Springtime and She Dances

“People living deeply have no fear of death.”

- Anaïs Nin

Pink Moon - Photo by Ahriana Platten

It’s not so different. Any day of the week, for a myriad of reasons, we can die.  Our mortal body can fail us. An accident can occur. We can get sick. Any day.

So why does it feel so different now? Why is this pandemic so frightening?

Tell me, can you think of another time in your life that the entire world – every country - every individual – has been personally affected by any one thing? Perhaps there is something, but, searching my own memory, I find nothing.

Death is present all around us. She is dancing between us, choosing her partners. Each one will cross the threshold between this world and the next. And, more than ever, she is visible to us. Her face appears in story after story of heroic loss.

We have cast her in black garments, a thief who steals from us all that is precious. She is the penultimate outcast in our consciousness. Yet every single one of us must dance with her at some time.

We don’t want to think about that.

And now, we must.

Everything we are doing- staying at home, relentlessly washing our hands, doing away with hugs and handshakes and the most common greetings – is to keep death away. And yet she dances amongst us. Why? I suspect she wants something more than to simply open the ethereal door for those souls who are crossing. I imagine that she might be here to teach us all something life changing. Just maybe, she has come with gifts to share. 

Death is a companion from our first breath to our last, always by our side. We meet her each time a petal falls from its stem, each time a relationship ends, each time we leave one job to begin the next or watch a particular day become night. Each time, something dies. Oh, we don’t call those experiences deaths – but they are.

It is a fact of life that things born into the physical world will die. But what is death except transformation? (I once heard someone say about death, “the light that is you will echo through all time.” I wish I could remember who it was.)

Why is this so hard?   I've been considering that its Spring – a time of birth. Death is not "in-season." This is the time things  are supposed to sprout and blossom. We don't want to face the possibility that our life, or the life of someone we love, might end. Not now.  Not in Spring. And yet it might. Any day. Any time.

What would happen if we were to change our thinking? If, like some spiritual traditions suggest, we were to embrace the idea that all of life is impermanent.  It is, you know. 

What if we were to turn our attention to savoring this life because we actually understand that our time to do so is limited by our form and fashion of existence. Every morsel we eat would be more delicious, every kind gesture, more appreciated. Every color we see, more vibrant. Wouldn’t we slow down a bit? To look at the stars? To laugh at the antics of children?  To love?

If we realized that we are impermanent, what is important - and what is not - would be so much clearer. Our way of living in this physical world would change dramatically and we would cradle the precious gifts that surround every single one of us….the inspiration of breath, the sound of water lapping as it flows, the sun's warmth beckoning the seedlings.

Death is dancing boldly amongst us - in spring  - inviting us to remember that we are gloriously alive – and that, if we witness her dance each day our hearts will be filled with gratitude for each whisper of sentience, and our souls will be prepared for the time we cross the luminous threshold between now and forever.

This is not about whether we stay at home or go out. It’s not about who is President, or what happens to the economy. This is about LIVING. We are being invited to live differently. We are being shaken awake - to realize that we have been walking in a stupor, allowing the rich essence of our being to be lost in the fog of a world gone mad with greed and consumption. 

So – whether you are on quarantine or slowly re-entering the world outside, whether you are afraid of death or have looked her full in the eye, wherever you are on the planet and whatever you are doing, just stop for a moment. Something beautiful is calling you.

On the bookshelf or counter top.  
In the next room.
At the window.  
Out in the yard.
As close as the end of your fingertips. 

Something beautiful is calling. Go and find it. Spend some time with it. Give it your attention.  Nothing is more important.

And, if you should notice Death dancing by – say thank you.

©Ahriana Platten, April 23^rd, 2020

Prayer - It’s What I Do

When we commune with the spirit within and ask for new ideas, they are forthcoming. - Charles Fillmore

As we reel from yet another round of mass shootings, the public predictably responds by discounting the value of "thoughts and prayers." Before you explain why thoughts and prayers don’t help, let me say that I’m fairly certain typing the words "I'm holding you in prayer" is not the same as praying. Prayer works if you pray. Unfortunately, it is questionable how often people actually pray before, during, or after typing these words. Typing is not a prayer. To truly pray one will stop other activity, open to the Holy with a sincere heart, and commune.

"We commune with spirit"...according to Unity Co-founder, Charles Fillmore. This communing is the foundation of prayer. We pray when we are seeking wisdom. We pray when the circumstance of life is bigger than the human heart can handle. We pray when we need strength and courage. We pray in order to find peace, healing, and comfort. We come to our oneness with the Holy, we commune, and we pray. The outcome of prayer is subtle - and discerning that outcome is an art of its own.

