

This stage corresponds to the physical body & to the 1st layer of the inner earth, called the Mineral Earth. This topmost layer is like an eggshell containing everything known to natural science. Thin & fragile, it allows volcanic eruptions from deeper layers to emerge.

Rudolf Steiner felt compelled to speak for the 1st time about the interior of the earth at Easter in 1906, because Mt. Vesuvius had just erupted on April 6th. The San Francisco earthquake hit on April 18th. Valparaiso Chile had an 8.2 magnitude quake August 16th, & then the next day, the Aleutian Islands got struck by a devastating magnitude 8.35 quake.

So even though these signals were loud & clear that the topic of the interior of the earth was calling out to be heard & heeded, Steiner found his audience reluctant or unable to engage in this intense, difficult topic at that time.

He then began to work with Christ’s ‘Sermon on the Mount’ in connection with this theme; regarding the Beatitudes as the antidote, the medicine needed to work in these realms.

Steiner came to see that the 1st Beatitude is the remedy for this 1st layer of the inner earth: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”

Ok, sure, I went to bible school as a child, I remember the Sermon on the Mount, I’ve heard these Beatitudes before, but I was never really able to penetrate them. So I was thankful that Steiner took it upon himself to re-work them for our understanding:

Steiner B1: “Blessed are they who are beggars for the spirit, for if they develop their Ego ruled outer bodies in the right way, they will find within themselves the kingdom of heaven.”

And so we realize that we are not meant to beg for material things; we must strive for knowledge of the spirit. This is the 1st step, which leads to a ripening of our Ego forces, which will then begin to work down into the physical body, so we can become the grail that holds ‘the Kingdom of heaven’ within. – We see the achievement of this in stages 8 & 9.

Steiner tells us that there are certain symptoms or indications that give proof that the aspirant is on the right track. The affirmation for this 1st stage of initiation comes when, thru meditation on the theme of ‘The higher as product of the lower’, the neophyte gains a vision of the Washing of the Feet in the astral world during sleep.

Then the candidate is ready to pass to the second stage of the Christian initiation.

Tomorrow we will investigate further

Until soon – Blessings & Peace

~hag = Hazel Archer Ginsberg

(c) Shipley Art Gallery; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation
(c) Shipley Art Gallery; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

painting by Jacopo Tintoretto

Part 1: A Reason Why? – The 1st in a 12 part series

Celestial Event, Insight, Lecture, Speaking with the Stars

sun spiral to flower

Encountering the Inner Layers of the Earth as a Rosicrucian/Christian Initiation, in relation to the Beatitudes and the 9-fold human being. (Part 1, an introduction)

My Anthroposophical research, which I use to deepen my inner development, strengthening my thinking, feeling & willing, & to which I work to apply in the creation of Festivals, has taken me into many territories touched on by Rudolf Steiner. In relation to the cycle of the year, this includes the realms of the ancient mysteries up through Rosicrucianism & deep onto the path of the “New Mysteries” where Spiritual Science lays the course for our Modern Initiation.  But up until 2 years ago I really hadn’t explored the theme of the ‘interior of the earth’; in part because it seemed so overwhelming.

Then when I started working with the Central Regional Council on our ‘Speaking with the Stars’ project, I began investigating cosmic/earthly events, such as the rare tetrad series of eclipses that occurred throughout 2014 & 2015. (the spiritual significance of an eclipse an overview)

This warranted my attention as festivals Coordinator, since the dates corresponded to Easter/Passover & Michaelmas/Sukkot (the Jewish harvest festival) for 2 years in a row!

In 2014 we experienced a Lunar Eclipse on April 15th – the 1st day of Passover; it was also Holy Tuesday. Those who follow the life of Christ during Holy Week know, that on Holy Tuesday the scene is the verbal sparring  with the high priests in the temple – Christ bends the Mars spirit to His purposes, & in the evening, an Apocalyptic future is revealed. (So much to ponder when you consider that on this day we also had the 1st of a series of 4 eclipses!)

Then in 2015, in light of the fact that the dates of Easter matched the dates of the original Mystery of Golgotha (April 5, 33AD); & specifically because we experienced a Full Lunar eclipse on April 4th – again the 1st day of Passover & also, Holy Saturday; described as Christ’s descent into the inner earth – well this seemed like a powerful indication that I should look into these realms in connection with what Steiner calls the ‘Christian Initiation.’ When I saw that the Solar Eclipse of the Harvest Moon, on the 1st day of Sukkot, Sept. 28, 2015, was on Michaelmas eve, I knew I would gather with other Michaelites to hold the light during these eclipses.

