Remembrance - A World Without Walls

On Sunday 9^th November—Remembrance Day—many people commemorated the centenary of the start of the first World War and here in London millions of people came to the Tower of London to see the ‘field’ of commemorative poppies laid in memory of all those who died in this particularly tragic war.

What has the world learned from this tragedy? What are the new generations learning we may ask? Last summer, as did so many other school children, my 15 year old granddaughter Daisy visited the battlefields. Afterwards she wrote ‘Thoughts from the Somme’ which was printed in our White Eagle magazine Stella Polaris. I quote a little here:

‘However , one experience that stands out in my memory of events is when we went to a graveyard in Flanders. It was huge; if you stood at the edge of it, the graves were reduced to cobblestones, a grey mass strewn with parties of schoolchildren holding clipboards amongst them. But amongst the grey mass were individuals, differences reconciled in death. German graves stood beside English, French, Canadian, Chinese and American. It was a joyous reminder that even though we may fight in life over petty differences, when the final note is played we all recognise ourselves in one another. This realisation is also shown in Michael Morpurgo’s novel ‘War Horses’. The horse, when trapped in wire, is freed by both German and English sides in a show that humanity is the same all over the world. Indeed, the stage production of that novel has its own cast and show in Germany. If we can learn anything from the First World War it is the importance of remembrance. Each new generation must be reminded that the terrible cost of human life anywhere is not worth small political gains or losses. This is particularly relevant now as angry words fly over the Ukraine crisis in a way that has been remarked upon by several to be reminiscent of the First World War. Once remembrance is learned, ingrained into the collective human mind, we will see the rose bloom on the cross. History may be filled with the taint of sorrow, but that is past. As a race we are adaptable; we can change the future.

A wonderful thought. We are adaptable. We can change. I believe our world is changing. 9^th November was also the 25^th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down. This happened not as a result of another war, but through peaceful revolution. To quote a media report:

‘On November 9^th 1989, the world watched in amazement as jubilant crowds gathered on both sides of the Berlin Wall around midnight to celebrate the opening of the border crossings between the eastern and western parts of the city. A peaceful revolution in East Germany had finally cracked this grim symbol of Cold War and political oppression. It signalled the beginning of the end of Germany’s post war division and national unity came less than a year later on October 3^rd 1990.

Just after reading this I opened a letter containing some inspirational writing. My correspondent wrote: ‘Build me a church without walls. There is no division in the mind of God.’ I love this statement: ‘There is no division in the mind of God.’ We human beings have created so many divisions—different countries, religions, feelings about right and wrong, etc. However, as Daisy wrote… when the final note is played, we all recognise ourselves in one another.

And finally, some words of White Eagle’s which I read at our Remembrance Service at the New Lands Temple, I quoted these words from White Eagle’s teaching:

‘These conditions of war that come to the earth plane, although they are brought about by ignorance and stupidity, are turned to good effect. No-one is sacrificed in vain, and with war there comes a corresponding push forward in the evolution of humanity. All the time spiritual growth continues in you, and not only spiritual growth but mental growth. Better conditions of life are the result of past suffering. There is a little light inside you, a voice, an urge to unity and brotherhood. Follow it. It will lead you to a place of great beauty where your view is expanded.’

Divine Law Never Changes

I love the time when the Sun is in Libra because it brings with it the vibration of divine law and harmony. It brings a feeling of the beautiful order and balance of the heavenly life.

Here in the UK it is still autumn and this year we have had many beautiful sunny  and truly heavenly days. The turning leaves show us, though, that the season is moving on and the dark mornings and evenings of winter are approaching. In nature we see that life is always changing. We experience the changes in our physical bodies as we age and it is certain for us all that one day our bodies will die and we will make the transition from the physical world in to the heaven world.  This is part of both natural and divine law. Now as I write, the Sun has moved into Scorpio of course, and this brings with it the different energy, the feeling of greater closeness with the inner world as we move towards the Christian Festivals of All Saints and All Souls this coming weekend.

