materialism
Diane Baker: The Best That It Can Be…
A Magazine Article From: The Chris Thomas Files
The Best That It Can Be…
On the face of it, this is a good statement: the positive approach to our life and the way we live it. Why should it, our life, not be the best that it can be?
Three events occurred and, together, they drove my patience out the window. First of all, a friend chatted to me about her concern for her son and daughter-in-law, about how they were working all hours to buy new furniture for their new house and, that every time they came to stay, she had to take all the packaging off the food in her fridge, otherwise, they would throw it out if it was anywhere near its date. Then, I watched Countryfile on the BBC and they were showing how a whole new industry was growing around waste food collection and its use to create energy for our homes. Then, I read an article in Positive News where a tribe in India stood to lose their land because a huge conglomerate wished to mine for bauxite (raw aluminum). This is such a toxic substance that mining for it poisons all the land and the people. The article was in Positive News because the tribe won their case. Sadly, there are many other stories where the outcome is not so happy.
We humans, mostly in the west (I regret to say our influence is spreading), have come to believe we deserve the best. We have interpreted the best it can be into all aspects of our lives. This means we should aspire to the best house, best kitchen, the best car, furniture, clothes, television, computer, mobile phone and, of course, the best food. Our food has Best Before written on it so, subconsciously, we see it is not good enough for us if it is near that date or, that the apple has a blemish or, the potato and cucumber are a bit knobbly…so, we throw it away. [A]re we not worthy of the best?
How Much Does Best Cost?
The consequences of all of these choices are that, currently, the world is at war over mineral rights, (Darfur is only one example of genocide and destruction based on the greed of the west for [minerals] used in mobile phones and other electrical equipment). [M]en and women are used as slave labour to make our clothes, the planet is being carved up and, the rivers polluted for the copper, zinc, etc…to go into our newest, and best, electronic toys […]. Billions of tons of food is thrown away each year because it is considered not to be the best it can be, whilst those that live in the countries that grow our food starve.
I am not advocating a hair shirt, sleeping under a hedge or eating rotten food and starving but, in all things, there is a balance. And, yes, I do have a mobile phone which is second-hand, over six years old and works perfectly for the rare emergency calls I make. The balance is, I do not feel I need to change it every time a new, improved model comes on the market. Millions of mobile phones are put into landfill and are not recycled. The price we may pay for misunderstanding best that it can be… is monumental. There are many people affected by our choices that we never see or think of. The people who grow the food or mine the mineral do so at a very high price. If a people [live] on a land that is rich in minerals, that land will be torn away from them, they will be placed in camps and the reason why, is…you. Our misunderstanding of what makes us special, a success [or] admired, is, now, tightly bound up with possessions, material goods and if I do not have the best and newest of everything, I will be judged a failure.
A Complete Consciousness
It is the best that we can be, as a human and, as a complete consciousness. The best that we are is not made up of, or lack of, possessions. It is about how we live our lives in relation to the rest of the universe and, in particular, with each other. It is we, the so called civilised world, who are so insecure in who we are as souls that we need the third world to be plundered so that we can surround ourselves with our props and say to the world Look. I am worthy. I have the best that there can be.
Think About It
In his book The Human Soul, my husband, Chris Thomas, asks that we Think About It. Think about the consequences your actions will have on others and, then, make the choice that feels right to you. It is your choice and you cannot blame the consequences on anyone else. Everything we buy is made from the planet, itself. This is the planet which has given us the choice of physical life rather than a free-floating soul. Chris has said in his book that we are here to prove that it is possible to have a full soul in physical form and, that, the whole of our existence has been to prove that that is possible. Everything that is happening on Earth, our solar system, our galaxy and the universe beyond, is currently happening in order to help us to be the best human beings we can whilst remaining on Earth. The Human Soul can help you to determine where you are within that process. With Christmas fast approaching, your love and affection to your family without buying something that would cause another family [on] the other side of the world pain and suffering? Think about it. Are you the best that you can be?
Best Wishes,
Diane
© Diane Baker 2010
Cygnus Review Magazine (Issue 12, Page 12, December 2010/Download & Share)
The Blog Post (Cygnus Review Blog…with the wrong author credited)
Chris Thomas: The Realm of the Faerie
A Blog Post From: The Chris Thomas Files
As we progress through our change of understanding…our increase in levels of consciousness…there is a growing recognition of the levels at which our Earth functions in relation to human existence. That is why many people are now beginning to re-awaken to the reality of the Faerie, which are a construct, a projection, of the Earth’s own consciousness. According to my researches in the Akashic, there are fifty-nine ‘varieties’ of Faerie, which have been created by the Earth herself to look after all of the Earth’s plants, trees and other forms of life. Each form of Faerie has its own role to play and carries out its duties with immense joy and love.
As the Faerie are part of the Earth’s own consciousness, they cannot travel outside the Earth’s atmosphere. The same applies to other planets that have developed their own form of the Faerie. It is not possible for them to leave their home worlds and travel to Earth. Beings such as Griffins and Unicorns are also part of the Faerie realms and therefore are also brought into being by the Earth. Griffins act as messengers between branches of the Faerie realms, or between the Faerie and humans. If you’ve ever seen a real Unicorn you’ll know they are not fluffy little ponies with a bump on their foreheads! They are magnificent beings the size of a thoroughbred Arab horse, with a temperament to match and, their horns are at least one metre long. Unicorns can also act as messengers. Dragons are a representation of the soul energy of the Earth herself, although this energy can take flight and become the dragons of legend.
