The Long View
for the book addict and spiritual seeker
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Welcome To Your New Source for Nonfiction Books...
I know that politics, business, and religion are supposed to be impolite topics at dinner but they happen to be my favourite conversations. This blog will explore all sorts of cool non-fiction (and the very occasional fiction) that I wend my way through. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it and, even better, join me in the reading.
Wise Words from the Tao Oracle
Posted By Vanessa on August 7, 2010
From Ma Deva Padma, the woman who created the Osho Zen Tarot
18. Work on What Has Been Spoiled
… “The tragedy of ecological disasters brought on by human negligence is something we have all witnessed in the media, or even firsthand. Most of us weren’t directly involved in the creation of these crises. But we all participate in gross, irresponsible thinking or doing at some time or another. Our internal attitudes set the tone of our reality. We create oil slicks in our relationships and toxic spills within our own minds. We dump mental garbage on loved ones, friends, and neighbors. We allow our emotional fires to run rampant, destroying all that comes in their path.
Begin the work of cleaning up and restoring balance in your own small self first. Give it your total love and attention. Be forgiving and absolutely diligent. You and the world will be better for it.” …
I used to dream of saving the world, in fact I was on my way towards becoming a lawyer and working at the UN to accomplish just that purpose. I’m not saying that thinking globally is wrong, but, slowly, slowly, (as I can be quite dense!) this philosophy has penetrated through to my core. If we could all focus on our own small selves and create oases of peace and love, the world would be better for it.
What messes do you need to work on?
Pert: The Molecules of Emotion
Posted By Vanessa on August 3, 2010
Whew! I’ve been taking a bit of a breather from non-fiction this past week to fly through The Cider House Rules
Last week I realized, again, that I have several books on the go at once, and have written none of the Final Reviews that I had planned. So, I’ve made myself a promise to not buy any more book, nor start any new ones until I finish all the ones that I have on the go and write the final reviews for them, as well as for the ones that I’ve finished since I started the site.
However, when I get all that done, I am totally going to find myself a copy of Candace Pert’s Molecules of Emotion
I was listening to Stephen Edwards’ audio program Your Miracle Life from Nightingale-Conant this morning and he mentioned that Pert’s book was a memoir and since I love memoir this book sounds even more important to read. Pert brings a critical eye to the ‘Palace,’ as she calls the NIH, and sheds some light on the exclusive and male-dominated world of high-level scientific research. Plus, she seems really cool.
I can hardly wait.
That’s the plan, then: finish the seven or so books that are currently underway and Review-as-I-Read until they are done and, at the same time, start to prepare some Final Reviews. Once I catch up, then I can dive into a whole new group of books. Except for Through Black Spruce
OSHO & Smith: Connecting to Nature and Creativity
Posted By Vanessa on July 16, 2010
Today’s Osho Zen Tarot
With the right-hand I chose the Page of Clouds: Mind, which I also chose earlier this week, and XVIII: Past Lives. Interesting, I’ve never chosen Past Lives before, and this was the only card which was not reversed. Past Lives tells us that we need to examine the deeply-rooted beliefs and patterns, that come from past karmic experiences, that we are allowing to run our lives unconsciously. It urges us to become aware these patterns, through a strong meditative practice, so that we can release them, unburden ourselves, and move forward with a lighter heart and mind. Which is, of course, what the Mind card is also telling me to do – to let go of the internal dramas so that I can open up to the experience of this life.
The left-hand cards are an indication of what to do with my Mind and Heart once I get out of my drama, and to help me get out of the drama. The 3 of Fire: Experiencing is a strong suggestion to reconnect to Nature, to commune, to approach with reverence, that which is ancient and without fanfare. It is true I have not been doing this enough, even though I have a large and lush backyard that is just full of nature. I’ve also been invited on a day trip to the beach in a few weeks – I think I’ll do that as well. Finally, I chose one of my favourite cards, III: Creativity, the call to connect with the divine, and in that union to allow creator’s creation to create. I read the very same thing in Smith’s book yesterday – paint, sculpt, take photos, write, sing, make music, do anything that allows you to feel the joyful creative force.
I did put it on my Goals list but I have not figured out what to do. Perhaps, today, I will sit outside and work on my next book.
What will you do? Inspire me with your ideas.
Smith: Returning to Nature
Posted By Vanessa on July 15, 2010
“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
With these words, Smith takes us into Part 1 of 7 in his book, Honoring the Sacred Earth
When Smith writes of how it is “time for us to look at nature and see how it repairs itself and help it to ease its own wounds and pains,” I am vividly reminded of the BP oil crisis in the Gulf of Mexico and how our arrogance, greed, and stupidity have so violently harmed the Earth and how we need a paradigm shift of the type being argued in this book to fix the damage (8).
At the end of each mini-section, Smith offers a Prayer and one or more Practical Exercises relevant to the topic (often a Meditation, usually guided). It is in these sections, especially in the Prayers, that I caught my first glimpse of Smith’s spiritual and emotional connection to Nature, and to the writing.
