Wisdom Circle Ministries

Meme by Saundra Porter Thomas

I am sitting here in the space of deep sadness and anger with wounds being reopened, scabs ripped off, hopefully to heal once more, this time with less scarring and pain.

As a woman, born in the 50’s, growing up in the 60’s, before moms or dads talked to their children about sex, much less sexual predators, I had many experiences of being fondled and groped by men.  This past weekend, after reading many blogs about other women’s experiences and responses to those blogs, I see this is a very common experience. I had anecdotal evidence of this previously, but never verified like it was after Friday.

My earliest memory of this type of abhorrent behavior happened when I must have been 4 or 5 with a teenage son of friends of my parents.  At the age of 11 I remember gruffly being pulled into the janitors closed at my grade school and being groped by the janitor.  But you see by that time, I knew how to protect myself because since the age of about 8 or 9, a member of the family, (an uncle by marriage) had been regularly fondling and groping me, under extreme threats of punishment and shame if I told.  This went on until about the age of 12 when I learned how never to be alone with him.  It wasn’t until I was 17 years old that I was able to get past my fear and shame and tell my parents what had happened.  You see I had a younger sister and nieces that I wanted to protect.  

There were a few cases in my dating years that boys and men tried to force themselves on me, expecting me to comply, even after saying no many times.  In one of those cases I had to physically hurt them to get them to stop.  

As I entered the work force, I naively thought, I am in an adult world now, this will stop.  I had two bosses that hit on me, one even exposing himself to me.  I had several clients, when I was a sales representative, who told me the only way they would give me their business was if I slept with them.

As I sat and thought about all these instances of sexual predation in my life I realized that there was a common thread running through all my experiences.  That common thread is that all those men felt that they held the power.  Whether it was in age, status or size, they held the power.

I am grateful I went through in-depth counseling to deal with the issues that arise when subjected to this type of abuse, especially as a child.  

I went through most of my adult life with the attitude of that’s how men are or that’s just how it is.   Now in my wiser years I know that is not how most men are.  Our society however, still carries that culture of misogyny which is interlaced with the paternalistic approach in all our institutions. Women and men are still dealing with the effect of those who believe that women are second class citizens, who are to be used when and how they are desired.

What is being lost with the misogynist culture is the beauty, power and grace of feminine values.  What is being lost is the partnership between masculine and feminine values interwoven with an emotional intelligence more pronounced in the feminine. A true partnership between the masculine and feminine powers could be transformative for the world and all its’ inhabitants.  

I arrived home last evening from the Parliament of World’s Religions Conference in Salt Lake City.  Today, I am still in swirling in the energy produced for me by being there.  It was a riot of color, culture, deep conversation, and paths to healing and action for the World and for the Heart of our Humanity.  

Some of my biggest take-aways were:

Interfaith is alive and well.  Faith leaders from across the globe are ready and willing to transcend the path of there is only one way.  It was understood that the belief in a particular religion did not preclude working with other faiths and religions to create a more just, sustainable and peaceful world.  In fact, I felt there was strong consensus that religions must work together to help heal Mother Earth and its’ inhabitants.

The number of youth that attended the Parliament was incredible.  Their spirit is invested in a future that is sustainable for all.  Some of them were connected to a religion and many were there as part of their spiritual journey.  They are most eager to begin to connect with youth across the globe to move their agenda of peace and sustainability forward.  

There is a deep sense of urgency.  I heard over and over that we cannot afford to wait for the political mechanism to create the changes so deeply needed in our world.  It is the people, all of us, who must create the change and we must take action now.

There are many, many great organizations and individuals doing great work out there and I talked with many of them.  They wholeheartedly and enthusiastically agreed, we must find a way to interconnect these organizations and individuals to create a stronger voice.

My own belief and faith in the Divine was deepened by connecting with and learning more about other paths.

I saw at the Parliament the global feminine values of compassion, kindness, cooperation, collaboration and equanimity, being embodied by both men and women.  And I saw these values as highly esteemed and revered by all who were there.

Reflections from last nights Ministers Wisdom Circle on Global Poverty and Wealth Disparity:  Frustration was expressed at the immensity of the problem and I identified with that frustration.  My frustration stems from not only the immensity of the problem but the level of consciousness that feeds this problem.  The fear of not having enough is pervasive in the western world and dictatorships throughout the world it seems to me.  I believe that Mother Earth, if given lovingly given back to can provide all that everyone needs.  But I know that this idea of reciprocity with Mother Earth is not the dominant thought system.

But I do have hope.  Expressed last night was the experiences of a couple of ministers who have dealt with losing everything and the reality for them at the time was feeling supported and love from the community they were in.  It was stated that there was a “culture of helpfulness” in poverty.  There was not a feeling of deprivation in their situation because they had hope and knew that they would come out of it and there was much support for each other in the community.  

Going deeper, beyond the mechanics of wealth distribution and poverty not being directly related to money this wisdom was shared and it makes perfect sense to me.  When there is wealth disparity and poverty there are people in power through oppression.  Wealth flows from the impoverished to the rich.  Often, the people in power, have the same language, culture and religion.  The oppressed are rewarded for accepting that same culture, language and religion and punished if rejected.  I have to ask myself if that doesn’t seem to be happening in this country now.  

