My morning tea was a ritual, making the PG Tips. I always used the same small white porcelain tea pot, unless I wanted up to four cups, then I would use my larger chintz tea pot. I’d pour a little hot water in first to rinse it out and warm the pot, then drain. Then add the tea and hot water. It’s best to catch the water just before it boils. Then I would set the tea pot down, covered with the tea cozy that a friend brought me from India, made at an orphanage. I’d then figure out what else I was having with my morning tea, perhaps toast, or perhaps taking some waffles out of the freezer. I’d then enjoy my tea with a partial tea spoon of raw sugar, or Turbinado sugar as it is called, from Hawaii. This is my favorite way to start any morning. I serve it up in actual white porcelain cups and saucers, or choose one of my chintz cups and saucers. It is indeed a proper cup of tea.

But these days I’m looking at ways to improve my health habits, and I know the beneficial effects of green tea. I’ve sacrificed my endearing tea ritual for a cup of green tea on most mornings now. I don’t have sugar with my green tea, so I’ve cut my sugar consumption because of this new choice. While the taste may not be quite as pleasing, I’ve actually grown to look forward to the slightly bitter green tea taste in the mornings. It feels and tastes good and healthy, like I am cleansing myself when I drink it. I make a mug of the green tea, without the pot and tea cup ritual. It is a much simpler experience that I’ve also grown to enjoy in itself.

I believe I’m improving my health by drinking green tea, which is said to be rich in anti-oxidants. I am feeling better and some of my medical metrics appear to be coming more in line. I’m making other small changes in my diet as well. I like it when I can make small changes, adjust to them so that they seem like no big deal at all. After a while, I believe the small changes add up. And when it comes to enjoying a real cup of black tea these days, complete with the ritual, I still do once in a while. And that makes it even more special.

Unfortunately the eclipse won’t be visible to us in the US. But astrologically it is occurring in the house of Cancer.

Eclipses have often been times of great intensity and change for me. I may post more details as the time gets closer.

“I hear Sante Fe is the next place where the spiritual energies, vortex energies are growing,” she says. “Sedona doesn’t have the same energy as it did ten years ago.” (According to some experts knowledgeable in this sort of thing.)

“Sante Fe, that’s funny,” I reply. That’s the third time in recent weeks Sante Fe has come up for me. I explained how I had friends staying in their RV in my driveway for a few days, and they were going to be in Sante Fe for the summer. Also, another friend who lives in Sedona speculates she might one day move to Sante Fe, and that her parents were thinking of retiring there. Sante Fe would offer more activity as a larger city than Sedona which has a population of only about 12,000.

In a change of subject, she thinks it horrible that some people think the world is ending in 2012. She overheard a young 18 year old waitress at a restaurant say that the other day. “The world is not ending!” she proclaims, “we are just ascending.” That’s why there is so much transparency going on with our financial system, and corruption is being exposed.   I agree and point to a recent newsletter by Aluna Joy Yaxk’in who posted the image of a crop circle who’s meaning was interpreted to show that our world is merging with other dimensions. My friend said yes, we are definitely merging into the fifth dimension.

As we continued our chat we, of course, bemoaned our struggles as “lightworkers” and attempting to survive in this world. She advised me to read the Sedona Journal of Emergence which is available at our local library. She particularly likes some articles by Tom T Moore who advises us to visualize the “most benevolent outcome” and to make good use of our guardian angels and ask them to help us. I told her I would look into his stuff, and perhaps go to the library and read some of his articles.

Such was our lively conversation, and very typical of the way people in Sedona think. This conversation would be understood and accepted by most any Sedona resident. I wonder sometimes what my more distant relatives might think of these ideas. Nevertheless, I find the richness of this spiritual philosophy irresistible.

How many of us do not like stress and the emotions that flow from that? So often the world metes out experience that is counter to our desires, causing us discomfort or pain. Also, people in general can be very cruel. Much of the time in my life these experiences have been debilitating for me. And as we study what the popular new age wisdom is telling us about the law of attraction or manifesting what we want in our lives, it is important for us to feel well, to feel happy in order to do so. But when we are victims of harsh realities in this world, when we get hit with a major stressor, that is the true test of how masterful at manifesting we really are.

The Not Manifesting? book, by Kathleen Mackenzie tells of how she lost her job and was going to be unemployed because of what she believe was untrue rumors or gossip about her at the workplace. She was angry for weeks, but just before her job ended, she forgave and blessed everyone and felt at peace with the situation. Then on the last day, a new job came open within the company and she was able to stay. She uses this example as a way of showing how we can examine our beliefs, and what comes out of us when we are in a stressful situation. Do we react with anger and fear? Or do we bless the situation and see our lives with gratitude? I believe staying in our true connected spiritual selves requires the latter.

