The Americans of 1776 had the highest standard of living and the lowest taxes in the Western World!

      Farmers, lawyers and business owners in the Colonies were thriving, with some plantation owners and merchants making the equivalent of $500,000 a year. Times were good for many others too. The British wanted a slice of the cash flow and tried to tax the Colonists. They resisted violently, convinced that their prosperity and their liberty were at stake. Virginia's Patrick Henry summed up their stance with his cry: "Give me liberty or give me death!"

Source:  Little known facts about the American Revolution
http://www.state.de.us/facts/ushist/revfacts.htm

I saw a video on YouTube about hi rise buildings and opulent neighborhoods in some of the African cities.  I wanted to show a city from every African country, so I searched the web for images of the capitols and I believe I may have got them all.  I hope you'll watch through the affirmation at the end.

Once again, the Winter Solstice is upon us. People for thousands of years have celebrated the hope and faith that Light is victorious over the darkness. This is the season when the ancient people of many traditions, and even people in today's world, honour the closing of circles, the Northern Quadrant of the Medicine Wheel, the White Buffalo, the White Owl, the Ancient Spirits and Wisdom among us and within us.

This is the season when we learn from nature how to honor the darkness of Life's Mysteries without losing faith. We recognize the seeds of growth and nurture them in our own inner warmth until the Light returns. We dignify the elder who lives always within us, and face our own old age with serenity and faith and power. We learn that even in the darkest moments, health, serenity, and healing energy are available when we focus on them with positive intent.

So it seems appropriate that the early Christian leaders placed at this time the birth festival of that divine Individual who, to the Christians, is a guarantee and an assurance that the Light of the divine soul will ultimately prevail over the darkness of the outer world. Let us contemplate the possibility that it was not instituted by arbitrary opinions with a desire to create converts (as I have often said) but instead by the cosmic wisdom which so often lies beyond the reach of our consciousness, beyond our rational intellect that is so well developed in our age.

My invitation this week is that you honour the seasons of your life. Delve deep into the mystery of your consciousness and cultivate a faith and trust that Light always prevails over darkness as we prepare for the birthing of the Christ Light on December 24.

Some words from Rudolph Steiner to contemplate:

Whatever may befall you, whatever may torment you and draw you down from the shining spheres of the spirit, your divine origin is an eternal reality, hidden though it be in the depths of the soul. Recognition of this innermost power of the soul will give birth to the firm assurance that the heights are within your reach. And if you conjure before your soul all that is innocent, childlike, free from life's temptations, free from all that has already befallen human souls through many incarnations since the beginning of earthly evolution, then you will have a picture of the human soul of the Christ.

The festival of Christ's nativity became the festival of the birth of Jesus. What we believe to be born anew symbolically every Christmas Night, is, rightly understood, the human soul in its original nature, our childhood-spirit as it was at the beginning of earth- evolution, when it descended as a revelation from heavenly heights. And when the human heart can become conscious of this reality, the soul is filled with the unshakeable peace that can bear us to our lofty goals, if we are of good will. Mighty indeed is the word that can resound to us on Christmas Night.

If we understand Christmas to be the festival that commemorates man's divine origin, and the symbol before us on Christmas day in the form the Jesus child, says to us ever and again that we can find within ourselves the power which bring peace to the soul. True peace of the soul is present only when that peace has sure foundations, when it is a force enabling us to know that something lives in us which, if truly brought to birth can and must lead us to divine heights, to divine powers.

Rev. Sophia Ducey

The Gospels and other texts referring to the birth of Jesus, tell of two proclamations of this birth. The one is made to the shepherds in the fields, to whom in a dream, an angel announces the birth. The event was perceived through their inner soul-forces. The other proclamation is made to the three Magi from the East who follow the voice of the star announcing to them that Christ Jesus has come into the World. These proclamations reveal two ways that higher knowledge came to the people of earlier times.

The shepherds, who through their purity of heart, and their connection to the Earth, possessed a certain power of clairvoyance which came over them like a dream. They were able to experience an inner vision from the Earth of what was drawing near in the event to the birth of Christ Jesus. Through their inner vision, they were able to experience the secrets of humanity.

