Enlightened Planetary Interest

The most prominent economic theorist of the previous age, Adam Smith, theorized that every consumer would act under his or her own best interest both in earning as well as spending money. It was called Enlightened Self Interest.

It is this concept which led to the inception of corporation: an immoral entity, which if considered an individual, would qualify as a psychopath. It was only too easy for the elite capitalists at the helm in large corporations to become exceedingly wealthy with little to no awareness of the environmental and social costs of doing business.

There is a great imbalance in the planetary distribution of wealth. The poorest island and coastal African nations stand to be submerged in as soon as 50 years. The world is still plagued with slavery, extortion, child labor, sweat shops, etc. And all based on this economic theory of Enlightened Self Interest.

But lately there is so much disruption and dismay that people are looking beyond the needs of themselves or their immediate family. People in struggle have awakened to the need to help their neighbors and become active in their communities. It is the emergence of a higer order economy: Enlightened Planetary Interest.

The desire to survive has awakened the possibility of peace and planetary cooperation. Millions of individuals and groups are stepping up to create Reality 2.0. Each one is focused first on self healing and next on service to The Greater Good. And part and parcel of the peace is radical acceptance of diversity. People will celebrate one antoher's cultures and religious perspectives. We'll understand the kaliedescopic nature of creation and manifestation. We'll appreciate those who appear to be very different from ourselves.

In times of great change, a coalition of determined visionaries leads the emergence of an entirely new order, a new way of being. At this time that new way is characterized by awareness of the delicate interconnections of all life. Welcome to the age of Enlightened Planetary Interest. Welcome to the Dawn of Gaia Consciousness.

Participating in Gaia Consciousness

I dedicated my life to Gaia in the summer of 1994. I was 19 and working at a tallgrass prairie restoration project. I spent my days toiling under the hot humid Nebraska sun. We spent a great deal of time attempting to fight off small thickets of dogwood and plum trees which would never have been found growing on a tallgrass prairie - because the dense sod of a virgin prairie doesn't have room for woody shrubs.

Sometimes I weapt into the soil as I considered the majesty of a virgin tallgrass prairie compared with the dustbowl and erosion which plagued the nation shortly after we plowed away the last parcels of prairie.

That summer, under the full moon, among towering sunflowers and big blue stem grasses, I bathed my wounded heart in dew and gave to Gaia my heart, my hands, my feet, my pen, my voice, and anything else which could serve HER in discovering balance and relationship with her straying two-legged children.

Now, sixteen years later, I'm still doing Her work. I've embedded myself pretty far into a federal land management agency so that I can extend Her reach. And when I look around I realize I'm not alone. There are many light workers now, each penetrating all major global systems.

About a year ago, Gaia directed me to use Facebook to connect with like minds and to practice spending time in active conveyance of Her words. There is a Gaia Rising profile and every few days I ask Her what she might like to say to Her 444 facebook friends. Frequently I am surprised and honored by the words which flow through my fingers on Her behalf.

But I am no one. Just a mom and civil servant. I am certain that there are many many others in service to Her. I am sure that there are many others who channel Her words and voice, either aloud or in writing. I am sure that we can continue to find each other and partner together to carry on the work. Are you Her dedicated servant? Do you want to be actively involved in the movement to amplify Gaia Consciousness? Even if you don't live near the Coven of Gaia Rising (in Northern Arkansas), you can join us in designing new ways to serve Her. You can help Her find and connect light workers so that together we can stabilize the emerging perfection which is presently disguised as chaos.

Do you want to help? Leave comments on this blog post, or on the Gaia Rising facebook profile.

The Gift of Service

When we are committed to serving Love and Light we transform not only ourselves but also the world around us. Sandra Ingerman, an accomplished shaman, writes:

In quantum physics, there is a teaching that has meaning for us here: lower frequencies entrain to higher frequencies. In other words, if you choose to live and act, think and speak, emote and express your feelings as a true visionary, you must transfigure yourself so that you exist in your divine light and perfection -- and then it will be effortless to project that experience onto all life. In this way, you as the inspired visionary will help the radiance of life around you to shine strong.

