Coming up on 7 years ago, I 'penned' an article titled 'Februation': re-reading this article recently, I was able to see, once again, how far I have come on my Journey, though I'm obviously on the same Path; It just looks different! I say ' it just looks different' because I can read what I wrote way back then & note that I have not 'strayed' at all; I just use different wording. Not to 'stray' too far from my intended Purpose here, but 'God' takes many shapes & forms - in fact, some have said that 'God' is 'above all, and through all, and in [c]you all' - so while there are those who refer to 'God' as 'Him', following/worshiping Yahweh of the Hebrews, others have noted, whether correctly or incorrectly ( you be the judge ) that 'God' is simply our Highest Self, our 'Divinity', you might say. Back to our subject now, that of 'februation'.....................
In this day & age, selfishness seems to abound! In the traditional, or even non-traditional relationship, this might be a simple as doing what you want, even though you know your significant other would much rather be doing something else. It can also be complicated by that 'significant other' sacrificing his/her wants/needs in order to keep the peace/placate their chosen partner. Speaking of 'Sacrifice', which is what that previous post centered on & what this post will touch on somewhat, the act, in itself is not wrong, in fact, it is often vaunted as one of the most noble Paths one can take, but it can be detrimental. Again, in this day & age ( of selfishness ), the tendency for the one being sacrificed for is to want more, to begin to expect it. On the other hand, if one sacrifices their wants/needs for the other's wishes, resentment tends to step in & like a double-edged blade, this 'sacrifice' also leaves one feeling drained & unfulfilled. So we come to 'Self-love': this term has been getting a lot of attention lately, mostly because of the 'selfishness' related above. Please don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that those practicing 'self-love' are being selfish, though there IS a bit of a fine line here & we must practice with care: no, to love others, we must first love ourselves, whatever 'love' means to you individually. To some, 'love' is based on feelings, so if you feel like, 'I'm not getting enough out of this relationship', you may want to re-examine your own reasoning for being in that relationship in the first fucking place! To others, 'love', at least on this earthly plane, looks more like 'care'. On this earthly plane, at least, the latter definition is definitely the closest to defining True Love. Humanly speaking, we should note well, caring for others is the greatest, if not the only manifestation of True Love. What is known as 'Romantic Love' & which is celebrated around the middle of the month upcoming is really nothing more than lust, passionate & even sacrificial though it be!
'Love' looks different to different people: 'As above. so below'; to love someone is to care for & about them. As some have said, 'I don't much like you right now, but I still love you!' Statements like this should sound strangely familiar, for they are inextricably linked to what is often called 'the human condition', or, our feelings, which are not a 'bad' thing. Sometimes, however, one can care about another, but if this other does not return that feeling, that care soon goes away. This is because that 'love' was based on feelings/emotions, which, as we've discovered previously, can be fleeting. There is a Love that lasts the test of Time & we'll get to that, but first, a little more about this so-called 'Romantic Love'. 'Romantic Love', just plain 'Love', as it's known in most circles, can be a fickle mistress & is really more akin to 'Lust'. The holiday most associated with this feeling is coming up soon. During this holiday, if only on this holiday, those with a 'significant other' will traditionally ( ? ) purchase, for that 'other', anything from chocolate & roses, to sexy underwear ( lingerie ), usually in the hopes of getting something in return ( most guys ( this applies to some girls/women, too ) would say 'gettin' some' ). Most often, you might say, the feeling is mutual ( else they wouldn't be 'together' ), but sadly, this is not always the case..................
On Facebook, you may have noticed the cute little reactive emojis under a person's post that allow you to like what they have posted, love it, be angry, be sad, etc., etc., not necessarily in that order. You may also have noticed, as at least one other has, that these emojis follow, almost perfectly, the 'normal' modern human relationship. Sadly, this is often the case, for our feelings often change like the weather ( 'like the Seasons' would be another way to put it ). Speaking of 'the Seasons of Life'; as we mature, humanly speaking, our perceptions change. This usually includes our perception of what 'love' is. When, at a relatively young age, we 'fall in love' with 'the girl next door' ( so to speak ), this is often called 'puppy love', especially when the two involved ( sometimes, it's one-sided ) are in their early teenage years, or younger. 'Infatuation' is another word for it, though this word can be employed throughout the 'Seasons'. All of the above, of course, is based on feelings & when the feelings change, well...................
The 'Seasons' of Life are not necessarily set in stone. We can normally ( ? ), more or less, count on the weather, for instance, changing with the Seasons. At or around the Spring & Fall Equinoxes, as well as at the Summer & Winter Solstices, like 'clock-work', the Seasons are ushered in. As with the Seasons of Life though, the Wheel of the Year is not so precise. For example, we may see Fall-like weather in the middle of January, or freezing, Winter-like weather at the beginning of Fall ( like we did this year, here in Montana ). Though during the Summer, we can pretty much count on the weather being fairly warm to very hot, Spring is much like the Fall, ranging from Winter-like weather to almost Summer climes. In the same vein, the Seasons of our Life can change on a whim it seems, because, once we reach a certain age, our likes & dislikes can change, almost like the weather. Much like the Zodiac, which we covered in a previous post, these Seasons can affect our lives & explain why we, as human beings, are the way we are, but ultimately, the choice is up to us, as to how we will either act or react in any given situation.