The Magi were those who were of the highest wisdom attainable by the human mind at the time. They drew upon their knowledge in order to understand the phenomena of the heavens; by so doing, they became aware of a significant event taking place on Earth. They read the secret movement of the stars and planets. Through this ancient lore of the stars, the secrets of humanity were revealed. This is different than modern astronomy which focuses on analysis within time and space; this ancient practice observed motions of the heavens and gave insights beyond the physical realm, beyond time and space.
We all have the capacity of the shepherds and the Magi, not through cognitive learning and knowledge, but through cultivating a deep connection with God, the Stars, the Cosmos. As we develop more wakefulness in our consciousness, to the messages of the Earth and of the Heavens, we live within a deeper awareness of the world around us and its connection with the divine. We see the "synchodestiny" in the world beyond form, and in the world of form.

These forces well up from our innermost being. Some can connect with them during sleep, or in a lucid dream-like state. For some, meditation and breathe are the pathways to this divine connection. Whatever the pathway, it is our gift to experience this as we become more awake, more aware beings. We cultivate a deep listening to the messages of the Earth and the Heavens.
During this time of Advent - in preparation for the renewal of the cosmic event from over 2000 years ago - take some time to deepen your spiritual practice of divine connection. Meditate, pray, breathe, or declare intentions before you sleep to tap into the higher realms and deeper realms of your being. In doing so, you will experience an opening to see the divine patterning of life, the perfection beyond the illusion of form.
This opening is the gateway for the birth of the Christ within. You become the living embodiment of the Holy Grail - the womb of Christ Consciousness.
Awake. Aware. Open.

Blessed Be!

Rev Sophia Ducey

The Advent Gift of Order and Spaciousness

During the Advent Season, we unconsciously sense the approach of an important event and feel compelled to prepare. This sensing could be called a "divining" for it rises out of the depths where the divine lives in our souls. The divining grows stronger as the year grows darker; as the time between twilight in the morning and twilight in the evening grows so short it seems that the day is ruled by twilight. At times, this time of year compels us to undertake too much and get caught up in the busy-ness of the season. Often we end up without strength for inner preparations.

Yet outward preparations are not without meaning. All these external preparations are a reflection of that which we can do inwardly to prepare for the Holy Night. The impulse to clean and decorate the house now is a metamorphosis of another feeling that rises in the soul as the Holy Night approaches: a feeling that can be expressed with the words, "As I order my thinking and feeling, I cultivate the proper thoughts and feelings to prepare for the Holy Night." The peace sought through this inner ordering and contemplation is sometimes what the Christmas frenzy distracts us from.

During Advent, we hear the call to become, to grow beyond ourselves. This is the deeper impulse behind all giving. Giving someone a present can certainly bring happiness, but if we give of ourselves, then we truly prepare for the Holy Night. For giving something of our own self creates a free space within the soul, the free space into which Christ can be born when the Holy Night comes.

My invitation to you this 2nd week of Advent is to give first and foremost to yourself. In amongst the outer ordering and decorating of the season, take time to do some inner ordering and contemplation. Create the spaciousness within to feel the peace of the season, the peace of God that is within you. And from this space of peace, give forth of yourself, your heart to another. In doing so, you create the space within for more peace, more joy, and more hope as the Christ once again celebrates its birth in your being!

Rev Sophia Ducey

Advent is the season that is celebrated in the Christian faith for the four weeks leading into Christmas. For most people in North America, it is a time of great shopping! My invitation to you is to take this spiritual journey with me, to tap into the deeper meaning of this time. I will be writing 4 short articles during this time, to share some insights and guidance as we together prepare the way for the Festival of the Holy Night, the Celebration of the Cosmic Christ.

Advent promises us that in times of huge uncertainty and transition, both personal and collective, we can trust in the God who comes to us and through us, often in unexpected ways. Therefore each Advent we are called to begin again to prepare the way to welcome the Cosmic Christ Light into our hearts, our lives, our world anew at Christmas. We are called to make every effort to level the mountains and raise the valleys of our lives.

