The Perfect Symbol of the Star

 In THE BOOK OF STARLIGHT, White Eagle reminds readers:

`The Star is the most powerful symbol which can be used for the good of humanity. It is a symbol of the perfect power and love in every human soul. Keep hope in your heart as you hold the vision of the Star, and always allow the power of love, balanced with wisdom (which shines from that Star), to guide your thoughts, your speech, your actions.`

A shining six-pointed Star has been an important symbol for me throughout my life, and never more so than at this time of the pandemic. I love this saying where White Eagle reminds us to `Keep hope in your heart as you hold the vision of the Star`! I think hope is a quality we all need very much just now. It seemed the pandemic was easing and there were better times ahead, but now we have daily news of more cases and more restrictions. When will it all end, we may wonder? And especially here in the northern hemisphere, where our long summer days are over, and we are at the start of months of short hours of light, and long nights of darkness! Oh dear, it is not so easy to keep a sunny smile on our faces...but here is something I find helpful!

Every time a depressing thought pops in to my mind, I think 'Star`! I replace the worried thought with the vision of our beautiful shining Star. I breathe in the healing light of the Star and as I breathe out, I see the worried thought melting away, like frost on the ground when the sun comes out. I breathe in hope and the certainty of God`s great wisdom, and that we really are all learning many important things in this time, difficult though it is. 

One thing many people have been sharing is about a greater realisation of what matters most in our lives. Not material things, but the love of our families and friends, and the light which really is in every human heart - even those we may find it difficult to like! If we can fill our thoughts and hearts with even more Star Light, this light will shine across the world to illumine every dark place. As we come now to the traditional time of bonfire night, and the Festival of Diwali in the Hindu tradition, let us `Let our Lights Shine` ever brighter with hope in our our hearts!

What is Peace?

Following on from my last blog post: `Lord Make me an Instrument of Your Peace`, this next one is prompted by my discovery of a little piece of paper in my file with this very thought provoking story:

`There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for the mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains too, but these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell, and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the king looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the angry rush of water, sat the mother bird on her nest...perfect peace.

The king chose the second picture. Why? `Because`, explained the king, `peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all these things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace.`

I love this, and it seems particularly relevant at this time when we are all being tested in many ways with the continuing uncertainty caused by the corona virus and its repurrcussions in our personal lives. So, like the little bird sitting on her nest amidst the storm, let`s try to keep steady and calm no matter what, and, as White Eagle says in THE QUIET MIND: `Keep your line of contact clear. Be tranquil and serene. A Master is never perturbed.`

Lord make me an Instrument of your peace

There is a close link between St Francis and White Eagle. (I can feel White Eagle smiling as I write this, and there is a twinkle in his eye. He knows many of his followers down the years have felt that link too!)

4th October is St Francis Day and around this time of year, I always feel him close, and often re-read his prayer. It is very practical. Everyone drawn to White Eagle`s  beautiful teaching probably would like to be `an instrument for peace`, but it is not as easy as it might appear.

However, careful re-reading of the prayer gives us many helpful clues. As I read it today, the phrase which particularly stands out for me is:

`Where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope`. I feel these two qualities of faith and hope are particularly relevant at this time of the second wave of the pandemic. Every day (if we are following the media stories) there are more figures about the number of people and countries affected, and in a way it seems really hard to hold on to our faith that humanity is learning valuable lessons and all will work out for the best, etc. So it is perhaps now even more of a challenge to keep strong and calm and truly `an instrument of peace`.

I find it helpful to think of those sainted ones, like St Francis (and the Master Jesus and the story of him stilling the storm) and ask for their help to keep strong in faith, as they did, no matter what! And of course, we have our wonderful symbol of the shining Star. As I have often written, whenever a thought of doubt or despair creeps in, think Star, and see its glorious light shining across the world, uplifting the hearts of all.

I have just opened White Eagle`s book of Star Light at this page:

`Quietly breathe very gently...and as you breathe, feel that you are absorbing into every cell of your being the rays of the glorious Star shining just above you...Just breathe peacefully, and feel this wonderful light of trhe Star filling your heart with every breath you take.`