Christmas Gifts

Advent - the days running up to Christmas time - can seem very preoccupied with material concerns. Shops and the media are filled with promotion of material gifts, and the only sign of any remembrance of the religious significance is often the children`s school nativity plays and carol concerts. 

However, it is certainly a time of year when more prominence is given to the magical symbol of the Star! Stars are shining everywhere in Christmas displays, and probably every child knows that three wise men followed a star to find baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

It is comforting to reflect (amidst all the materialism) that the star symbol itself has an intrinsic power which stimulates the inner Christ light to arise and shine out more brightly; it truly is a magical symbol!

And so are the three gifts - White Eagle`s teaching on these is very clear and inspiring. 

We were contemplating some of this in the Advent retreat I conducted at New Lands recently. Something I had not focussed on before is that the gift of gold, is not only the gift of love and light in every human heart, but it is also the gift of physical life itself and the `temple` of our bodies, which we have the opportunity to nurture and be thankful for throughout our physical lives. Even though our bodies can give us trouble - particularly as we get on in years - they are something to treasure and be kind to. So a different thought I offer for Christmas time is a gift of kindness to our bodies (a little rest and relaxation in the four days of the solstice - the sun standing still time). This could well be very hard to achieve, but even half an hour of doing `something for you` - a gift of kindness to yourself, may make all the difference to the bright light of happiness you can beam forth to your family and friends. 

Then the gift of myrrh (the bitter herb symbolic of the suffering of physical life) may not seem so bitter, and the gift of frankinsence (of sweetness and the awareness of the presence of angelic helpers and the continued companionship of your loved ones in spirit), will be more easily welcomed into your heart.

(See the White Eagle book `Festivals and Celebrations` for inspiring teaching for your quiet times this Christ-mass festival.)

Invictus Inspiration

If you saw Prince Harry give his opening speech at the Invictus Games in Sydney, I am sure you will have been as moved as I was. It was a truly inspirational speech and charismatic delivery which must have brought upliftment to hundreds of hearts and minds and hope for the future.

Speaking to the five hundred athletes taking part who were overcoming their mostly war related injuries, Prince Harry said: `You are the unconquered generation. You are the optimistic generation. You are the new generation of servers and you are the role models for us all.`

Harry also spoke movingly of his own experience of seeing fallen colleagues when he was on active service in Afghanistan, and how broken the wounded could be after their life changing experience. This had made him want to use his position to do something to offer them new hope and encouragement. Invictus means `unconquered; undefeated` - the greatness of the human spirit can triumph over all adversity. He wanted to encourage wounded and broken people that there were still wonderful and positive things they could do and my goodness he has certainly done that! I myself listened to an interview with one athlete who had won a medal during the games, and he said that this time last year he had wanted to take his own life as he felt so hopeless, and now he could see a new life opening up before him.

Well done Prince Harry - you are a shining star, and your radiance is an inspiration and example to so many, not only to wounded soldiers and their families, but thousands of us ordinary people, to keep on smiling throughout the many challenges which life on earth can bring. 

A Lighthouse in the Darkness

We recently received a comment on our Facebook page which has inspired me very much. The comment was: `Thank you for being there! Like a lighthouse in the darkness.`

Many years ago, talking in the London Lodge, White Eagle likened our work to being a lighthouse in the dark years of the second world war and the austere time which followed. The strong and constant light of a lighthouse shines out through fog and storms to guide mariners to safety. The light of White Eagle`s teaching and the ever-growing brightness of our shining star symbol, is always there, like a lighthouse. It is built on a firm rock foundation of the eternal truth of the ancient wisdom. 

This wisdom of the ages is unchanging in our world of ever changing technology and innovation.

When feeling buffeted by media storms and news of yet another tragedy in the world, I find it helpful to contemplate the lighthouse image and its symbolism. I have also started now to try to feel myself actually being a lighthouse! So as well as having the image of the external lighthouse shining out into the dark world, I try to feel in my own being the solidity and safety of the rock foundation - strengthening my inner core of faith in God`s perfect plan - and stand tall and shining through every outer gale....well that is my goal!

'It is in dying that we are born to eternal life'

At this time of year, here in the Northern hemisphere, as the days get shorter and nights longer,  I am always reminded of my mother Joan Hodgson`s passing. The actual date was 8th October, very near St Francis day, and I am looking at a copy of his famous poem `Lord Make me an Instrument of Your Peace` as I write this. I read the poem at the opening of our Peace Day in the New Lands Temple just over a week ago, and the beautiful and evocative words never fail to touch my heart.

Even if we believe strongly that life continues after the physical death of the body, there is still bound to be some sadness and feelings of loss when a close friend, family member or loved one passes on. This is natural. Anniversary times are particularly poignant, and remembering our loved ones in no way `holds them back` in their new lives of greater freedom. 

As I think of Joan, my mother, at this time of year, I feel joy at her freedom, and also her encouragement that life really is eternal. It is indeed, as in the words of St Francis, that `in dying we are born to eternal life` she affirms, for we realise without any doubt that things go on in the same way. Life is more beautiful, yes, but it is not a question of sitting on a cloud with angels playing harps; that would be boring after a while! We make our life in heaven beautiful through our own efforts, our creativity and positive thoughts, just as we do whilst in physical bodies. There are still challenges to be embraced in heaven, lessons to be learned, hills to climb, but if we open our spiritual eyes wide, we can see with ever clearer perspective the glory of God`s great plan for our personal lives and indeed for the whole world. Our faith can grow stronger and stronger, and we can help our loved ones still in physciall bodies to feel this too.

White Eagle says in THE LIGHTBRINGER: `As they grow in spirit, people will no longer fear death because they will be quickened to life in spirit. Death with all its morbid trappings will be a thing of the past...Death will be swallowed up in victory, in immortality, because when men and women learn to live by the true spirit, recognising in each other the same spirit as that within themselves, they will know there is no separation by death.`

Do Not Judge a Book by its Cover

Listening to the radio the other day, I heard an interesting talk on the theme `Do not judge a book by its cover`. I think one of the really positive things which is emerging in this age of Aquarius is a greater acceptance of `the many different ways of being` and a deeper understanding of variations from what has been considered the right way to be, to act or to look!

However, it is still all too easy to judge things by their outer appearance, or coloured by our own experience, our upbringing, religious conditioning from childhood and the culture in which we live. I notice this myself, and keep working on it! When we pass on, I think we are still bound in many ways to old restrictive patterns of thought, and it can take a while and considerable effort to free ourselves, as we shed the numerous layers of the old life, to reveal the sparkling jewel within.

A little while ago I was talking with a friend about the beautiful precious jewel - a ruby - and how much this stone meant to me. Amazingly, he showed me a ruby he had in its original form, encased in a brown stone-like substance, not beautiful at all, but what a treasure lay inside, similar to the finding of a beautiful pearl in a rough oyster shell! I thought of this as I listened to the radio talk. I also remembered Mother Theresa`s inspiring words about how, as she worked with the old, sick and destitute people she sought to help, how she always saw Christ in every soul, no matter their outer appearance.

The White Eagle teaching is full of inspiring words encouraging the reader not to judge in any way. One of my favourite passages is in The Quiet Mind and has the title `Respect your brother`: 'The true light is a gentle love which, rising in you, causes you to look on the world with understanding and compassion and respect. When you respect the soul of your brother or sister you respect their life in every way. This gentle spirit, this respect one for another, must come. For this is the generation of the one true light, and this true light is that of love.'