My invitation to all of us is to use the time of Advent to re-shape our exterior world and our interior terrains, to take the opportunity to let go of that which traps or deceives or disempowers us, to make room for new life to begin again: The mountains of our egoism or pride, our arrogance and self-serving. The valleys of despair, of apathy, of paralysis due to past hurts that bind us, or our need for security, our attachments to resentments, our fears and anxiety about the uncertainties that face us in our personal lives, our spiritual communities, and our world - these valleys need to be raised up, the empty spaces filled with God or the awareness of God in our lives and in these spaces. Advent calls us to stop holding on so tight to that which is not helpful for us and to let go and live in trust.

Preparing this Advent way takes courage, it takes time, it takes intention, especially in a time when we are so distracted by the demands of the media and habit of busyness that is typical during this time of year. How on earth are we to try and begin to keep a holy Advent and to prepare the Advent way of freedom and simplicity?

I would like to offer some practical suggestions, all of which may be a challenge for us and involve making intentional choices. Some can be done on our own, others can be decided together with those with whom we live.

We can cultivate the gift of time to ponder and reflect by blocking out spaces in our lives, with time for ourselves, for family or friends, for God. We can make time to be alone, maybe by taking a walk or finding a quiet space to sit and ponder what we need to let go of this Advent, where there needs to be space made for new life and growth.

We can cultivate the gift of simplicity by thinking about the gifts we give this Christmas. Expressing our love by giving gifts does not depend on the level of extravagance. Gifts can be simple, home-made, or things that build and nourish rather than 'use up.'

We can cultivate the gift of hospitality and welcome by sharing, perhaps taking time once a week in Advent to share a meal with a guest, perhaps someone for whom this is a lonely season, or someone who brings us a sense of life and renewed energy.

We can cultivate the gift of balance in the bounty. In this time of enjoying good food, drink and parties, we can fast one time each week, give money to a hunger project for those who will go hungry in this time of excess.

We can cultivate the gift of prayer, by communing throughout the day with the innermost Being and the Highest Most Being of our consciousness. We can remember those for whom this holiday season is stressful or those who are experiencing grief or loneliness, and then praying for them each day and even reaching out to them in caring ways.

These are just a few ways we can try to cultivate the spiritual essence of Advent in these crazy Christmas days and prepare for the Cosmic Christ Light which we celebrate during this season. As we intentionally affirm our Advent practices, as we courageously face the profound uncertainties within our world at this very moment and within ourselves, so the grace of God will enable us to trust the promise of the season, and we wait with hope and great expectancy, for the return of our deepest recognition of the ever-present Cosmic Christ Light at this darkest time of year.

Rev Sophia Ducey

A Greek philosopher and teacher ended a lecture asking, “Are there any questions?” In the audience was Robert Fulghum who asked, “Dr. Papaderos, what is the meaning of life?”


Fulghum relates: “The usual laughter followed, and people started to go. Papaderos held up his hand and stilled the room and looked at me for a long time, asking with his eyes if I was serious and seeing from my eyes that I was. ‘I will answer your question,’ he said. Then taking his wallet out of his hip pocket, he fished into it and brought out a very small, round mirror, about the size of a quarter. Then he said, ‘When I was a small child, during the war, we were very poor and we lived in a remote village. One day, on the road, I found several broken pieces of a mirror from a wrecked German motorcycle. I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, but it was not possible, so I kept only the largest piece. This one. And by scratching it on a stone, I made it round. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would not shine – in deep holes and crevices and dark closets. It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places I could find.

'I kept the little mirror, and as I went about my growing up, I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game. As I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child’s game but a metaphor for what I might do with my life. I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of the light. But light – truth, understanding, knowledge – is there, and it will only shine in many dark places if I reflect it.'

‘I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know. Nevertheless, with what I have, I can reflect light into the dark places of this world – into the black places in the hearts of men – and change some things in some people. Perhaps others may see and do likewise. This is what I am about. This is the meaning of my life.' “And then he took his small mirror and, holding it carefully, caught the bright rays of daylight streaming through the window and reflected them onto my face and onto my hands folded on the desk.”


http://www.robertfulghum.com/ Robert Fulghum's Official Website