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Oct Meditation HERE
Fittingly, it happened at the Crossroads Cafe.
You may remember that the turnaround point for Vlad and my daily evening walk is our favorite vintage store (he’s inspired them now to offer dog treats).
That shop is part of a hipster warehouse complex complete with a yoga studio and a new (also very dog-friendly), ultra-bohemian cafe.
The anti-Starbucks, it’s full of mismatched furniture, a broken down piano, and donated books of poetry.
The Sunday before my birthday, I confess to feeling just as Dante does in the opening lines of The Inferno:
“traveling through a dark wood, where the right way was lost.”
Although every morning I draw a score of oracle cards from decks I’ve largely been given (often on my birthday), still feeling the need of guidance, I decided to stop by the Crossroads Cafe and draw one from their scattered decks.
Note: I rarely just pick a card from the deck.
Instead, I loosely shuffle until one falls out, one that’s chosen to advise me.
And that Sunday, the perfect one fell out: the Black Panther.
It’s subtitled message: “Embracing the Unknown.”
I had drawn the same card at home, days before.
Here’s where the story starts to get interesting, though.
My birthday was two days later.
Vlad and I had opted for a particularly chill night, planning on hanging out with just Cha Cha who joined us for our regular walk.
As we headed towards the vintage shop, I announced that I felt drawn to visit the cafe and draw an animal spirit card.
If it were a sexy animal, it might even be my spirit guide for the year.
I empowered myself, in other words, to politely decline having the year represented by an earthworm or a fire ant, no matter their invaluable life lessons.
As we entered the cafe and Cha Cha bought us ice matcha lattes, I was initially dismayed that the box of Animal Spirit cards were not in their usual spot on the corner communal table.
Then I noticed that there was only one face-down animal spirit card on the table.
I felt an electrifying flash of synchronicity as I turned it over.
It was, of course, the Black Panther.
And honestly, there really isn’t a sexier animal than that.
On the topic of the unknown, the (usually) extremely wise Krishnamurti remarked that:
One is never afraid of the unknown;
one is afraid of the known coming to an end.
Yet, I don’t know if I agree.
In fact, I think the unknown can be completely unnerving, even terrifying, all by itself.
Sure, Rumi has promised us that:
“As you start to walk on the way,
the way appears.”
Nonetheless, it’s clear we are hardwired to reject uncertainty.
Inspired by Black Panther energy, I’ve decided to Embrace the Unknown, the theme of this month’s meditation HERE.
Speaking of Dante and being at crossroads in the forest, I’m reminded of this poem by David Wagoner.
Lost
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
Almost to an annoying degree, all my wisdom heroes advocate embracing the unknown.
Joseph Campbell tells us that:
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek”
Thích Nhất Hạnh explains that:
“People have a hard time letting go
of their suffering.
Out of a fear of the unknown,
they prefer suffering that is familiar.”
And finally, Eckhart Tolle, encourages us with:
“When you become comfortable with uncertainty,
infinite possibilities open up in your life.“
Speaking of Tolle, here’s what I mean by the “mistake” that Oprah made.
For this month’s new meditation––again HERE––I experimented a bit.
First, I used some specific guided imagery around a Black Panther spirit guide.
Second, rather than just my own words, for the first time, I also quoted a few of the above mystics.
While looking up how to correctly pronounce ‘Tolle,‘ I discovered that in proper German, it rhymes with ‘cola.’
Eckhart never corrects anyone––not even Oprah––when they introduce him as “Toll-ay” or some other variation.
Apparently Tolle lives what he teaches, completely accepting the moment as it is.
By the way, I must confess to my own mistake.
Three clients were confused this week about what I’m offering in the Transformation Book Club.
This is definitely NOT a course with lectures and homework.
Instead, we’ll meet just once at the end of the month.
I’ll share my thoughts from the book, and then open it up for discussion.
Although I see it as a great way to connect, you can also be completely silent and invisible on the Zoom if you prefer.
Finally, our first book (below), at 125 pages, is also blissfully short.
Join us via the link below––or even donate just to show your support.
On this month’s topic Nguyen writes:
The unknown is the only way
to manifest what you want in life if you don’t already have it.
I find this both inspiring and challenging, but he’s completely right of course.
And finally, one more panther moment…
A few days after my birthday, still in a bit of a fog, despite my dwindling iced matcha budget, I decided to stop by the Crossroads Cafe for a third time.
Once again I drew the Black Panther.
I could hardly believe the synchronicity of it all.
In fact, neither could ChatGPT.
The odds against this happening are apparently 1 in 140,608.
That seems like a pretty clear message from the cosmos that this is territory I need to explore.
Maybe you do, too.
If so, I hope you’ll join me, HERE.
Namaste for Now,
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