Stormy Weather, No Coincidences

Many of us around the globe, especially those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, have been dealing with intense weather patterns this week.  Here, on this ancient Greek Island, where my ancestors, our ancestors, were tuned into nature on a much deeper level than modern techno man has the patience to comprehend, we have had some flash flooding and heavy rains.

Nothing, thankfully, too intimidating, but strong enough to remind me of the words of Choyam Trungpa.

From his book, Shambhala the Sacred Path of the Warrior,

"The Warrior's approach is that rather than trying to overcome the raw elements of our existence, one should respect their power and their order as a guide to human conduct."

Man has strayed from an intimate connection with the natural World, the living earth and the cycles of the cosmos and in so doing, we have, as we are all well aware, wreaked havoc on the delicate web of life.  We have seriously knocked things out of balance.  Our children face within their lifetime an onslaught of environmental challenges and massive transformation.

Trungpa's words point the way towards a valuable tool we can equip our children with to help them overcome the obstacles and unlock the opportunities. 
Our disconnection from the Earth and our increasing lack of attunement to the language of the natural world parallels our decent into collapsing eco-systems (and for that matter, collapsing economic systems).

My son is studying Homer's The Odyssey in school.  It is arguably the oldest written text we have, an epic poem passed on to us from thousands of years ago.  It is common within the tale to hear of sages being able to interpret the flight of birds and other natural phenomenon.

Of course it was not only the ancient Greeks who were aligned to the Earth and stars in such a way as to be able to decipher meaning. Native Americans, Hawaiians, Mayans, Aboriginals, Egyptians, Buddhists, Taoists, Jesus all were in tune to the subtle signs and changes in their environment.  In fact all ancient tribes and cultures had some sort of system to understand the cycles and movements of the natural World.  They all balanced their steps and actions accordingly.

Modern man is more in tune with the cycles of the Wall street casino, than the flight of the Eagle overhead, or even the cycles of the Moon.  This skewered perception is at the heart of the massive shift of balance that we are in the midst of.

If we, as a global culture had maintained our sensitive connection to our environment, to the migrations of birds, to the rumbles of the Earth and the flow of the Rivers, rather than allowing ourselves to be so fully absorbed by the force of greed and the acquisition of material wealth, our children would be facing a much different looking future.

Their task now is to reverse the damage and to establish a more sustainable future for their children, and all life on this delicate living garden, we call Earth.  Equipping them with the tools and wisdom they need to accomplish their task, is our responsibility.  The cold winter winds have a message, as does every tree, every bird, every star.  Understanding those messages, doesn't require any specific degree or training.  What it requires is awareness.  We need to develop and refine our self-awareness and a subtle awareness of our environment that doesn't rely on others to tell us what is happening.

We have become accustomed to neon lights and TV news anchors pointing the way and telling us what is significant and important.  We must develop our awareness in such a way as to read our living environment with the same interest that we give to the internet and facebook.

By accompanying our children on journeys into nature and by entering into conversation with them regarding their and our observations, we begin to equip them with insight and wisdom that will serve them on a deep level.

It doesn't even require a step outside your home.  The next time the wind is howling and your plans for the day have been uprooted by a storm, consider the power.  Consider your steps, your integrity and humbleness, your power and your actions.

And share those thoughts with your children.






Papa's Tribal Cafe: A Single Parent's Guide to Nurturing Rainbow Warriors, by Odysseus, is now available through PhoenixVision Press at: http://www.eliterainbowwarriors.com/book Page.html or electronically through Amazon.