Another representation of the Earth’s own energies is the Green Man. He represents an aspect of male energies to complement the female, mother, Earth. Unfortunately, both the dragon and Green Man images have become ‘demonised’ by popular belief, the Green Man having been turned into ‘the devil’ and the dragon into the serpent of the Garden of Eden. Sadly, these ideas have distorted our views of, and beliefs about, the Earth. As we continue our climb back to full consciousness, many are beginning to realise that our only chance of completing our work is to turn back to Mother Earth and her nurture. Technology will never find lasting answers to the problems its use has created. All the answers we will ever need are to be found in the abundance the Earth has provided and within our own locked-away knowledge of how to use that abundance wisely.
This locked-away knowledge is often more evident to children than it is to adults. To talk of the Faerie, for instance, in adult terms, is at best considered taboo. But if you are a child, the subject is one of awe and recognition. As children we see the world through innocent eyes, eyes that have not been sullied by cynicism and paying bills. In other words, children see the world in which we live with a clarity of being that we adults, in an attempt to ‘grow up’, leave behind. How can you sell double glazing when you believe that you have Faeries ‘at the bottom of your garden’? As adults, we exist in a world where realities become hidden and our beliefs, no matter how false, become realities.
The more we have moved down our route to materialism and extreme consumerism, the further away we have moved from the real reasons for human existence and, the further we have removed ourselves from the natural rhythms of the planet that supports us. The Earth is all we have and once we have depleted her resources, there will be no more and, we will cease to exist on Earth. The Earth exists to allow the possibilities of being human to be explored. In order to achieve that goal, our Mother Earth has created beings who can assist us in our aims. These include the Faerie. At the risk of being taken away by ‘men in white coats’, I think it is time for all those who know the Faerie realms exist to come to the fore.
We have scientists who ‘know’ how the Universe came into being. We have archaeologists who ‘know’ how life began and developed into human beings. We have doctors who ‘know’ how the body works. As we ‘wake up’, we ‘know’ that these versions of reality are not exactly correct. We begin to open our minds to different realities and, the physical world of the scientists becomes less and less compatible with our inner knowledge. I am not proposing a Faerie ‘revolution’, as the Faerie do not see our world in those terms. However, try to see the world in a new light. Try to regain your childhood innocence. We are not a part of the Faerie. The Faerie exist in their own right and it is not our place to interfere, only to interact, if we have the will and the innocence to do so.
So how do we recapture that innocence? It is not easy. Many have tried and most have given up in frustration. There is no easy answer. The mechanistic world that humans have created is totally opposed to that of the Faerie. But, as we begin to understand the changes we are undertaking, we begin to see our connectedness to the whole. Each of us is part of a collective existence and, as we progressively download our higher selves into our physical selves, we begin to realise that the lives we have become accustomed to living exclude a vast portion of what is really there, including the Faerie realm in all its magic and wonder.
In so many respects the answer lies in our understanding of the female. Our Earth is female. It is the re-claiming of the feminine in ourselves, and in our lives and relationships, that can bring our current and future existence back into balance. As a man, it is not an easy choice. Our Earth is female and in order to create balance, we have needed a male response. However, the balance has tipped too far and the Faerie, as an aspect of Mother Earth, have become pushed to the extremities.
It is time to regain balance. The Earth is as welcoming as she ever was. The Faerie are as prepared to put up with our prevarication as they ever were. Now is our time…human time. No other race or being has the right to choose what we become. We have reached a point in time where our conscious choice is needed. And, that choice should be…to dance with the Faerie, to stop our rape of the planet and to finish what we originally set out to do, which is to bring our full soul consciousness into our human existence, here on Earth. And, the Faerie (Mother Earth) will be happy to go on nurturing us as we continue on our paths to this destination, if only we let them. We really are that strong and the Faerie are there to remind us that our greatest strength lies in embracing our original innocence. By letting go of everything that covers it, we arrive at a point where no external force can deflect us from our goal. Remember, the Earth has taken on the role of nurturing human life. We need to repay her hard work and become, once again, who we truly are.
© 2007 by Chris Thomas
The Blog Post (Cygnus Review Blog 2010…with the wrong author credited)
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National Simplicity Day
July 12th is another very busy ‘National Day’ with five celebrations. Simplicity Day is observed on the birthday of Henry David Thoreau. He was born on this day in 1817. As a philosopher, he believed in living a simple life:
“In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness.”
He was a world-renowned author, historian, abolitionist, tax resister (my hero!), a surveyor, criticized over-development, preferred the natural ways and transcendentalism and, was a friend of and mentored by, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Born nearly 100 years prior to Alan Watts, the two could have been contemporary peers.
In our overly busy lives, steeped in political battles, materialism, social media madness and the struggle to survive, slowing down, disengaging and walking in nature can be a refreshing break. De-cluttering and simplifying one’s life can, ultimately, bring peace and balance.
Also celebrated today:
National Different Colored Eyes Day
National Pecan Pie Day (Yum!)
Paper Bag Day
Eat Your Jello Day (I’m not kidding)
Cheers and enjoy!