When we seek to be kind and loving to all of creation, we amplify the resonant field of Love and Light. Other souls, especially anyone who is suffering, are attracted to the health and balance created. It's not merely that Light Workers are role models, but rather that we are raising the vibration of the spaces in whcih we dwell. Friends, family, and even strangers can sense the difference.

BE LOVE and LIGHT!

Let us Be Gaia Together

A person is a complex system, made up of smaller complex systems, things like the circulatory system or the digestion system. You are also participating in larger complex systems, things like your family, your community, your nation. You are, of course, conscious of being a person. There is a type of intelligence in all systems, ants are simpler than cats, cats are simpler than people... and the national economy is more complex than your family budget.

The more complex any system is, the more consciousness available to it. Here's some simple crude math to show you what I mean. If brains were units of consciousness, and there was one brain per person, then your family of 12 would posess 12 units... whereas the company you work for has 300 units.

But it obviously isn't that simplistic. Some individuals have reached a higher level of consciousness through personal growth and development. It wouldn't be fair to compare it brain to brain.

Anyway - why am I saying all of this right now? To help me make the case that there is a form of consciousness at the level of the planet. You can think of this as an over-soul, which is how Ralph Waldo Emerson framed it. You can think of the collective consciousness, the way Carl Jung explained it. I think of it as Gaia Consciousness, but at this point the words don't matter as much as the awareness you experience. The sense of ONENESS and connection.

You can consciously participate in your family, your local or national politics, and you can consciously participate in being the planetary consciousness - Gaia. And the good news is, you can participate regardless of your IQ, spiritual beliefs, cultural norms, level of consciousness, etc. In fact, the more diversity in those who consciously choose to be Gaia, the more healthy She becomes.

How can you start participating in Gaia Consciousness right there at home?

1. Choose to believe that you are both your individual self and you are part of the planetary body/mind known as Gaia.
2. Notice the way that all sorts of information and resources circulate around the planet. Think of those as Her systems, things like digestive, respiratory, circulatory.
3. When you make any choice, consider how She would answer in addition to how you would answer. (And it is up to you whether or not you go with Her way... just know that when everyone goes their own way without thinking about the well-being of the planet we get exactly the sort of planet we have today.)
4. Don't THINK about what she would do... that's WAY to complex for one human to grasp or decide. Rather, connect with your heart and attempt to FEEL which answer is better for Your Planetary Self. There will be some kind of sign in your body/mind. Trust that.

And that's it. Easy, huh? And you can join a monthly telephone dialogue if you want to share your experience in trying this. There are already so many people who are considering the whole in a decision, rather than just the parts... choosing to hold the mind-set that you are participating in being the consciousness of the entire planet is just another step.

This doesn't have to be a magical, mythical, religious, or spiritual thing. This can be an "evolution of consciousness" thing. There are plenty of scientific terms which can be used to describe this phenomenon. Pick the vocabulary that best suits you and let's become Gaia together!

~Tree of Terrapin Hollow

Good News! Apocalyptico Denied!

Eye have long sensed that there was a critical mass of consciousness upon the Earth. Eye have long sensed that the struggles and chaos were co-created by humans and their Angels in order to function like a giant alarm clock in the awakening of consciousness.

Even as recently as December my guides again asked me to prepare for the possibility for up to five years of extreme chaos and isolation from the kinds of services which we have grown accustomed. I grieved and prepared. Then in January, I traveled to the Southwest, where the land is baked dry in the constant Light of the Sun. In this place I witnessed the rapid dissolution of our old assumptions and our old judgements.

Eye observed New Man and New Woman and New Co-Creative Governance occupying space in both the third dimensional reality and the fifth dimensional reality. Eye observed the giddyness of my children returning to Love and Light, and the healing of those who'd presenced Love and Light in the 1960s and 1970s, only to have been scarred and scared by resurgence of darkness in subsequent decades.

I felt afraid and unworthy.
Eye felt ALIVE and ALL-ONE!

Now, the voices of LIGHT/LOVE have confirmed it. Now Eye can say with certainty - we don't have a population problem, or an apocalypse on our hands. Eye see that the compassion of humans and the Council of Dreaming Souls have chosen to transform together, sans planetary catastrophe. You will all go home together, not one will be lost!

