JUNE 2017: Pearl of Great Price

By those who love her she is readily seen,

And found by those who look for her...

In every thought of theirs,

she comes to meet them.

-Wisdom of Solomon 6:12 and 16

This month we are working with the "Pearl of Great Price", and exploring the power of Wisdom. Sometimes wisdom has been personified as Sophia, the deep inner knowing that characterizes the life of "one who knows" God. On the Kabalistic Tree of Life, Wisdom is Chokmah, containing the seed of self, "I Am That", the wisdom beyond reason. Wisdom (Chokhmah) is therefore the first thing that the mind can grasp, and is therefore called a beginning or an idea.

"The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Taka (the Great Spirit), and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us." - Nicholas Black Elk

Solomon was a young man, about twenty years of age, when his father David died and he became king. A young man presented with the vast array of possibilities God offers could have been tempted in many different directions, yet he simply asked God for the most important thing he could think of—and God answered his prayer. “lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart” (1 Kings 3:12).

Why did Solomon, known for the vast wealth of his kingdom and a great ability to create a working civilization, ask for wisdom? There are the typical and obvious answers to that question. But let's get into code...

On the Kabalistic Tree of Life, Wisdom is Chokmah. As Keter was created from the reflection of Limitless Light, Chokmah is thus created from the reflection of Keter. It can be considered as the emergent self from the great All. Chokmah, containing the seed of self, can mean “I Am That”. Chochma is the wisdom beyond reason. According to Hasidic Judaism, Chokhmah refers to "the first power of conscious intellect within Creation.

In CHOKMAH, corresponding to the Number TWO, comes the realization of this DUALITY, how by His Wisdom made He the Worlds from the Nothingness of His Own Being and how in the very CONSTANCY of this CHANGE lies the STABILITY of the Universe. As it is written, "In Chokmah CHANGE IS STABILITY."   The word Chokhmah itself may be broken into two words -- koach ("potential") and ma ("what is"). Thus, Chokhmah means "the potential of what is", or, "the potential to be.

The sphere of Chokmah is the creative vessel, which holds the Divine Spark in preparation for it’s eventual initiatory experience of birth. It’s holy name YHVH, the Tetragrammaton *, means, “to be”. As the root of Fire, Chokmah is the first sphere of desire towards greater expression. Its consciousness is not bound by time or space as it resides in all time and all space. Chokmah is Action and impetus in its most pure aspect, not yet restricted and limited by the Formative and ordering energies of Binah.  “It is the Crown of Creation, the Splendour of Unity equaling it. It is exalted above every head, and it is named by the Qabalists as the Second Glory.”

The symbol of the straight line is attributed to the sphere of Chokmah. In order to make sense of this we must also  include the energy of emanation from Kether.  According to mathematical theory a “point” is a marker of place, but in and of itself has no dimension. If, however, that point  extended into space it becomes a straight line. If we think of Kether as the point of space within the void of formlessness, its emanation outward towards Chokmah extends the point of itself to become a straight line that acts upon and emanates the flow of formless force into Chokmah. 

“ In Chokmah and Binah we have the archetypal Positive and Negative; the primordial Maleness and Femaleness, established while “countenance beheld not countenance” and manifestation was incipient.  It is from these primary Pairs of Opposites that the Pillars of the Universe spring, between which is woven the web of Manifestation.”  The Mystical Qabalah. Dion Fortune

So in plain english it could be said that Wisdom is a divinely inspired idea, insight, or stroke of genius, even if you don't recognize it at the time. It is an inner directive, the hand that sets the dominos in motion to fall one after the other as in a palindrome. So the question here that we ask today is how do we access more of this wisdom? Let us explore this question.

We have many tools to access these parts of ourselves. Imagination is our bridge into that supernal realm where heavenly, genius and useful ideas live. So it. would stand to reason that any activity that helps us access and even cross that bridge would support us in opening this powerful gateway within ourselves. Journaling, creative activity, reading, art, music are all ways in which we can access this realm. But how do you we speak the language? First of all this realm goes far beyond words, syntax and linear thought, so it is important that we get comfortable with symbology and imagery. This is the realm of the archetypal mind, the place where impartial patterns of imagery and sets of behavior form a kind of pictograph for the mind. A picture speaks a thousand words. So as we delve into this world through journeying, visualization, even paying closer attention to the visual and sensorial world we live in, reading metaphor and story are powerful ways to stimulate our ability to draw from this realm.