And so it is that I humbly present this essay as an overview, which is meant to tie together the seemingly diverse subjects of:

  1. The Interior of the Earth,
  2. A map of the Modern path of Initiation,
  3. The practical application of the occult meaning of The Sermon on the Mount,
  4. And a picture of the 7 & 9 fold Human Being.

To bring to light the trials & great rewards on this path. What is this modern path? How is it different from the ancient mystery schools?  Well for one thing, it holds the essence & mission of the Christ impulse at its core. Following the life of Christ, we can consciously work on each stage of our 7-fold nature, advancing the evolution of humanity to reveal & live into our 9-fold being.

Of the many things the disciple discovers on this path, we learn that the past, the present & the future- which is in a process of continuous change – are inscribed into the layers of the inner earth as a living chronicle, much like the akashic records. The Earth bears in her own special way, the soul-spiritual deposits from all epochs of world evolution – from Old Saturn on…

As the disciple traverses the path of initiation, making the descent through its layers, they encounter these past eras. Meeting noble achievements, as well as confronting stunted spiritual beings that have chosen to remain behind rather than ascend.

Rudolf Steiner in his commentary on the Apocalypse of St. John describes the goal of these adversarial beings as the formation of an anti-Jupiter evolution, a division within humanity described in the gospels as the goats & the lambs – what Steiner calls a ‘cinder ball of reversed spiritualization’ – The initiate must work to counteract this division.

So even if you don’t see yourself as consciously being on the path of initiation, with every inner & outer action we are collaborating with great spiritual beings, with the so-called dead, & with each other, in creating the karma of the world; responsible with all of humanity for what occurs.

St. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, through his unique Christian initiation as Lazarus, was the 1st to enter these realms. He took Christ’s teaching to heart & put them into practice.

One of these great teachings is The ‘Sermon on the Mount’ – an occult instruction that reveals that The Beatitudes are a remedy to the inner layers of the earth; a healing medicine that can be applied by us today to counteract the adversarial powers working against the highest goals of evolution.

Of course the ‘Great Work’ of initiation is done every day, thru our every thought, word, & deed, but every year at Easter-Tide we can experience a Cosmic recapitulation of the Christian Initiation, providing impedance for our work.

It is important to remember that Easter is a movable feast, determined by a cosmic alignment. 1st the Sun must enter into the sign of Spring, then it waits for the Moon to come into its vernal fullness, then the Planetary Beings, whose names correspond with the days of the week, come into play. We are meant to connect to the Solar forces, so when the first Sun-day after the Full Moon of Spring arrives, then it is time to keep the Easter festival.  This is intended to remind us of an event whose significance lies, not merely within the course of earth-evolution, but within the whole world-order into which humankind has been placed.

Rudolf Steiner gives the Christian Initiation 7 stages (the 7-fold human being)  The 8th & 9th stages, which can be achieved in future times, are defined by Steiner in his lectures on the Rosicrucian stream as part of the 9-fold Human; & are described as advancements of the 1st and 2nd stages.  #10 is, of course, its own category.

Tomorrow we will explore the 1st 3 stages.

Until soon – Blessings & Peace

~hag = Hazel Archer Ginsberg

 

 

 

 

Ostara and The April Fool, an imagination.

Insight, Meditation, Spring

Ostara winter

You are walking in a dense forest. The sky is overcast, and the woods are gloomy, although occasionally, a feeble ray of sunlight makes its way through the clouds and the trees. The branches of the trees are bare, although the tips are just beginning to bud. Old leaves from last year’s fall scurry about your feet as an occasional gust of wind blows them about. The ground is, for the most part bare, with occasional patches of snow in the shade. Hints of new green life make their way up through the snow and dead leaves.

As you walk, you notice a grove of beautiful white birches, the pale glint of their trunks and branches, a pleasant contrast in the otherwise dark woods. You walk towards the birch grove and then deep into it. When you are surrounded by the birches, you notice a large tree that looks as if it has been struck by lightning. It’s upper trunk has been split in two, the inner wood has been exposed to the air, dead leaves have blown their way into the nooks of the tree, in every way this tree looks as dead as it can be.

Suddenly you hear a whimsical whistle from behind the fallen lightning struck branches. Out pops “THE FOOL” in his colorful patch work coat, holding his knapsack up on a stick, a white rose in his hand, with a wolf cub snapping at his heels…

“OH DON’T MIND THE WOLF FAWNING ABOUT, HE KEEPS ME HONEST.
I SEE YOU WERE LAMENTING ABOUT THE TREE. DO YOU REALLY THINK IT’S DEAD (He laughs) REMEMBER, EVERY ENDING IS BUT A NEW BEGINNING. IT’S ALL ABOUT TRUST. BELIEF, IN THE ULTIMATE GOODNESS OF CREATION – THAT LIFE HAS A POINT. THAT DEATH IS TRANSFORMATION. THAT SUFFERING CAN BE PURPOSEFUL, WHEN WE BEGIN LIVING CONSCIOUSLY, IN THE HOPE OF A BRIGHT ETERNAL NOW.