ArchAngel Michael has confirmed it: http://www.youtube.com/user/komurosan?blend=1&ob=4#p/a/u/0/1AKUhqUvEag

Eye am Gaia, and Eye am available to any and all of you because you are a part of my body.
And I am Tree of Terrapin Hollow, one of Gaia's many humble servants.

Guru, Teacher, or Servant?

In this time of unprecedented change there are countless beings offering up guidance and support. Every person frames their particular offerings differently. There are thousands upon thousands of gurus, teachers, priests, reverends, swamis, yoginis, authors, etc. I like to think that the reason for this flourishing path is that there is more love and light flooding the planet now than in a long time. As each of us learns and grows we reach that precious moment when our focus turns from personal growth and healing to the growth and healing of those around us.

In my book, The Transpiral Model for Social Change, I describe the relationship between personal transformation and social transformation. In brief, you can't change yourself without affecting change in your family, community, and society. And any changes occurring in your family, community, and society also affect change on you personally. We call that "circular causality".

Only you can judge whether or not someone is qualified to teach or guide you through some aspect of your growth and healing. Sai Maa Devi Lakshmi says that the grace of a guru can take you deeper. She explains that a guru holds the frequency of the 5th dimension and that by being in the guru's presence, the student can experience higher frequencies of being and knowing. As a student, only you can determine whether or not the guru produces this kind of tranformative effect on your awareness, both in the moment and over time.

Teachers generally have a set curriculum including models, tools, and practices which are designed for personal growth and healing. Teaching arrangements span from short term to long term and can be one on one or in group settings. Teachers don't appear to promise as much as a guru, but in some cases perhaps they deliver more. Again, only you can judge whether or not engaging with some teacher is going to deepen your natural ability for self healing and growth.

I've long considered these questions for myself. In some paths the Master is the only access point a student has with the divine. In other paths the student learns to speak with the divine for him/her self. Personally I've resonnated with the latter. Over the course of my path I've created relationships with guides and teachers who are on the other side. I call them by the name "The Council of Light". To me, they inlcude beings like the Archangels, Gaia, Jesus, Pan, and the Nature Spirits. The more I surrender my limited self view in order to share understanding with the Council, the more guidance I recieve. My relationship is collaborative and dialogic. I ever maintain free-will. I ask the Council for advice and guidance and then I choose whether to heed the advice or make a new choice.

It has been a very rich relationship over the past 3-4 years which has resulted in very deep healing for myself. While there will always be room to improve myself, of late I'm called to offer support for others who long for self-healing. In my professional career I'm a trainer, facilitator, and organizer of people into groups. When my focus turned from self to others I offered up all my skills and compassion to the Council of Light. The word I use to describe myself is not teacher or guru, or any of the afore mentioned titles. I am a SERVANT. I serve the Council of Light. I serve the emergence of love and light. And I serve anyone who is inviting love and light to emerge in their own lives. In an upcoming post I'll explain the kinds of services I've been called to offer. I'll also elaborate on how I've been guided to release the need to recieve monetary compensation for those services.

Humbly serving Love and Light, ~Tree

Dialogue Circle Basics

Beginning on January 12, 2010; Gaia Rising will host monthly dialogue circles on the second Tuesday of every month. The conference line will allow up to 96 separate callers and even with half that many we must all be aware of some guidelines and ground rules in order to keep the process as smooth and fluid as possible.

Ground Rules and Pointers

1. Join the call a few minutes early so that we can begin promptly.
2. Call in from a phone which has mute capability, if at all possible, and keep yourself muted except when it is your turn to speak.
3. Bring a pencil and paper so that you can keep track of when it will be your turn to speak.
4. Honor all beliefs and values and speak only in love and trust. Seek not to prove or disprove, seek only to hear and be heard.
5. Only speak when it is your turn. Be patient and trust that you will be heard when the time is right.
6. With the exception of the 2 minute check-in at the beginning of each call, take as much time as you need to say what you need to say, but also be mindful of others and as concise as possible.