And what about our thoughts? What is it we mean when we say "I am thinking of you."  What exactly is a person thinking? Perhaps we are reminding ourselves of the tenacity we humans are capable of. Maybe we are thinking about the best possible outcome for the person or people involved. Sadly, it's my belief that most of the time, what we mean is that we are thinking about how tragic the situation is and empathetically connecting to the pain. Yes, of course, empathy has value.  We are interconnected.  However, what could happen if we moved beyond empathy, using the knowledge science has revealed to us regarding the power of intentional thought.  What if we directed our thoughts toward potential solutions rather than only sinking into the pain, again and again, without coming any closer to the answers we so desperately need. What would the Divine Imagination offer us?

To tell someone you are thinking about them and praying for them carries a certain responsibility. It is to commit to a process. It is to commune with the Holy, to be willing to receive new insights, and to hold those insights in mind with reverence, allowing for inspiration and manifestation to take place. Prayer can happen in seconds or minutes or hours. It’s not about time. It’s about actually communing with the Indwelling Divine.

When horrific events occur, we must all respond. It is the work of politicians and voters to consider the laws. It is the work of sociologists to consider cultural factors. It is the work of mental health specialists to consider psychological influences. We must look to those who are trained in relevant fields to provide the tools we need in each respective area of life. Following that same line of thinking, I have spent three decades learning to commune with the Holy. It is the field in which I endeavor to become a master. If I say I will pray for you - I will pray. If I say I will use the power of thought to support you, I know exactly what I am committing to and I will do it. This is my field of expertise and, when tragedy strikes, I do what is mine to do.

Many people, like me, have spent decades studying spirituality. It is ours to open to Divine Influence and call forth whatever wisdom we are able. It is ours to hold in mind that miracles can happen and that answers we have not even thought of can flow forth. It is ours to support the people in this way. Our thoughts and prayers do not preclude us from voting. They do not interfere with our ability to take appropriate action. In fact, my prayers and subsequent thoughts often lead me to better and more effective actions.

None of us are meant to do all things in our society. We are meant to do what we do well.  We are meant to study, to practice, and to follow through in our respective fields. We are meant to pursue excellence. If you feel it is your work to pray, then do it skillfully and with an eye toward mastery. Follow the path of prayer to your thoughts and bring forth what lives in the Divine Mind. Let that guide you in your actions. Let nothing stop you from doing what is yours to do. If it is not yours to pray - that’s okay.  You have something else that is yours to do. If you do not believe in the power of prayer, that is also okay. Prayer is simply not your work.

Please, please, please...do not write "Thoughts and prayers" if you don't intend to do anything more than type the words. Leave the praying and the spiritual thinking to those of us who are dedicated to this discipline. And please, do not discount the value of the work being done by this dedicated group of people. We are doing what is ours to do, what we have studied and practiced in order to be ready for this exact moment.

Stepping into Creativity

“Don't be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.” 

― Rumi

I've never thought of myself as creative. Industrious...yes, capable...absolutely, even a bit "outside the box" in the way I do things.  But not creative. "Creative" is a word reserved for artists and interior decorators - those who give cause for the eyes and heart to feast.  The word has never been one I would use to describe myself.  However, I was recently given cause to contemplate moving forward more creatively.

Enjoying the activities of a summer festival, I decided to have a little henna done.  I like the natural feel of henna. Once applied, it stains the skin in a semi-permanent way.  If done well, the design will last a few days to a few weeks. I usually choose a design that has spiritual meaning for me and allow that design to inspire my study of some new concept. The impermanence of henna gives me enough time for spiritual reflection, while still allowing me to move on to something else fairly quickly. These are short periods of deep study and have proven very valuable.  In this case, I wasn't sure what the design would be but I knew something would come to me.  

As often happens, the perfect person appeared -  a lovely artist who offered to apply the henna in exchange for a donation to a scholarship fund. Score!  I get art - and I get to do something good at the same time. How do you say no to that?!  She suggested I check in with her the next day when we could relax, enjoy the time together, and get to know each other. I agreed.

When the time came, I still had no idea what design I wanted. Before I could address that issue, the artist smiled at me kindly and asked if she could henna my foot, explaining that she had a design she really wanted to use. Spontaneously, I heard the words "of course" fall out of my mouth. After all, it was something she was doing for a good cause and she should get some joy out of it!  I have to admit that I felt a little disappointed that the significance of this experience might be lost. (We tell ourselves such interesting stories, don't we?)

