I had a lovely Thanksgiving but have had difficulty getting back to a spiritual practice, the blog, etc. So I asked, and of course Richard answered.
Ann: Please will one of your talk to me?
Richard Burton: But of course, love, you have only to ask. And that can be an issue when one is consumed by the hurly and burly of holidays, family traumas and delights. But here we are – I count myself as just one member of your team – and standing at the ready.
Have you noticed, love, that it sometimes takes misery to push you to seek our company and that sometimes said misery does just the opposite? It is a curious phenomenon and one which I observed repeatedly in my short, albeit fuel-filled, existence the last time around.
And with that experience and all its highs and humiliations in mind, I can say to you that it is simply the human condition. Even the devoted spiritual seekers, the ascetics and chambered religious, feel the pull and push toward and away from spiritual life.
My god was Shakespeare, his questioning, his wisdom, his failings and his humour, all took me to a place where I could hear and even occasionally listen - albeit in fits and starts.
Oddly enough, I considered myself an atheist when what I was was a disappointed seeker. God simply wasn’t living up to my standard. How dare He! Or She. Or They. Or whomever purported to be out there touting some grand plan.
I took my grievances and made an alter of them at which an atheist could worship never noticing that in fact I had rendered concrete in my rebellion the reality of our Creator. For if not real, how could I make a life out of whining and moaning about his/her/their decisions?
Suffice it to say that you take your pleasure where you may and if, as in my case I needed the arrogance of denial to shore up my perpetually failing sense of self, then that was the choice I made. You need not do the same.
I share this drivel with you to let you know that each and every life has a back and forth relationship with the Divine. We quibble, we complain, we issue ultimatums, and eventually, eventually, if not before death then certainly after, we learn to ride the waves that are the essence of human existence and expansion.
No amount of railing, self-censure, or discipline can stop the emotional turbulence that wanes and waxes with the seasons of our lives. So you have been on the dark side of the moon for a bit? So what? The earth continues to turn, the light will emerge, and with it the experience of what came to you, through you, and for you in that period of quiet.
Try not to rail at the seasons, bay at the moon, or, in one form or another drink or read yourself into oblivion when passing through the shadow. Simply notice, know that it will change, and you will take with you the enhanced patina that life on this planet has offered you.
Feel your breathing deepen and your certainty of wellbeing settle. For it will be well, and it is, I can tell you, finally now having had to let my petty qualms go in the face of Divine Certainty.
It is so. That is the gravamen to hold onto, the pedal tone to carry you through good times and bad.
We are here with you, each person with perfectly chosen guides and avatars. The Divine is real, and we will never let you go it alone, you have only to ask for our help.
November 30, 2023
Free Image Credit: By RomanDeckert - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115733392
Some day, I hope to pay my respects to his mortal remains at Celigny, Switzerland. Thank you for the message, Ann. Appreciate your company, Richard.
I could read Richards' musings all day!! Thank you - a lovely and comforting message. We all get sidetracked now and again and as Richard said - it's just the human condition : not a fault at all. And thank you Ann, it was good to see you again. 💛🌈
Such a reassuring outstanding message!