Reincarnation may seem like a strange subject to bring up in the middle of a discussion on love, yet here we are! To many, the notion that we have more than one life to live is ridiculous, tantamount to blasphemy, even. However, to this blogger, as well as to a growing number of people, it makes all the sense in the world. Deja vu, as well as other 'feelings' ( 'stirrings'? ), are explained by what many now understand to be 'a fact of life'. 'Soulmates' are one such notion that has enjoyed increasing airtime of late, maybe especially around this time of year. Although soulmates are often lovers from past lives, this is not necessarily so. A 'soulmate' is simply one individual soul that, for whatever reason, is inextricably, even inexplicably connected to another. Just because two individuals are soulmates, does not mean that in every lifetime they will end up together, either; circumstances or other environmental factors are usually involved here, humanly speaking. Getting to the point, though, 'how do these souls know to find each other in all these different & various lifetimes?' That may be a question for another day, but for now, suffice it to say that Love does have something to do with it!
The modern definition of 'Love' may vary from individual to individual or group to group, but in reality, there can be only One! Okay, a little movie humor there, but seriously, True Love has but One definition. Although, humanly speaking, Love may look/sound/feel differently to different people, at the Heart of It, Love is Who we are ( much like Energy )! This may seem to be a strange, enigmatic statement (' what does he mean, 'We are Love?' ), but I urge you to ask yourself, 'What IS Love?' 'What does It mean to me?' 'As above, so below'; Love means different things to different people; to some, 'love' might be simply a feeling they get around certain people or a certain person. In many cases, this feeling is more akin to 'lust'. To others, however, their definition of Love adheres about as closely to the true definition, humanly speaking, as One can get in this earthly experience; 'care', even sacrificial care. No, I'm not saying we should sacrifice self-love, or self-care, but seriously, what real harm does it do us to give up our wants/'needs', in deference to another?! With the realization that we must love ourselves, again, humanly speaking, before we can love another, in essence, 'if we don't care for ourselves, how can we truly care for others?''; we can give of ourselves ( sacrifice ) to the other ( ? ), knowing that by doing so, we are manifesting the Love that we are.
'Okay', you may be saying, 'so We ARE Love; how does that translate to the REAL world?!' Well, first of all, 'what IS 'real' to you?' Secondly, SINCE We ARE Love ( NOT humanly speaking ), We must simply BE! In order to manifest What & Who we truly are, we must simply live sacrificially, proving to ourselves, as well as to others that We ARE Who We say WE are. With the realization that this is easier said than done, especially in this day & age, we tend to strive for 'perfection' & this, humanly speaking, is the majority of the problem! No, I'm not saying that, as human beings, we should simply stop caring, or loving, just that we don't have to TRY to love, it comes naturally. ( 'Love' does not equate with 'like' ) If we could simply ( ? ) bypass our Ego & manifest from our True, or Higher Nature, we might find that Love DOES come naturally to us ( as opposed to manifesting from our lower, or animal nature, which equates to 'lust' )!
Whether we manifest from our Higher or lower nature, then, depends largely on whether we have learned from our past lives. One may or may not believe ( ? ) in reincarnation, but again, it only makes sense to this blogger ( much more than the Christian notion of the whole 'fallen nature' thing ). Since Life is all about choices, so why should it be so hard to believe ( ? ) that It's all about learning our lessons & bettering our choices? The choices we make, as individual human beings, prove whether we are acting according to our Higher or lower nature; if our definition of 'love' is more akin to 'lust', in essence, caring/loving others only as long as WE are being sated, that is a good sign that we are acting/reacting from our lower, or animal nature. However, if sacrificially care for others, while remaining true to ourselves, this is a good indication that We, in our Higher Nature, have learned in the process that it is better to give than receive!
The Seasons, or Cycles of Love may also be explained thusly; when we act/react differently at different times in this present life, it indicates the level of maturity that we have attained. Another way of putting this is to say that we have learned & are learning the lessons that our past ( life? ) experiences have taught us. In some sense, this is only humanly speaking, for this is how We manifest on this earthly plane. On the spiritual plane, however, since Time is an illusion, there ARE no Seasons or Cycles: in the Realm of Spirit, We simply ARE, no changing, no choosing; no liking or loving, no feeling. It is in this Life alone that such things exist & they exist for the Sole Purpose of manifesting the Love that We are!
The Love that We are, then, is not affected by any of the above ( 'below' might be a better way of saying it )! We do not 'love' another, simply because of how they make us feel ( although many try & fail miserably ), We do not 'love' another for what we can 'get' from that person ( that too, will always fail ); We manifest True Love when we realize that We are the definition of True Love; it is only when we manifest from our Higher Nature that we truly know/prove what Love really, actually IS! Again, this is MUCH easier said than done, but once we accomplish it, EVERYTHING on this earthly plane will change, however imperceptibly, first, for us, then for our 'world'!
Namaste' & Blessed Be.
Sage Charles
No comments:
Post a Comment