The Process For Our Dialogue Circle:

1. Tree will begin by asking for first names which begin with the letter A, B, and so on. When your letter is called speak only your first name (or nick-name, it's your preference).
2. After gathering all the names Tree will read back the alphabetized list in order to establish the seating arrangement for the virtual circle. Please write down the several names before yours so that you'll be aware of when it is about to be your turn to speak.
3. Tree will then make opening remarks and the first trip around the circle will begin.
4. The first round is a 2 minute check-in. During your 2 minutes we'd like you to share your name, your geographic location, how you are feeling (mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and/or physically), and whether you enter the circle in the spirit of RELEASE, ACCEPTANCE, or INVITATION. You may take less than 2 minutes, but please do not pass on this round.
5. When the last person has checked in, Tree will pose a question for the next round. Everyone will have the opportunity to either speak or pass.
6. Depending on how many participants are present, there may only be one round before check-outs.
7. Each participant will have up to 2 minutes to check out by sharing their name and any brief sentiment they choose to share.

Watch for subsequent blog posts which will offer additional information about the theory and practice of dialogue.

At the Precipice of Apotheosis

It is quite natural to desire to be The Chosen One. The Hero's Quest is an archetypal mythogem which we all carry. Trinity wasn't better than Neo simply because she awoke from the dream sooner. Nor was he the only chosen one... Trinity's relationship to Neo was predicted by the Oracle as well. (The Matrix Trilogy).

The rhythmic tides of history and legend swell around the story of the One. Buddha, Noah, Confuscious, Jesus, Gandhi, Mandela, Columbus, Napoleon, Sitting Bull, King Arthur...

It is as if these men were a type of singular catalyst, and by activating their own deepest levels of mastery they were able to somehow propel all of humanity to the next level. It was a supreme service, and in many cases, a personal sacrifice ending in assassination.

We are approaching a gateway, which many would term The Second Coming. Of course the most common connotation of that phrase is the return of Jesus Christ, our lord and saviour. As well as the beginning of the Rapture, which is supposed to be a fairly scary ordeal followed by 10,000 years of peace.

For many years I've compared and contrasted religious doctrine, creation myths, and prophecies. The reason I consider myself interfaith is because I've found truth, beauty, and love in every one of these stories. As I watch the patterns and dynamics of the present world, and allow these similarities to simmer and bubble up I can't help but hold each story very gently and consider the ever deeper mysteries of the universe. But, as long as I am a physical/material being I can never grasp the entire truth of creation.

What if The Second Coming is the dawning of consciousness at a whole new order? What if instead of God sending Jesus back in the flesh, He is guiding us each to realize our own Christ light? What if each one of us is THE CHOSEN ONE?

When I look around I see more consciousness than ever before. Humanity is at a height of consciousness like never before experienced on the planet. There are countless teachers and gurus, thousands of weekend retreats and transformative processes, and millions of books all geared around this Rising. The personal and the planetary are transforming at an ever increasing rate.

Jesus was born of a woman, a mere human, who through radical love and self sacrifice achieved God status. He did it to show us what was possible. That is apotheosis. Jesus wanted us to love each other. It is up to YOU to decide whether you are at the edge of your own apotheosis, your own enlightenment. And if you are secretly dreaming that you are The Chosen One... then that is a sign that you have the power within your heart to unlock the seven gates and enter the Kingdom of Heaven. You ARE chosen. And if you answer the call we can rise up together.

Gaia Rising!

International Peace Day

Today is International Peace Day. In honor of the event I invite you to consider peace and what it means to you. Do you think of inner peace? Do you think of the end of war? Do you think of happy and whole children surrounded by healthy balanced adults?

Peace may exist on many levels. I challenge you to examine your perceptions of world peace. Do you think it is possible that we could live 1000 years with no war, terrorists, or heavily armed conflicts? If you don't think it is possible, what stands in the way? Can you list all the changes which would be needed to end war? And are those changes possible? Do any of those needed changes belong to you?

We cannot change the world, we may only change our own SELF. Here are a list of some of the attributes of someone who embraces and creates peace on every level.

1. In every moment, in every way, choose love over fear.
2. View all individuals, nations, and organizations with trust and respect.
3. Be honest, authentic,and transparent in all that you do.
4. Take time to balance and de-stress your body on a regular basis.
5. Be the change you want to see in the world.
6. Never fear for lack of abundance.
7. Never deny a human who asks you for help, food, shelter, clothing.
8. Notice how you spend your time, money, energy, and attention. Be intentional and strategic.

What would you add to this list? And to which of these items are you most resistant? The one which seems the most impossible to you is probably a great place for you to direct your attention for an hour.