Story is a part of the archetypal realm. When we re-write or write anew the story of our lives, this is our first foray into the deep inner wisdom of Sophia or Chokmah. This is how we gain the blueprint to make the magic. As we improve upon or co-create with our ancestors, and all that has come before as we access the wisdom of the Akashic record of the ages, we find ourselves with huge leg up. As we give up the notion that we must constantly re-invent the wheel, and understand that there are certain universal blueprints which will yield endless results, just as the 8 or 12 notes on a musical scale have rendered millions of songs, so too,can we find a start to the thing we came here to create. Surrendering to the divine within, the higher intelligence of Sophia is the key to opening this door within ourselves and co-creating with the divine. Our wisdom springs from Her. She is the wind beneath our wings if only we will allow, listen and let her love us. Let it be so!

Sunday Talks with Rev. Renee Bledsoe

June 04 - The Pearl of Great Price: Wisdom as Wealth

June 11 - Co-Creating with the Divine

June 18 - Church in Circle - Father's Day & Summer Solstice

June 25 - The Desire to Receive in Order to Share

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Prayer for Sophia (Chockmah/Wisdom)

I now ask Sophia to come into my life and show me the way. I ask her to cleanse me and remove any negativity in my life. Please lead me on the path I need to be on to establish myself as a happy, healthy, positive person.

O Gnostic,

O Knower,

of the unity of Love and Wisdom,

the androgyny of Heaven and Earth,

and of Nature and Spirit.

O Knower

of The Great Goddess,

The Great Mother,

who calls herself

Sophia.

Holy is her name,

Sophia,

cocreator of all things,

earthly and divine.

Divine Love

lives with Eternal Wisdom,

together as one,

as a child in its mother's womb.

Sophia

gathers all of her children.

O Gnostic,

to you she calls

to fulfill the prophecy,

to manifest the vision

of Peace on Earth.

           

I call upon Sophia and her 3 daughters, Faith, Hope and Love

Take oil and anoint yourself on the forehead:

"Sophia, replace the negative thoughts with positive."

the lips: "Sophia, replace the negative words with positive."

the heart: "Sophia, replace the negative feelings with positive."

the palms: "Sophia, replace the negative actions with positive."

the feet: "Sophia, take me only on the path you lead me."

I thank Sophia for coming into my life, my heart, my soul. For leading me on the right path and bringing me to a more positive place in my life.

PEARL OF GREAT PRICE AFFIRMATIONS

There is an innate power within me that has access to all knowledge.

The knowledge within me is accessible through prayer, meditation, journaling and reflection.

There is a great silent, sacred space within me.

As I learn to listen to the still, small voice within knowledge becomes wisdom.

As the wise one within guides and guards me, life becomes smooth.

As life becomes smooth, I get into the flow of creation.

As silence is experienced through my soul, I can hear my higher self.

I learn to trust and follow the instruction of my soul.

I ask for higher vision to help me see only love.

I acknowledge and sit with my pain and the pain of others close to me.

I release drama, so that I may clearly address the painful issues in my life.

I release myself from old stories that are no longer true in my life.

I allow myself to move into higher consciousness.

Higher consciousness opens me to more love.

I am aware of my soul’s emergence.

My body is a temple, my heart the altar of my soul.

I am open to experiencing my life by letting go.

Letting go of control gives me the freedom that my soul desires 

and requires to flourish and grow.

The wheel of life keeps moving and changing, and evolving me along with it.

I am defined in this time and space by the story of my life.

 that is available to me now.

I bring my life into integrity by insisting on the truth.

I tell myself the truth and admit when I misunderstand or judge.

One of the most loving things I can do for myself is to face my problems with power versus force.