Our physical world is always changing but I found myself saying to a colleague the other day, ‘Divine law never changes’. This is a wonderful thing. It brings us stability and helps us trust in God, no matter what. At a service this week I read these beautiful words of White Eagle: ‘Nothing happens by chance and we would impress upon you the truth of the magnificent spiritual plan; and that in the organisation in our world all is ordered by divine law. You find it difficult to understand this when in your world it looks to you as though things are confused.  But we can tell you that when man apparently commits sin or breaks the spiritual law, the result of his foolishness is always put to good use by divine spiritual law. Thus God is always repairing, always healing the nations, always healing the peoples, and though it may seem to you certain things happen by chance. This is not so. You may say, how extraordinary such a thing happens—but it is not extraordinary. Everything works together according to the Divine Will. Always remember this and, having done your best with the material at your hand, surrender the rest to the Divine Love and perfect law of God. If you trust in God you will without fail find His love will flow through your whole life, and indeed all your affairs, and you will know peace of heart and peace of spirit.’

I do hope sharing these words with you today—I felt the inner prompting from White Eagle this morning to do this—will help you, no matter what challenges you  are facing in your life as you read this.

Our Call to Prayer

When I first heard the Islamic call to prayer on my first visit to Egypt many years ago now, it touched a very deep chord within my whole being. I believe I have had a number of past lives in Islamic cultures and I feel a close link with White Eagle in those times. One of the most obvious connections between White Eagle’s work and Islam is his own ‘call to prayer’ for us all at 3, 6, 9 and 12. Although in spirit we are told there is no time, in our earthly world we live with time. I find that to have a clear plan of when we can set aside time to remember God in our lives is very practical. It helps us bring a spiritual practice right into our daily lives. White Eagle calls us to prayer using the powerful symbol of a shining six-pointed Star. He tells us to see its rays touching the hearts and minds of people all over the world—at the hours of 3, 6, 9 and 12. Mohammed asks his followers to remember Allah—God—at the hours of sunrise, mid-day, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening.

With my deep heart love for Islam I am particularly sad to witness all the troubled times we are going through at this present time. Listening to a television news programme on Sunday about the murder of a U.K. taxi driver who was giving aid to refugees in Syria, I was heartened to hear one of our Christian Archbishops  saying that in spite of everything good might come from it. He said it could actually bring the local Christian and Muslim communities together, rather than separate them even more. What a wonderful, positive thought! Good to come out of tragedy.

White Eagle’s beautiful teaching also offers us all a way in which we can help foster deeper understanding between Christian and Muslim communities. There is so much beauty and wisdom in both religions and White Eagle’s teaching leads us to the deep inner truths in both. He also reminds us to  constantly hold in the heart of the Star all the conflicts in every country of the world, trying not to ‘take sides’ or make any judgements. Recently White Eagle has been giving me the image of the Star radiating a particularly beautiful soft pearl light. This pearl light contains all the healing colours of the spectrum and the Angels of the Star can use the exact tone and vibration  which is needed to heal every situation, however serious. The Pearl Ray has a special essence which touches both the heart and the mind. It helps heal deep seated pain in a unique way. It helps awaken the inner light in every sad and wounded heart.

In Healing the World White Eagle says:  ‘If you wish for good things in the world, if you wish to avoid war and conflict, try to learn to live peace and love and goodwill yourself and help others to do the same. Show the way by example and others will seek to find that something which you are manifesting in your life. Strengthen the spirit within you by daily attuning yourself to the world of light. Be tranquil, and know the peace of God and the joy of life, and you will be helping to raise the vibrations of all life and of the earth itself.’

The Tree of Peace

Here in our lovely Temple at New Lands, blessed with Autumn sunshine, we have just celebrated our Peace Day—21^st September— the day of the equinox, and linked with the global event ‘Peace One Day’. Our special focus for prayer on this day was Africa. We visualised a great tree of peace growing in the heart of this beautiful continent, its golden leaves and fruit nurturing all in need of sustenance and healing. The roots of the tree reached deep into the earth, taking healing right into the soul of this great land and helping its ancient light arise in blessing for the whole world. White Eagle has said many times that the healing of Africa is of the greatest importance in our work for the healing of the whole world. Africa has many gifts of wisdom and understanding of Mother Earth to give us all.