My freind Karolen, a celebrated bead artist commented on this from what she gleams from the teachings of the Crimson Circle. She says “Adamus [Crimson Circle teacher] has been trying to make the point I think, that truly creating our own reality depends on us being sovereign beings. because actually right now, we are influenced by other people, by events that happen to us. Like someone says something mean and we get upset, or anything like that. We’re learning to be sovereign, that’s the spiritual journey. But until we get there, we are still somewhat buffeted by the winds of what others are doing around us. But when I can get to that place where I feel centered and I feel my I AM presence, then I think I’m at that sovereign place where I can create my reality, including what emotions I choose to feel at that moment.”

How often does the world challenge our spiritual sovereignty, indeed? I wonder, the next time it happens, and it will happen, if I can do better at keeping my emotional balance. I think there is perhaps no more important lesson in life than being able to maintain one’s spiritual sovereignty.

It is so easy to not feel grateful too. It is so easy to get lost in thinking about that which is imperfect. There are always imperfections, or the wish for things to be better or different than the way they are. Sometimes things seem to be a real threat to our way of being. It is easy to get stuck there, at least for me: worry, fear, feeling of lack, inadequacy. It takes a bit of effort, to not dwell there.

What are the ways to deal with it? Use the unpleasant, uncomfortable thoughts and feelings as a reminder to be grateful. One method is to make a list of things to be grateful for. Rich German suggests that we do a daily 10/10 exercise where we list 10 things we are grateful for each day, and 10 things we desire or want to manifest in our lives. This morning practice helps set our attitude for the day and raise our energy. I also believe when the negative feelings become strong and prevalent, that we might allow for it a little while, giving our whole mindfulness and healing attention to it. Then a repetitive uplifting mantra or affirmation can help.

Today I choose to be grateful. I move the feelings of lack or wanting to the background and choose to think about all that I do have. It is Saturday, I feel well and energetic and I have the whole day to myself, a whole beautiful day to explore the wonders of reality, to play, reflect and enjoy as I wish. How great is that? Today is a great and grateful day.

Dinner as posted on Facebook

Sometimes I feel a little embarrassed about sharing my interest in alternative theories in ancient history. Indeed this is a kind of arcane subject, like studying alchemy or something. So, perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that my Facebook friends (and family) wouldn’t comment. The only comment I got was from a friend’s eight year old daughter. She wondered why I would bother writing about anything other than the Beatles. (She’s a huge Beatles fan.) Although it does appear that eight other unidentified people have posted my article to their Facebook page, according to the Facebook share widget. So, that makes me feel good.

But indeed, back to dinner which got an immediate response. I’m glad people liked it, and it might prompt me to share as such more often. Perhaps people are just more comfortable commenting on everyday mundane happenings. And I don’t call it mundane in the pejorative sense. Believe me, I like to appreciate the simplicity of the mundane with the best of them, perhaps in a Zen sort of way. There is a richness to the quiet and stillness that can make the details come alive.

Shall I refocus my interest to what seems to get a little more attention? Probably not. I’m still fascinated with ancient aliens, and I know others are as well even though they might be a bit more reluctant to reveal themselves. But I will like to connect with people by way of the ordinary and mundane as well. My dinner was simple and beautiful. And I like that.

As a kid in the 1970′s I was fascinated by the television documentary The Chariots of the Gods, by Erich von Däniken. It was exciting and thrilling to learn about the unique and revealing qualities of the Egyptian pyramids, the Nazca lines in Peru or the statues at Easter Island. The main theme developed that these archeological sites contain much information, including advanced knowledge of astronomy. We seem to still be unraveling the messages of these stone monuments today. And these message seem to be so profound that one might only conclude they were left from a very advanced and knowledgeable civilization. Knowledge that didn’t necessarily develop here on earth, but from other star people or ancient aliens.

Much later in life, I was introduced to Zecharia Sitchin, Hebrew and Sumerian scholar and author of the book, The 12th Planet. There is much to be revealed in the translations of the Sumerian cuneiform that says that an Ancient race of people, the Anunnaki, did come from another planet to seed the start of human existence. The Anunnaki of ancient Sumerian texts is similarly defined as “those who from heaven to earth came” and were an integral part of early human history. It is also interesting to note that these stories hold similarities to the Old Testament creation stories and that the Cuneiform language is linguistically related to the ancient Hebrew.

My intuition tells me there is a lot more to the history of mankind on earth than what is commonly known or accepted. I love delving into the wisdom of the ancient past to help understand our true history better. Many ancient cultures such as the Native Americans and African tribes hold an oral history of “star people” coming down from heaven and giving us knowledge. As more of this information is revealed, I believe we are on the verge of an awakening of who we truly are as humans and our place in the galaxy.