But again, I do have hope.  Doing some research on this subject for our next World Cafe at the end of this month, I and the other ministers on the Parliament committee have found many organizations and movements to raise consciousness around this issue.  There is a lot of work being done.  If we feel compelled to help we can join with some of these groups as individuals or as a group.  As one minister asked last night, “as Interfaith Ministers, should we stay silent on this issue?”  What does the Language of Interfaith call for?  Here are some resources we can be looking at:

http://www.ted.com/talks/gary_haugen_the_hidden_reason_for_poverty_the_world_needs_to_address_now https://www.dosomething.org/ http://www.consciouscapitalism.org http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

http://toomuchonline.org/ http://www.lynnetwist.com/about-lynne-twist/about-the-soul-of-money-institute/ http://www.sevenstonesleadership.com/global-sufficiency-network-about-us/

Human Development Index: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-index-hdi http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr14-report-en-1.pdf

Happy Planet Index: http://www.happyplanetindex.org/data/

Buthan’s Gross National Happiness Index: http://www.grossnationalhappiness.com/articles/ http://www.grossnationalhappiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Short-GNH-Index-edited.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_National_Happiness

Divine one

May those who have been wounded, body, heart and soul, by violence, be taken into your care.  May the horrors within their mind and heart be eased by your peace.

May they feel the presence of the sacred and holy light within their feeling of powerlessness and come back to their power once again.

May those that are the victims of violence find within the strength to heal, to love once again, though that feels impossible.  We pray for new life for those ravaged by violence.  We pray for this miracle.

We lift up the insanity that is violence from the dark to be washed with the cleansing light of the life giving energy that is our gift.  We pray for this miracle.

We pray that we may be moved to create a world where violence against one another will be an act of the past so that our children and grandchildren times seven will never have to experience this horror again.  We pray for this miracle.

We are lost, help us Divine one to find the way to peace.  We pray for this miracle.

And may those that commit the acts of violence be brought back to their right mind.  We pray for this miracle.

Listen/purchase: Prince Ea - The World is Coming to an End by Prince Ea

December 12, 2013

Every religion claims God as their own.  It seems this has not worked out well for all of us.  Wars, mistrust, hate and the strong sense of the “other” has only arisen because of this.  All of the major religions claim that their’s is the only true way to eternal peace and life.  If all believe that there is only one God, could we not call God the God of Life?  God then becomes a universal entity shared by all, and all pathways become relevant.  Seems this may work better for us.  

One Interfaith Ministers response to “Raising Children in Two Faiths”

with author Susan Katz Miller, interviewed by Robin Young of NPR’s Here and Now.

One of the first things that struck me as I listened to this conversation was the affirmation of my observance that our religious practices are rapidly changing in this country.  The number of people who are changing religious affiliations or becoming non-affiliated to a religion is rising.  However, the need is still deeply felt to belong to a spiritual community.  And many, though not affiliated with a church still have a rich, spiritual life.

The author mentioned that she felt exhilarated by this “new fluidity” and “empowered by the transition from a restrictive either/or identity to a more expansive both/and future.”  For me, letting go of limiting beliefs about who God is and what God demands has been very freeing and has also rooted me even deeper in faith.  

I was happy to hear that the practice of Interfaith communities, in the case of this authors’ experience, led by both a rabbi and minister are taking form in large metropolitan areas.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a community let by a rabbi, minister, imam, shaman, priestess, etc.?  How interesting would that be?  Every child in that community, as the children in the communities the author speaks of would have a rich understanding of all faiths and as the author states “contribute to what the mystical Jewish tradition of Kabbalah calls tikkun olam—healing the world”.  Another outcome may be a “coming together as families and talking about the fact that we are families in which love transcends these boundaries is an inherently spiritual experience” as the author describes.  

One of my visions for Interfaith is Interfaith Ministers coming together and living and teaching the precept that we are all one and love transcends the boundaries placed on us by religions.  My vision is one of inclusion, there are many paths to God, religious or otherwise, but in all that, loving our oneness, is what will lead us to peace and prosperity for all. 

Another part of my vision which the author touches on is trying to give an understanding of the the true meaning of religious teachings, even going into the mystical, so that a deeper understanding about a religion comes about without adding the dogma.  

The above photos are photos I took on Friday, August 16th from my deck.

Six months or so ago I started to hear alot about chemtrails.  Whenever I say chemtrails to someone the first question I hear is “do you mean contrails?”.  Chemtrails are different than contrails in that contrails are water vapor emitted by flying jets that dissipate very quickly in the atmosphere.  Chemtrails are also deposited by jets but they do not dissipate quickly and are not water vapor.  Chemtrails are fine particulates of metal, namely powdered aluminum, barium salts which turns into barium oxide and synthetic fibers found in the textile and carpet industry.  All of these chemicals are carcinogenic and /or contribute to disease.

After I started to hear about chemtrails I started to watch the skies and started to see what was being described.  And, coincidentally or not, I started to experience allergy problems though I have never experienced allergic symptoms in my life.  

