When the time comes for the embryo to

receive the spirit of life,

At that time the sun begins to help.

This embryo is brought into movement, for

the sun quickens it with spirit.

From the other stars this embryo received

only an impression, until the sun shone

upon it.

How did it become connected with the

shining sun in the womb?

By ways hidden from our senses:

the way whereby gold is nourished,

the way a common stone becomes a garnet

and the ruby red,

the way fruit is ripened,

and the way courage comes to one distraught

with fear.

I read this in The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis.  She offers this as a poetic example of “…the sense of the whole, of the need for us to be in tune with our true nature to bring forth life.”   She describes the TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) approach (which I am following through acupuncture treatments, herbs, and diet and lifestyle choices) as “…declaring our desire to be in alignment with nature…putting our trust in our body’s innate wholeness and seeking ways to help the body remember what it was meant to do…”

Rumi and Lewis are talking not just about life coming to the embryo, but the phenomenon of higher powers enlivening the creatures and other elements of our world, in an infinite array of shape, texture, color, personality, and potential.   There is so much mystery in the universe.  Children live and breathe with desire for discovering clues.  They are enchanted by the surprise and magic of it all.  What is it about growing up which hides our love of magical mystery?

I vow to continue unraveling the ropes which have tied up my enchantment.  I vow to help others see their knots and learn ways to untie them.  And I vow to give my children the freedom to discover clues and ponder mysteries, and to help them cultivate the power to tame the ropes that would bind, to use them for practical purposes, to jump with them, to turn them into harmless dancing snakes.

Jeph conceived of, and I started, this blog with the intention of writing about external experiences and the choices we make about how we outwardly live our life: what we eat, what we buy, the energy we use…What I’ve been inspired to reflect on so far, though, is largely internal: what I’m thinking and feeling -and the psychology, philosophy, and spirituality of it – as I move through my days.  I would love to be more humorous, and metaphorical about it, like Misty and her overall approach to life, as exemplified by her witty, candid, and funny blog.  She’s someone who has the sun glowing within her.  You experience it through her smile, her laugh, and her stories.  For someone who’s dealt with many challenges in life, her consistently positive energy is inspiring.  It’s great to be around.   I don’t think I was born with a lot of natural fire, and that’s probably why I’m such a sun worshipper.  Heating up from the outside actually penetrates my inner realms (my soul) and helps me stoke the small flame.  Yes, it’s pretty esoteric, but there’s a lot more going on here than material reality and one of the abiding themes of this life, for me, is seeking understanding of the other dimensions.  The goal, of course, is to be able to share the insights (with an awareness that we all must ultimately learn our own lessons.)