I’m not sure what happened, but after the first twenty pages of Smith’s book I could feel it changing – and for the better, I think. I really struggled with the first twenty – editing errors and a feeling that his passion was just not in his writing. I found myself thinking of Diane Ackerman and her vividly sensuous writing, and wondering where Smith’s prose was hiding, only being teased by his Prayers and Exercises.
But once I reached the section on Tuning In, BOOM!, there it was, in his discussions of the various art forms we could use to connect with and appreciate Nature and our own Creative potential. Thank goodness! Earlier in the book, he had suggested that we need to “be willing to engage all of your senses and emotions while working with nature” and in this section on painting, sculpting, writing, and music, his passion comes through clearly (13). Since then, there have been no errors I’ve caught, just beautiful and important prose.
He asks us to “lessen the distractions” of our daily lives and learn to sit silently in Nature, and then to engage mindfully with it (31). Nature can inspire us to create ourselves, he suggests, and while I believe he meant to create art, I was immediately struck with the idea of how we are given the opportunity to create, and re-create, our lives and ourselves as an ongoing process. How wonderful!
The exercise at the end of the section on Art is to find a new art form and use it to explore Nature, holding lightly to the products, but engaging deeply with the world around and inside of you. This is definitely going on my Future Generator form from Raymond Aaron’s Double Your Income Doing What You Love
In the next section, Smith asks us to see with the eyes of a child, making reference to his own experience as a father, and the inspiration and wisdom he has gained from raising his son.
Part 1 concludes with an introduction to the Celtic Wheel of the Year and a reminder that engaging with Nature and listening to her cycles is essential to our completion as humans and our longevity on Earth.
After a somewhat rocky start, this book has me and I am thoroughly looking forward to Part 2. As a bit of a tantalizer, here is his beautiful Prayer for Clear Sight:
Almighty God please allow me to see with the wonder and awe of a child every day. Let me awaken afresh and see things as if I’d never seen them before. Help me to appreciate everything around me and to hear your divine words and song in everything. Amen.
Smith: A Rocky Start to A Wonderful Voyage?
Posted By Vanessa on July 15, 2010
Today, I’ve restarted David Smith’s new book, Honoring the Sacred Earth
Full disclosure: I took Rev. Smith up on a super-generous offer he made on Twitter to send his books to reviewers. I offered, he accepted, and a couple of weeks later I had the two wonderful books in my hands. He is taking part in a contest and I suggest you go vote for him, right now, and then come back to read the rest. 
I admit I was thrown, right at the start, by an editing oversight. It is understandable that editing is not perfect, but to have an error in the first paragraph of the Introduction is fairly unforgivable on the part of the editors, they should know better. It is the first impression that the reader receives and taints the experience. At least for nitpicky people like myself.
After navigating that first paragraph, Smith explained the purpose of the book, how it was laid out, and how to best benefit from it. I confess I love it when authors provide tips on how they envision the book being enjoyed, and I love being told to get my hi-liter and journal ready to interact with what I’m reading. It makes me feel like I’m heading into an experience, not just a bunch of words. And when dealing with something as important as our Sacred Earth, I want to be fully involved, not just skimming. Over the years I’ve developed my own system of underlining and margin notes, but it was nice to be reminded.
The second impression I received of the book, also on the first page of the book, was that it would be pretty heavily influenced by Christianity. It caught me off guard, for some reason I had anticipated a non-Christian perspective (perhaps because of Smith’s other book on Druidry?) so this was another expectation adjustment to make. He encourages the reader to use whatever words are required to interact with the text. Whichever God, or god, or Divine Force, works for you, will work for this book. But, in the text, God is God, and God is He – fair warning. He comments, though, that people of “many if not all faiths are beginning to notice that there is something missing in their lives” and that “we have forgotten that the natural order was set into motion by the creative force long before we existed and that it is part of use and we are part of it” (2).
He goes on to suggest that we need to learn to tune in to the “cycles and the turning of the year… to become one with the Earth again and support and nurture it as it has nurtured us” (3). The idea of tapping into the Earth’s cycles reminded me of my beloved Earth Steward’s Handbook, and their excellent ideas for celebrating the seasons – I’m looking forward to seeing Smith’s ideas.
I was struck once again how the separation from the Earth is connected so closely to our separation from the Mother, the feminine, and the degradation to all three that results. His call to reconnect also resounded in my brain as a call to stop waiting for someone higher in the hierarchy to take care of the world for you. It is up to each of us to stand up for what we believe in and nurture the Earth that has been given to us, in whatever way we can.
Smith has not yet mentioned the Divine Feminine or patriarchy, but it might be coming, this was only the Intro after all, and obviously very thought provoking.