OK, I KNOW, AT FIRST GLANCE THINGS SEEM DARK, AND YES, IF YOU LOOK AT THE EVIL OF GREED AND WAR IN THE WORLD, AT THE LOSS OF YOUNG LIVES, THE FAILURE OF PRINCIPLE, BELIEVING IN PEACE, HAVING HOPE & TRUSTING, CAN LOOK PRETTY (clears his throat) FOOLISH. BUT BELIEVE ANYWAY!!! THAT’S MY MOTTO. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO RISK, TO JUMP INTO THE ABYSS OF BELIEF, TO GO AGAINST EVERYTHING SOCIETY SAYS IS SENSELESS. IT MEANS TRUSTING THE HIGHER GOOD. THE INNER FORCES. WHICH ARE AT THE HEART OF GREAT EVOLUTIONARY ENDEAVORS.
RISK LOOKING LIKE A FOOL. LIVE IN THE MOMENT, OF HOPE FULFILLED.
BE PEACE & PEACE WILL PREVAIL.

HEY WHAT’S THAT OVER THERE…(laughs,) MADE YOU LOOK…

And with that “THE FOOL” is gone. Make sure your shoe laces aren’t tied together as you walk closer to the tree.

You are surprised to see a bright light outlining the figure of a woman. She is clad in brilliant greens and sunny yellows. She holds a large golden basket. Her gaze is steady, her eyes make you think of clear streams running in the middle of old forests, her skin reminds you of the first fair flower of spring, and her hair is long and unbound. At her feet sits a small brown rabbit nuzzling the hem of her skirt. She gestures, indicating that you should come forward. You walk towards her. She points at her covered basket, and lifts the cloth. Inside, you see an astounding array of pastel eggs, all colors, all patterns. You can think of nothing better than to pick one of these beautiful eggs, and have it for your very own. Your hand reaches out, and she shakes her head. You realize that while she wants you to have an egg, she wants you to pick it sight unseen. So, you close your eyes, reach out your hand, and reach into the basket. Eyes still closed, you draw your hand back, holding an egg. You open your eyes, and look upon your egg. What does it look like?

Think to yourself what the decoration on the egg means, and why Ostara, The Goddess of The Spring Resurrection wants you to have this particular gift for the coming season.

After you have looked at your egg, you raise your head to thank the Goddess, but she is gone. You look about for her in vain. You wonder if it has all been a dream. The reality of your heart tells you otherwise, and you know you have received the blessing of the Green Goddess.

As your attention moves from yourself to the forest, you realize that the trees now have tiny, but beautifully formed green leaves at the end of their branches. And you notice that the birch tree struck by lightning, the one that looked dead, now has green shoots rising from its split trunk. As you make your way out of the birch grove, it seems that the clouds have lightened, and even as you think this, the sun comes out. Small, barely formed flowers lightly scent the forest floor, birds are singing, and the rich smell of moist earth fills your nose.

Softly at first you hear that care-free whistling coming from what seems like everywhere. As you mount the crest, you see “THE FOOL” once again. He’s playing catch with the wolf, precariously close to the edge of the precipice. He calls out to you…

“A MONK WAS OUT WALKING IN THE MOUNTAINS OF ANCIENT JAPAN.
HE ENCOUNTERS A WILD TIGER. AND AS HE IS FLEEING, HE SLIPS OVER A CLIFF, BUT MANAGES TO GRAB HOLD OF A GNARLED ROOT AT THE EDGE. HE LOOKS DOWN, & SEES SHARDS OF BROKEN ROCKS FAR BELOW. HE LOOKS UP & SEES THE WILD CAT, SNARLING AT HIM IN HUNGER. AS HE LOOKS AROUND, HE ALSO SEES BESIDE HIM A BUSH WITH A SINGLE BRIGHT, SUCCULENT BERRY ON IT. HE LOOKS UP. HE LOOKS DOWN.
HE SMILES, & PLUCKS THE BERRY, & POPS IT INTO HIS MOUTH…
HOW SWEET IT TASTES!”
(He begins to whistle, letting it swell & then fade out)

This is the way of the wise fool. He knows that a life lived in trust is sweet. Take this Zen teaching into your heart, into your mind, into your body.

As you make your way out of the forest, you wonder how you could have found this green growing place gloomy, it seems so alive, and pleasant to walk through, full of hope and positive forces, which you can call on anytime, to influence your choices, as you take the leap, into the joys of Spring.

by Hazel Archer Ginsberg