The design was complex and took quite a while to apply.  I had not considered that I would need to be still, not only for the artist to complete the design but long enough for that design, at the flex point of my ankle, to dry.  We started about 1pm and I stood up to walk about 3 hours later.  The majority of that time, I simply sat and waited. I hadn't planned on the waiting time so I didn't bring a book with me and I was at a festival on a mountaintop so no Facebook scrolling or other electronic time passer was available. I simply waited.

In the waiting, I found time to meditate. I admired the design on my foot and considered my belief that every person I encounter is the face of the Holy expressing itself.  If this young woman was the living expression of the Divine, what was her art expressing to me?

Creativity. That's what came to mind. It is something that feels so far outside my existence.  In my rather industrial way of living life, I do what I do toward an end purpose.  As a speaker, I know some people might think my speaking is creative - but the truth is, I teach to a "point."  There is something I feel directed to share and I teach with the intention of getting to that point and making that point memorable and accessible. I don't give effort to flowery pontifications. I just speak.  I just....

I just write.  I just do.  I just generate whatever system or process is needed in any situation.  I never think of any of this as creative - just ... well.... "just."

This art was gifted to my left foot. The left side of the body is directed by the right side of the brain - the creative side. Interesting. And my foot. Also interesting. This particular festival is always a threshold for me. It's a place where, in alchemical terms, the lead of life's heaviness is released in order for the gold of one's divinity to shine forth. The threshold between those two is transformation. That transformation takes places through a literal series of steps. Every step is both release and invocation.

Now that I have arrived home - my every step calls forth the imagination. I am invited to release what blocks my creativity and to seek the muse that will inspire it. I am called to question what creativity is, where it lives within me, and what I can do with it. I hear the whispers of something fun and exciting ready to be birthed - but do not know its face yet.  

This henna is a strong dye and will last another week or so. The fine lines will give way to the bolder aspects as it slowly disappears. In the end, the boldest mark is the heart in the center. How interesting that I have this extended time to reflect on what my heart wants to create.   

A long time ago I realized that every occurrence in life is an opportunity for the Divine within each of us to show up and interact in a face-to-face way. Every person, every happening, every interaction is the Holy expressing.  Every moment in life is sacramental.  Every place in life is hallowed ground.  Every shared breath is divine communication. In that moment and this, at that place and this, with that person and with you, the presence of the Divine is ceaseless and whispers sweetly in our ears, beckoning us to greater intimacy.  For this, I am grateful.

From the Perimeter

“Beyond the edge of the world, there’s a space where emptiness and substance neatly overlap, where past and future form a continuous, endless loop. And, hovering about, there are signs no one has ever read, chords no one has ever heard.” 

― Haruki Murakami

Every year or two I have the opportunity to travel to an event called Spiritfire.  By its founder's definition 

"SpiritFire provides a nourishing and inspirational environment in which drummers, dancers, chanters, poets, visual artists, and seekers of all types can both honor individual diversity yet share a common and powerful bond at the fire.  Each night we acknowledge our connections in the spirit of joyous celebration, deep listening, infectious groove, and ecstatic trance!"

The Fire. We gather at the fire. From 11pm to sunrise, we sing, we dance, we chant, we serve, we pray, each in our own way, for transformation. This event, attended by about 150, attracts people of all ages and walks of life, expressing creativity in wildly different ways. It is held in a very rustic and natural environment that provides its own challenges. One must be willing to interact with the natural world to participate. It is an outdoor event held on a mountaintop in the woods.  

After more than thirty years of attending events like this, my experience has changed. In earlier years, I reached ecstatic bliss in these ceremonies - dancing, chanting and communing with the energy of the living fire. These days, it is different. I am older now.  My body requires different care. I once loved to circle very close to the fire, its heat often leaving me with something similar to a sunburn. Now I tend to the perimeter. It's a bit cooler and less "tranced-out" but so very potent for me.

You see, at the perimeter of the circle, I can take my time. In the center, one is often caught up in the swirl and twirl of the energy, moved by the call to wildness that blazes in the crackling flames. There was a time that I lived for the chance to feel that wild sense of freedom. That has changed. The perimeter calls me now. It's different on the perimeter. 

Those that hold the edges of the circle often move with steadfast control. The steps are slower and driven by an inner knowing - the knowing that every-single-intentional-step holds the potential for connection. On the perimeter, we are warmed by each other's eyes, the numinous presence of the ancestors, and the brilliant strength of Spirit shining forth in the fire's reflection on the branches of the trees. This year, for the first time, I gave time to connecting with the drummers drumming. I watched the faces of those who provide the sonic bed upon which we move and sing. The beauty I observed is beyond description. It warmed my heart in a different way than the fire does. The same can be said for the harmonies I heard in the chanting - harmonies that blend in a unique way when you are standing on the edge - rising and falling with grace and emotion.