A couple of weeks ago, after seeing chemtrails consistently in the skies above us I really started to do some research.  That is when I found out what chemtrails consisted of.  I also found out what the government and scientists were saying about why this was being done.  To counter effect global warming.  Some scientists are saying it is having the opposite effect however.  But I also found out that this is being done with no studies done on the effects to the earth or any living beings including us.  I also found out that there could be many more different reasons for doing this.  The list is long and I won’t go into it now, but suffice to say I would say “follow the money”.  A couple of videos that do not scream conspiracy theory at you but just tries to gives the facts are on: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/04/29/geoengineering-chemtrails-what-in-the-world-are-they-spraying-and-why/

These videos are long but well worth the watch.  

One of the scientists who spoke on the video said, “first you will hear that this is indeed being done but it is being done for the benefit of mankind.”   Have we heard this before and is this not acclimating us to accept this?  

Lo and behold, an editorial in my paper this morning did just that.  This is a quote from that editorial.  "Right now, energy companies, scientists, policymakers and even some environmentalists around the world are considering the possibility of attempting to manually override the Earth’s thermostat to counter the effects of global warming."  This after I took photos of chemtrails above us on Friday.  Did you notice the words, are considering the possibility?  How can this be said when chemtrails already exist?

August 6, 2013

I read a story about a remarkable young man this morning.  He lives in my community and has a vision. This young man who is 15 years old wants to open a nonprofit student center in our downtown.  He wants a place where students can hang out, do homework and work on creative projects. The center will have computers, photo and video equipment, a T-shirt printer and sell coffee and smoothies.  He is in the process of raising the money to do so.  One of the ways he is doing this is by selling coffee and coffee drinks and smoothies from a coffee cart.  He sets up this cart during our festivals and anytime there is a gathering of people in downtown.

The remarkable thing for me is the fact that he has created this vision and is taking the steps necessary to manifest that vision at such a young age.  For the majority of us this doesn’t happen until we are older if it happens at all.  

I believe that the ability to do this resides within each one of us.  We are on this earth to realize our unique purpose.  And this purpose can change at different points in our lives.  Identifying this purpose and then acting on it can be daunting, so much so that many of us let it go.  And we let it go for many reasons.  Fear, lack of support and closed heart and mind are some of the reasons.  

This fifteen year old is for me a shining light.  He is fearless, open-minded and hearted and resolved.  I truly hope he can realize his vision and I will help in any way I can.  

My vision of helping to create a world of peace and sustainability seems at times daunting.  Many people have given up on that reality.  Sometimes I feel discouraged and feel that I should give up trying to realize that also.  But when I read something like I did this morning about this young man, I feel encouraged again.  Give up?  I don’t think so.  I don’t like the alternative options for myself or succeeding generations.  

July 14, 2013

Feeling a very low energy within and without.  A sense of foreboding and unease.  My dreams were very low energy last night.  This feeling has been with me the last two days.  As I read the previous writings I am wondering how I can once again move into the flow of energy that is of life.  Or is this part of the flow?  I come up with two answers to that.  1.  It could be.  2.  I know from past experience that when I am feeling uneasy and a sense of foreboding it is usually coming from fear.  Once I can identify the fear and the source and move from fear to love the uneasiness stops.  

The other sense I am feeling right now is a real disconnection from all things on this physical plane.  I am impatient with what I see as ego in the world and the empty quest for “success” we have set up for ourselves. I feel as if I can see beyond all the news and what we term as reality to the core of all that is.  I am impatient for others to join me in striving for the core of love.  I feel that waiting for others to awaken to what it is that will sustain us is futile.  I feel that we do not have the time for an awakening.  Is this part of my fear?  

June 17, 2013

Monday morning.  Moving into resolving issues concerning our framing business.  Need to start looking at this as challenges instead of issues.  Also, I have decided that before I get too caught up in the whirlwind of helping to run this business, I need to stop, center, breathe and move into the flow of life.  Connecting to the universal flow and energy creates an easyness to life, for life.  There is no resistance there, just flow.  I envision a stream flowing downhill, effortlessly moving around the rocks, around the bends across the stones.  Receiving more water from the skies, flowing into the oceans.  Becoming one with all water of the earth.  It all flows.  Thank you guides for reminding me to stop, center, breathe and move into the flow of life.

June 16, 2013 

Fathers Day. I have been experiencing many emotions today. Missing my own father, honoring the father of my children, spending time with family. One thought that has been sticking with me today is that fatherhood seems to be very different now than what it was when I was growing up. The young men today who are engaged with their children seem to be fully engaged. I know that many people my age had wonderful fathers. But it seemed that the role of dad then was primarily one of financial support. The emotional support came primarily from mom especially with sons. 

Women of my generation, who started working outside the home depended more on their husbands to help raise the children. The fathers of our children were called into our children’s emotional life on a deeper level. Our children saw a different dad than we did growing up. And now our children are becoming parents with a different perspective on what it is to be a parent. And I have to say that I like what I am seeing in many young men today in their roles as dads. So Happy Fathers Day to this newly evolved/evolving dad.