At the time of equinox, I feel there is a wonderful opportunity to pray for peace and deeper understanding, heart-to-heart, in all areas of conflict. Now as we approach the Festival of St. Michael and All Angels, with the Sun moving into Libra on 23^rd September, there is very powerful angelic vibration which helps us not only in our endeavours for peace, but also in our work of deep Earth healing. So, with White Eagle’s encouragement, I would like to think of us visualising the ‘Tree of Peace’ with its golden light and fruit blessing the whole earth. You may like—at this equinox time—to visualise a golden tree of peace, the perfectly balanced Star shining above it, as we did in the temple on Sunday. 

As White Eagle says in ‘Seeking Serenity’:  ‘We would lead you to the peace of the heavenly life. Without this inner peace of the heavenly life, you live in a state of stress and anxiety and fear. The Brotherhood of the Star, who are so close to your spirit always, work to dispel all the fears and anxieties to which you on earth are subject. When you are in trouble you become tense, and because of the tension whatever you are suffering from is more painful and the suffering increases. When there is conflict in the mind there is no peace in the soul, but when the spirit controls the mind and the nervous system, then peace and tranquillity rule. The love, the light in the heart, is pure spirit; and human life must be guided by the spirit. Once you can relax and relinquish your problems to God, all conflict ceases and health, wholeness and holiness return.’

Courageous Heros

A little while ago I had a small accident and cut my leg, which has given me a great deal of pain. It is taking a long time to heal and testing my patience! One evening it was particularly troubling me when I was watching on television such an inspiring programme about the work Prince Harry is doing to encourage wounded servicemen and women to take part in sport, in spite of their injuries.

As many will know, he has set up a five-day event beginning this week, which is called the Invictus Games. Wounded servicemen and women from 14 nations are competing in different sporting events. Prince Harry’s encouragement is making a huge difference. To quote a newspaper article: ‘Public support has always been there’, says a competitor Andy Grant. ‘But Harry’s backing has taken it to another level.’ The ex-Marine chose to have his leg amputated rather than live with a debilitating limp after being injured by an IED in Afghanistan in 2009, and says sport has played a huge part in his recovery. ‘The first time I ran again, I felt like I was flying,’ says Andy, 26. ‘It spurred me on. The thought of sport always provided the light at the end of the tunnel and taking part in the Invictus Games is the pinnacle of what I’ve achieved. It justifies my decision to have my leg amputated.’

Reading and hearing these amazing stories in spite of terrible injuries, really put my little injury in perspective! I find it so inspiring to hear these stories of courage and also realise the bravery of not only the wounded person but all their close family, as together they have to face a completely new life.

With the understanding which White Eagle’s teaching brings us, we know that ‘Nothing happens out of order or by chance’, and that all the difficulties are actually opportunities to grow and serve and move forward in new ways. This thought was reinforced for me whilst watching parts of our UK Great North Run taking place this past weekend in Manchester. So many were running for charities and running because they had been touched in some way by a close one’s illness or death. This suffering had encouraged them to give everything they could in personal effort to help relieve others’ suffering. This is indeed a wonderful way in which communication works: we know what is going on for other people, and shows us that the new age urge for brotherhood and working together with others is unfolding in the human spirit.

As I listen and read these things, I see the shining Star touching people’s hearts and minds, and encouraging new things to unfold through the darkness.

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PS.  After writing the above, I have been having an early morning walk around our Temple cross-within-the-circle field. It is an exquisite Autumn morning, with the sun breaking through the early mist. White Eagle was very close as I walked and I heard him saying to me, ‘Don’t forget, every cloud has a silver lining’. This is a message for us all I think as we face the challenges and difficulties in our personal lives. There is always something that we can learn and gain through the experience—the gift of silver, which blends with the gold of the joy that follows as we move through the difficult time.