OSHO: Moving to a New Vision
Posted By Vanessa on July 14, 2010
Three days in a row – three meditation session guided by the insights of my Osho
Right
7 of Fire: Stress
10 of Water: Harmony
Left
XII: New Vision (Reversed)
10 of Rainbows: We Are The World
Today I am reminded that my perfectionist nature leads me to believe I have to be in charge of everything, keeping a dozen plates in the air, and stressing myself until I fall ill or breakdown, as yesterday’s card reminded me. I’ve had the breakdown a few times in my life, and I am ready to try the heart-centred Harmony of water (symbolized by two dolphins) where I learn to Go With The Flow. While I am moving toward that, I do tend to get caught in the net of responsibilities – and that has certainly happened recently with a lot of financial and career and kid stress. Today is a good day to relax and enjoy being in the Moment, remembering that the Universe has a plan, and it is my job to surrender to it, not fight through it.
We Are The World is a beautiful reminder of humanity’s highest potential that can only be expressed when we are living in joy, and that this ecstatic joy will bring peace. This is closely tied to the New Vision of myself that I am growing in to, though its reversed position shows that I am not quite accepting the release of my earth-bound fears to accept the grace and potential of the Cosmic me. No kidding.
From Harmony: “Only a simple heart throbs with God, hand in hand. Only a simple heart sings with God in deep harmony. To reach that point you will have to find your heart, your own throb, your own beat.”
OSHO: Breaking down and breaking through
Posted By Vanessa on July 13, 2010
Two days of meditation in a row… I’d better be careful or it’ll start to become a habit.
My two card meditation spread from Osho
The first observation I could make about that is that while yesterday’s spread was two minor arcana, today’s is two major arcana. Breakthrough I get on a fairly regular basis, it correlates to the falling tower of traditional tarot. But Beyond Illusion is quite new for me.
Let’s see, Breakthrough occurs after a breakdown, according to the description in the book, and often follows on the heels of an ‘enough is enough’-type experience. I am certainly at the ‘enough is enough’ stage, however I’ve been talking about it for months now, and I think that the card being reversed is a reminder, a nudge if you will, that I am actually blocking my Breakthrough to remain in breakdown mode. I’m still letting my fears keep me in stasis while the situation around me continues to get worse – energetically and financially. Can you see where this is heading?
Fears, of course, are illusion, and the Beyond Illusion card is encouraging me to move, well, beyond the illusions, beyond the fears that I am allowing to keep me still. I can see opportunity and happiness swirling all around me, I can taste it, they are so close, but I can observe myself pushing them away.
I know that this is a common problem, in my experience most people do not live their lives as fully as they could, as abundantly as they would like. I am grateful to oracle decks such as the Osho Zen Tarot for regularly reminding me of the truths that I already know yet try to forget. And I’m grateful that I can share these gifts with others through oracle spreads and coaching.
More From The Long View
Osho: Today’s Draw is All About the Mind
Posted By Vanessa on July 12, 2010
It’s official, the pain from the car accident is no longer affecting my Downward Facing Dog pose, and today’s yoga session went just swimmingly. Very happy about that.
Between the yoga and meditation I did a quick Osho Zen Tarot
It’s the first time I’ve drawn the Mind, and I guess I am now in a good place to work on it at this level. The Mind card, according to the description is all about remembering to keep the Mind in it’s place. It is an incredibly powerful tool, but it must be kept the Servant and not allowed to think that it is the Master/Mistress of my life.
When the Mind is allowed to rule, it creates a fantasy-world where everything is a threat, where there is no light save what the Ego creates, and change is a scary, dangerous, must-be-avoided-at-all-costs proposition. This is not where growth occurs.
The spread reminded me that I need to quiet what Blair Singer calls the Little Voice
What a great way to start a Monday.
More From The Long View
- OSHO: Breaking down and breaking through
- OSHO: Moving to a New Vision
- Lesser: Hearfulness and Ecocide
Aaron: Super-charged Goal-Setting
Posted By Vanessa on July 5, 2010
I confess, I am enjoying the heck out of Raymond Aaron’s Double Your Income Doing What You Love
After reading a Chapter, I totally feel that even I can do this system and have it work for me. And it is a system. Aaron has been running a Monthly Mentoring program for years and he has developed his tools with hundreds (or thousands?), of clients. He is utterly confident that they will work, for you, for me, for everyone.
And, moreover, he is totally convinced that we all deserve to live lives of joy and love, following our loves and fulfilling our life missions.
I actually feel motivated to sit down and fill out the monthly goal setting sheets, setting challenges for myself just to see what will happen. The most unique feature of his goal-setting approach, at least for me, is the MTO. Each goal set, in each of six categories, has three possible achievement levels: there is the Minimum level that you know you can achieve, the Target level that would be a bit of a stretch, and the Outrageous level that you can’t even imagine completing. Aaron explains that his clients regularly report achieving the Outrageous levels without even trying – he calls this achieving automagically.
He also provides a score-keeping system to see how you are doing and quite correctly reminds the reader that even if all you do is think about and set your goals monthly you belong to an elite group of achievers. And isn’t that reassuring for those of us who do not always achieve our goals.
More From The Long View
- OSHO: Breaking down and breaking through
- OSHO: Moving to a New Vision
- Lesser: Hearfulness and Ecocide