From the perimeter, I often pray for the safety and transformation of those who are ablaze with change both in the circle and in other aspects of my life. Those of us, at the edge, are seers - observing the holy in its deepest expression and "catching" when the heat of the fire overwhelms the ones in the center.  We use the sound of a rattle to provide a safe boundary so those within the circle know where they are.

Others on the perimeter might describe this differently.  We all experience life in our own ways - and I am grateful for that. I feel certain, however, that they experience the same sense of kinship I do as we walk around the perimeter and pass each other throughout the night. Our faces become touchstones for the passing of time and there is a nameless thing that happens between us, a knowing that our contribution to the process is powerful and important. As the years pass, it is important to find ways to contribute that are different from earlier times.

It occurs to me that walking the perimeter is very similar to the way we walk through life when we have passed through the gates of experience and gained wisdom. We use our stories to sound the signal that the catharsis at the center, where the fire of life burns hot, brings needed change. We chant the prayer that provides a boundary so those who are living in experiential ways learn how to use hope and faith as a safety net. We walk alongside them, moving with steady steps and heralding that there is, indeed, a knowing that comes from living life fully. We teach the songs we have learned. We serve as we are called.  We move in the way a hundred-foot-tall tree moves in a strong wind...the way that has kept it from breaking and falling for so many years.  We witness what is transpiring, confident that all will be well, because - well... it was for us, and wisdom tells us it will be for others. It is such a gift to witness what one formerly experienced and know the transformation that can come from it.  That witness is a seed of hope for the future.

As age and experience move me to the edges of life, it is not the wild and unpredictable insight that I seek, but the wise sense of knowing that ushers in my own transformation. I am aware of the process of life - the learning, the growing, the changing, and the coming to one's true self over and over again.  I know more about who I really am and that I make the world a little bit better by my being.  This knowing brings me infinite peace. 

I am grateful for the Fire - and I am grateful to walk its edges, where life is slow and steady, and a little cooler - and where I can witness the Divine in the eyes that witness me.

A Year of Mastery

“To become a master at any skill, 

it takes the total effort of your: heart, mind, and soul 

working together in tandem.” 

― Maurice Young

A new year is on the horizon, bringing with it a promise of change and growth.  Numerologically, 2018 reduces to an 11 - which is the number of Mastery.  While you can again reduce 11 to a 2, it is my opinion that a year of Mastery is exactly what we need. The number 2 reflects duality - something we have plenty of!  We have polarized to such a degree that our differences are wildly more visible than our common humanity.

The past couple of years have been very challenging. We have found our voices, passionately speaking out about the world we share. We have faced natural disasters, terrorism, and violence on a scale not previously seen in the United States in our lifetime, and almost all of us know someone who was affected. We have seen the world change at breakneck speed -and everything happened so fast that we were often reeling in a reactionary blur, clumsy in the way we responded to it all.  We hurt each other and caused profound separation in our efforts to unite around important issues.  2017 was a year of chaos.  2018 provides the opportunity to prove that "out of chaos comes order."

2018 is a year of Mastery. To cultivate mastery, one must focus on skill, grace, knowledge, and commitment.  Mastery is the outward application of an inner discipline.  In my lifetime, I have heard only a few people speak of the importance of mastery, but in times past, it was considered a life pursuit to master a particular art or talent.  What will you master in your lifetime? 2018 is the year to begin it.

Perhaps we could work on mastering collaboration, the art of listening, speaking gently to others, compassionate response, forgiveness, humility, the acceptance of differences, or kindness.  Perhaps 2018 is a year in which we could dedicate ourselves to finding the middle ground and getting to know someone whom we see as "the other."  Perhaps it is the year we master the willingness to reach out to those who differ from us and to forge a bond of understanding.  In that bond, we find our true strength - and a place to begin working together toward the common good.  We do not have to agree on everything in order to identify the common good.

In our effort towards Mastery lies the possibility of a better future for our world.  We can stop preaching to the proverbial choir and start inviting everyone to a table where the vision is to unite rather than divide.  Consider the world we share.  Are you happy with it? Does it reflect the legacy you wish to leave when you depart this life?  I feel confident it does not.  What art or skill will you master in 2018 that will point our world in the direction of healing and wellbeing? Let us join the ranks of the Masters who have truly changed the world, manifesting beauty, happiness, shared prosperity, and contentment.

And, in case this vision seems too big to accomplish, my invitation is that you simply address what is within your reach.  If each of us seeks to make things better in our families, the world will change dramatically.  If we reach out and offer friendship to our neighbors, the world will be a better place.  Let us use this year, when the energy of Mastery is so readily available, to master the art of being who we came here to be  - the hands, the heart, and the living expression of Divine Love. Could there be a more noble pursuit?

