Just A Thought

 What If Beauty Is

 In The Eyes of The Beholder

And You Are The Beholder

 February 19,  2009

Rev. Regina Maria Cross

We began in January using what is called a Seed Thought and the first of Twelve Agni Yoga Virtues of Ethical Living, Enthusiasm. Through your contemplation, the word is no longer merely a definition but rather an essence of being, which you have taken into yourself. You now have your first chapter of The Book Of You. I must tell you, I am thrilled about this concept of each of you writing your own book and truly that is what it is, your own book, called The Book Of You. Here is what I got through my meditations with the word born into virtue, Enthusiasm. “Enthuse is to bring up, to fill, to create; enthusiasm is to be a part of. As I walk in the excitement, the joy of truth, perhaps it will be contagious. Enthusiasm is belief in action through thought, word and deed elevated from the mind of the heart emitting joy and compassion.” What did you get? If you like email me at lightpaths@me.com and share.

Let’s touch on three concepts we learned about in January:

• the number 11 for 2009
• Agni Yoga
• Seed Thought.

 First, let’s continue the study of the Master Number 11, which is made up of the 2 + 9 = 11. Recently in Rev. Carol Parrish’s ExCEPtional Newsletter she said; “I have been asked more than once about the energy of 2009. Just think. It is an 11year, and that tells us a lot. It is a year of decision making for all of us. Double numbers (my life is a 22) means we walk the razor’s edge — we have to practice a lot of discernment and cannot stray too far from the middle road path. To me the 11 offers us a step toward a higher consciousness worldwide. It is a spiritual number so perhaps we can think of it this way: we need to put our efforts where our mouth is! Can we actualize the spiritual consciousness we speak of, the ethics, and the new vision of which we have dreamed?”(If you would like to receive Carol’s newsletter email her at cep@sanctasophia.org).

 In other words thought comes before form and if it is a peaceful life, world and environment we wish to create it is up to each individual to practice discernment in living life from a higher consciousness and walk the talk. Eleven is the first Master Number (my life number is 11) therefore the visionary path. What do you want your day, your life, your world to look like? Envision it as you desire it to be, put effort into its manifestation and remembering to let go allowing for the good of all concerned be Enthusiastically surprised when it is as you envision.

 The word Agni, as you remember, means fire. This fire or light reminds us of our search for the Light of God, the Light of the Divine, High Consciousness of the Universal Life Force Energy as it is referred to in the Reiki teachings. This search, our Soul’s constant craving, is our spirit longing for the connection spoken of through the ancient days by saints and sages, through present time and future manifestation connecting us, linking us as soulful spiritual seekers of the Divine Presence. As our individual minds expand in consciousness so too does the group consciousness of our planet. It is no small thing we do when we work our understanding and actualization of Ethical Living.

“Seed Thought is a word, a phrase or sentence used as a focal point in Active Meditation to unfold consciousness and increase contact with the inner and higher worlds. We meditate upon these dehydrated thoughts to reconstitute the greater meaning.” This is a quote from Rev. Carol Parrish’s book, “The New Dictionary of Spiritual Thought”. I love her use of the words dehydrated and reconstituted. This is what we do when a word, such as last month’s Enthusiasm  becomes more than the word itself. Any word, any phrase becomes a Seed Thought if we give it the time we feel it deserves in our life.  I liken it to those organic soups that come in a pouch. When you open them (the Seed Thought) they have these indiscernible-dehydrated multi colored hard shapes inside. You put them in a pot (our minds), add water (our consciousness) and within a time you have an organic reconstituted nutritious soup, enlightenment. Who would have thought, Seed Thought?

We move now to Chapter Two in The Book Of You with the Seed Thought of the Agni Virtue of Beauty. You have heard all the cliché’ “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” (is that a compliment?), “Beauty is only skin deep” and my favorite as I was growing up, “Yes, but she is beautiful on the inside” (is that a compliment?). Is Beauty a compliment?

Webster’s definition leaves my thoughts vacant “quality that is pleasing to the eye.” That is a tad bit too shallow for me. Just for fun turning to my favorite part of a dictionary, the Thesaurus, other words for Beauty are, handsomeness, fairness, charm, loveliness, grace and allegiance. Much better. Now, we are getting somewhere with the idea of inner beauty. Carol Parrish describes the Agni Virtue of Beauty as  “…sustenance to the emerging spirit.” Maybe the shallowness of the cliché’ “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” has something to do with the thought that it takes one who is in touch with their emerging sprit to see the light, the Agni fire, within the spirit of another living soul.  Maybe as we see the light in another we build the thought that we too hold the light within ourselves and as we are beautiful on the inside our light then shines outwardly illuminating a world much in need of illumination.

I find the words Beauty Contest offensive in the same contexts unless speaking of the contest of heart to build that, which we already are, Beautiful in the eyes of the Beholder, Father-Mother God.

As many of us have a difficult time thinking of ourselves as beautiful, I dare you this month every time you find yourself speaking less of yourself than beautiful in physical form, in mind, in heart or spirit to find two words that describe the Beauty of you and write them down in your Book Of You so as to remember the truth of who you are.

Pen or pencil and journal in hand, on to Chapter Two, in The Book Of You, It’s Just A Thought, “What If Beauty Is In The Eyes of The Beholder And You Are The Beholder”.

In closing I would like to share our newest Beauty news. She is a tiny 3.6 pound Yorkshire Terrier little girlie-girl who carries the Beauty of the name and grace of Cosette, as in the character from Les Miserables. As the covenant of one’s name is influential in life the Inherent Meaning of Cosette is Victorious, the Spiritual Connotation is Confident Spirit, and the Scripture linking distinction to the Higher Power is Isaiah 42:16 “I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known.” In harmony with her name those of you who knew little our Asti with his magic eyes may conceive he led us to her in alignment with Cosette’s Auntie Marianne at Sugar Magnolia Café’. Our little Cosette truly is heaven sent. Several of her Centreville Townspeople who love Asti still have already met her and the enthusiasm with which she has been welcomed and the love ever dearly held for Asti is a true touch of Beauty we have been gifted by you. From deep within our hearts we thank you.

Light Paths * Centre For The Healing Arts, a Spiritual Enlightenment Centre and The Sophia School Of Wisdom, an accredited outreach center for Sancta Sophia Seminary is nestled in the Beauty of woodlands only 3 miles from downtown Centreville. Know you are Enthusiastically welcome and we abundantly enriched by your presence. For more information concerning upcoming events, workshops, classes or monthly gatherings call 410-758-2579 or e-mail us at lightpaths@me.com.