I ask in every situation what would empower love to come forth.

I make it safe for others to be authentic.

I allow everyone to experience their own journey without my judgment 

holding them to their old story.

I remember myself into being and rewrite the story of my life.

I experience the wonder of my soul’s journey.

Inside of me is a pearl of great price.

MAY 2017: Three Graces

“If a great thing can be done, it can be done easily, but this ease is like the ease of a tree blossoming after long years of gathering strength.”  ~John Ruskin

As we find ourselves in the midst of the "first harvest", we gain a great deal of insight about how to recognize the opportunities that are available to us and work more effectively with the energies of the times. For example, understanding the subtleties of the first harvest has important implications which are important to the development of our soul. For the first harvest relates directly to the emergence of the soul, because it involves the restoration of beauty and bounty to the earth; blossoming of flowers, new life, growth and greening. Love is literally in the air!

It might be helpful to think of the things that we experience in the springtime as being the work of the soul, and to take that a step further, understand that what is nurtured and harvested at this time, will have an effect on the quality of the denser second harvest of the fall. This is not necessarily about rigidly living by the seasons, but by understanding that these patterns which are revealed through nature are showing us something about manifestation and creation cycles and patterns, that are real and applicable to our lives in many areas, from relationships to businesses.

"Art need no longer be an account of past sensations. It can become the direct organization of more highly evolved sensations. It is a question of producing ourselves, not things that enslave us." ~ Angela Carter

The soul feeds upon inspiration and life force. It requires beauty and vitality to create something new and treasured from its depths. Exposing ourselves to and experiencing beauty is not an option, but just as nurturing to our being as eating and drinking. The flowers, foliage and insects of the first harvest are literally what give rise to the second, typically food crops which nourish our bodies. It is interesting to see the interplay of the two and how they are connected, with certainly one no less important, than the other. For surely if the body is weak and hungry, the soul has no vehicle, and if the soul is weak and hungry, the spirit and ultimately the body will wither.

The month of May, with its focus on mothering, flowering, nurturing and blossoming is a reminder to us all to give the joys and the artistry of the soul more weight in our lives. It reminds us that the work of the soul is anything but frivolous, for without it, we might be able to squeak by and survive for a while, but the reality is that we must allow our souls to open and bloom if we want to actually grow and thrive!

This month we will be working with the energies of the Three Graces. the keepers of the very qualities which greatly assist the evolution of humanity as she stands in service to the Light, to people and the earth. This is centered around creativity, beauty and charm, and all the joyful,loveliness that can come to life if we will allow.

The Three Graces are here specifically to bring us to our higher angelic nature and to help us assimilate this part of ourselves into the physical. When you hear the call of Three Graces, you are responding to the request of your soul to become one with Spirit and to transform your Spiritual Warrior aspects into more grace-filled, higher vibrating, highly creative energies. This is taking your personal power to an entirely new level, one in which you may have not ever totally imagined. Is it possible to be a being of the Light on planet earth, you may ask? Can angels come to earth? Can they survive in this environment? Journey with me, the Three Graces says, to find out.

“The role of the artist I now understood as that of revealing through the world-surfaces the implicit forms of the soul, and the great agent to assist the artist was the myth.” ~Joseph Campbell

There is no simple, nor less dramatic way to say this. You have reached the center of your Self, you have touched your Soul, you have been given a potent glimpse of the reality of your being or are very close to it and you are ready to receive your true angelic nature into the totality of your being. What you understand about angels may be relatively intellectual at this time, even if you have worked with them to a certain extent. What you may not realize is that your physical body is a vessel for the Light…and you are the Light. You are the intention of a cosmic force so powerful and so true that there is no way that you can fail. This is your next evolution and in fact the next evolution of all humankind. Owning your light is not egoic, not owning it is. You don't belong to yourself alone, you belong to the world.