Post Election Faith

"Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times." 

 - Martin Luther

This week is a very important one in our Country. Yes, I realize we will elect a new President this Tuesday...however, in my opinion, there is something so very much more 

important ahead.   

Wednesday.

Wednesday, the fabric of who we are, as individuals and as America, will be visible to each other and to the world. Who will you be if your candidate is not selected? Who will you be if your candidate is selected? Who will you be if either candidate fails to concede? What message will we share with each other and with the world? Hope? Destruction? The spirit of Democracy - or Democrazy?

My parents taught me that being a member of my family and carrying the family name meant something.  "Alexander," stood for integrity, honesty, a willingness to work hard, tenacity and a stubborn unwillingness to give up on what we perceive as correct. Within the name lived an understanding of faith - that things could get better - somehow. We didn't always know how, but "somehow" we knew that things always worked out.

Being an American stands for something too.  In fact, much of what I was taught about my family name could be applied to this shared and historic title.  

Integrity, which by definition means "wholeness," can only happen if we are willing to cross the partisan aisles, and our home streets, in order to join hands and work together.  

Honesty must include some sense of awareness that, in our fervor for supporting what we believe to be the truth, we may have hurt others we love. Wednesday may be a good day for an apology... not for what we have believed in, but for any unintentional pain we may have caused through our fear-inspired enthusiasm.  

Hard work lies ahead of us, no matter who our new President is.  So much has been revealed in this election.  Clearly, many of us are unhappy with the way things are in our UNITED STATES.  To remain united, we must reach out to one another and look for solutions.

We must be tenacious and unwilling to give up.  On each other. On ourselves. On our Country.

And above all else, Wednesday, we must step more deeply into FAITH than we ever have before.  It is our faith that allows us to know, beyond all that has occurred in this election season, that there is something far greater that lives within us and expresses through us.

How would you like to be treated if your candidate does not prevail? Treat others that way.  Be kind and compassionate. Commit to working, side-by-side, on the issues that face us all. 

We can ask no less of ourselves than we expect of our politicians. It is time to use all that we have learned, from all our sacred studies, to bring ourselves into alignment with the God/ Goddess/ Holy of our Hearts.  From there - wisdom will guide us, and grace will bless our lives.

Exhaustion as a Status Symbol

"The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, 
at the point of exhaustion, 
when nobody else is looking." 
-Mia Hamm

Recently, I was listening to a podcast by Krista Tippet, when the words "Exhaustion as a Status Symbol" rang in my ears over and over again, like a church bell striking its way to noon o'clock. Exhaustion is weirdly satisfying to me - and that phrase made me wonder why.

I don't consider status to be something someone else gives me.  Instead, I think of it as something I've earned through hard work.  When I was young and on fire with ambition, my folks told me I could have anything I wanted, so long as I was willing to work hard for it. Taking that information to heart, I have worked hard most of my life.  Even when the phrase "work smarter, not harder" was popular,  I kept working hard- because, well, it's what I do. At the core of my being, I accepted and lived into the idea that hard work  - works!

In addition to status, hard work also leads to exhaustion much of the time.  In fact, exhaustion is the way we measure hard work.  When someone say "Ahriana is a hard worker, " the statement reflects the status I have come to claim over the years.  I take pride in my work.  However, as I get older, I can't help but ask myself a question;  "Do I really want to work this hard for the rest of my life?"  Clearly, the answer is no.

Much of what comes as a result of hard work, I have already created...a loving family to care for,  a job that I find purposeful and satisfying,  a cause I give time and energy to in order to affect the future,  a few hobbies that give me something new to learn.  These are cornerstones of my life - but I am finding that they are not the whole structure.

I am missing the feeling that comes when I am NOT working. Peace. Tenderness. Beauty. Ease of mind.  It seems to me that these are feelings that come to us when we allow space for them, rather than things we work hard to create.  I want and need more of these feelings in my life

My summer sabbatical has given me a bit of practice at "not working," but I am far from mastery!  Its easy for me to step back into work.  Work is "broken-in-shoe" comfortable for me.   I can wear it all day and well into the night! Not working is quite a challenge for me.  When my sabbatical  time ends (August 28th) and I return to my job, how will I create more balance in my life?  How will I do everything that needs doing, without measuring my success in levels of exhaustion?  Its a very important question.

How do you make space for the softer side of life?  What comes to you when you are not working? I'd love to know your thoughts and hear your suggestions for maintaining a life where work and "not work" is in balance.