Forget what you may think you know about angels who live in the heavenly realms. You are a creature that entirely stands alone in the cosmos, a marriage of the most divine order. You are a human angel. You are a Rainbow  - hue-man – a fusion of color (light spectrum) and sound (vibration). You are the culmination of Earth, Water, Air and Fire + ether. The ether or Spirit that enlivens your being is actually the upper realms of the nature spirits that are accessible to you here in the physical and are supporting you. They watch and they listen to your spirit’s communication. They respond by sending you messages through the natural world and your intuition. Trees broadcast information through their roots and branches, much like humans broadcast and magnetize through their thoughts and feelings.

The Three Graces say, we are not the only beings who can assist you at this time. You are becoming one with the earth in consciousness, ascending with your feet on the ground. And you move well through the realms of magic, mystery, beauty and intrigue. You are here to bring the earth to the depths of the experience of love and beauty. To help the world embrace mystery and the unknown joys that lie ahead. As the world moves out of suffering and edges at the precipice of bliss, you are part of the band of earth angels who can show the world what wings are for. You will be among the first to fly in this new order of angels. And you will do so with charm and grace. Your wings will create a magnetic field of epic proportions and other will want to fall into a state of grace, as well. You will help make this not only possible for them, but attractive to them. But first you must complete your own transformation.

We are guiding you through the power of your imagination, your creativity, your compassionate and loving heart and the Eternal Will to Good that is deeply embedded in your angelic nature. This compassion may have been your undoing earlier in your human existence, and in other emanations, but that was simply a part of your process. In this time, here and now, in your physical incarnation as an earth angel – your compassion is your greatest strength. For you have learned the great secret; you must first be compassionate with yourself.

This is how the incarnation becomes completed as you set this vibration up within the holy of holies within your heart. Any last vestige of judgment or harm to the self, any disparaging thoughts about your journey will leave you now as your true Light burns brightly and the Truth of Who and What you really are shines through. As you feel the full ramifications of what has been being born within and through you, you will be bowed and humbled, for truly all Kings and Queens are in service to humanity. And now it is time to step onto the throne, radiate your Light and be of service in your own unique way.

“They are made by man in his own image and likeness; but freed from those limitations which he feels most to press upon him. They are immortal, and their will is directly effective for the achievement of imagination and desire." - J.R. Tolkein

Sunday Talks
May 07 - The Three Graces
May 14 - Church in Circle - Mother's Day
May 21 - Nurturing: Nature of Angels
May 28 - All-encompassing Love

MAY AFFIRMATIONS
I am open to the expansion of my being.
I allow my soul's purpose to emerge into the light.
As I find my place within my community, others can then find their place more easily.
When I work as a team, I am invoking the power of the divine feminine.
The soul's work is equally as important as any other work that I do.
I give the expression of my soul weight in my life.
I pay attention to all the aspects of my being.
I use my powers of manifestation for abundance of love, peace, purpose and joy.
Love is at the foundation of my every thought, word and deed.
I allow the petals of my consciousness to lovingly expand to the light.
I call upon omnipotent forces for assistance with my life, including angels, guides, guardians and my higher power.
I trust the omnipotent forces that I call upon.
I reach deep into my soul, for I have purified my heart and reclaimed my inner child.
I set my inner child free to grow and mature into a loving,healthy, creative adult.
I open my heart to the world, by revealing my soul creations.
I receive the abundance of my soul.
I trust my soul and free myself to express my true self.
It is safe to be me because I surround myself with those who nurture and support me.
Others nurture and support me, because I nurture and support myself.
When I help myself, helpful people are drawn to me and want to do the same.
I work with nature spirits, guides and guardians to realize my calling.
I become finely attuned to the frequencies of crystals for healing and enlightenment.
I hear and sense the powers within plants.
I activate the angelic forces within my soul.
I am guided moment by moment to create beauty.
I bring order to chaos, joy to despair, laughter to sadness and light to darkness.
The Light heals, empowers, energizes and protects me.
I work within my community to bring hope, healing, joy and abundance.
I commune with nature and the elements to restore and reconnect to source energy.
I am overflowing with creative ideas and the means to invent new and intriguing ways of being.
I have the eyes to see and the ears to hear the deep magic.
I am enveloped in a perpetual state of grace.
Beauty, Love and Joy follow me wherever I go.