The Language of the World - An Alchemist Moment

In loving memory of Brother Dan, who first taught me of the Urim and the Thummim and spent many Sabbaths teaching me about Avram's encounter with Melchizedek at Mamre - Ahava

Caught between my fear that the motorists behind me would, in their rush hour impatience, not appreciate my holding up the traffic and my compelling realisation that this Egyptian Goose needed to get his family across the road, I had no idea of the blessing awaiting me.  With  a long stretched neck it had a funny beckoning sort of way of standing at the pavement curb.  The six little goslings were pecking at the ground all around their mother as little goslings are meant to do early in the morning.  I have seen them every morning and every afternoon that I cross the Princess Vlei (lake) at Roscommon Road.  Every morning and every afternoon they do what geese do.  But this morning the father goose had a definite sort of mission as he stood looking at the oncoming traffic even though his family seemed unperturbed continuing to peck in the gritty path.  I felt perhaps he wanted to cross the road and get his family to the other side.  With no cars behind me I stopped - it was after all a pedestrian crossing.  I hoped and prayed quite unrealistically,with all fingers crossed that there would not be another car behind me for a while at least.   I had not at that moment any idea of how to stop the oncoming traffic in the other lane. But if a person desires a thing enough the universe conspires right?

It was then ... in the moments to follow that I had an Alchemist moment when motorists unable to hear one another, the rush hour traffic, a father goose needing to take his family across a bridge, six busy little goslings and a mother goose, all ... in the midst of a strange silence ...  heard the Language of the World. I saw the need of the goose, the woman in the oncoming lane saw my need, the motorist behind me saw my daughter's need through the windscreen, the Goose trusted all of us to know his need, the goslings knew instinctively where to go and the Gander waddled some steps behind her family nodding elegantly to the left and to the right as she acknowledged us as though knowing the needs of human egos.

Being present to the present I received the omen as I crossed the water ... in the midst of great danger one can trust when one knows the Language of the World. Normally that bend seems busy but this morning it all seemed a little calmer and I somehow I think I  was not the only one present to the omen.

I also think before reading the Alchemist I might have missed this completely attributing it all to my love for animals.  After reading the Alchemist and having a language for things I always believed in and I feel incredibly blessed.  A dear friend used to say that he envied the way things happened to me.  He would have commented on the fact that these were Egyptian Geese of all animals.  I realise now that all that happened in all that time was that I knew my omens and I trust I still do. This morning they came as a family of geese - Egyptian Geese and a stream of motorists who used the Language of the World.  I don't know what they will be tomorrow.  I have though the shalom that the Urim and the Thummim are with me.

Perhaps you will not have Egyptian Geese when your omen arrives.  Perhaps it may not involve elements of danger and many motorists but "All is written by the same hand" or as they say in Egypt, "Muktab" ...

May you be present to your omen ...

Day Twenty Three ...

Oh my hatty, there is none so ratty

As dear old me, on day twenty three

Tears and biting, and sparks of lightning

For no reason at all, I'll get into a brawl

I throw things like the phone and the pan

Beware, beware if you happen to be a man

My centre is gone, my chakras are twisted

Peace I wanted, but my hormones insisted

On day twenty three nobody reasons like me

If only they would listen and simply agree

Come day twenty three I'm the only one who is right

Why don't they comply and end my plight

My bed, my socks and the warm water bottle

The only things I dont want to throttle

Ranting and Raving, Get out of my face!

Please oh Please just give me my space!

My self I really would love to explain

But I've no idea why I become such a pain

I know though that I have this in common

With many a human who is also a woman

Author: Michelene Benson

For my daughter on happiness ...

My daughter, Dominique is preparing one of her self-initiated presentations - this time on HAPPINESS.  Her friends and family were asked for their understanding of happiness.  This was my letter to her.

_______________________

Dear Domsy

I have given you the first word that came to mind while I was folding washing and I know you don't want me to get spiritual but these are my thoughts on happiness ...

The first word that comes to mind is freedom - being free to live, to be yourself and to reach your potential.  But happiness is more than than that - happiness is ultimately experienced through our connection to people and through these people to the Creator. My greatest joy in all my life was having two daughters who I could call family and friends who knew me behind my masks.  Many people who have great wealth are unhappy.  Some of the poorest people experience the greatest joy because of their connection to friends and family.

Happiness is often a mixture of feelings like peace, excitement, contentment.  Little children only know happy and sad.  The good feelings are happy and the bad feelings are sad.  We don't change much actually.  I have taught you much about the ego from the Kabbalah.  When we get what we want we are happy.  When we don't get what we want and desire even if it is good for us we are unhappy. But the ego is only happy for a while -then it wants more - and eventually more does nothing for happiness.  It's like chocolate cake - when you had enough it tastes horrible and you get sick.

The purest form of happiness comes from a thing called bestowal - to give for the sake of giving.  To get pleasure only from seeing another person's pleasure.  This happiness can never end - it goes on and on.  This happiness is why the Creator created us - so that it would be possible to give and give and give. Our journey to bestowal - to being like the Creator is the whole study of Kabbalah and this is the meaning of your life - to become like the Creator and the only way to get there is through connection with others. 

One heart ♥ One Soul ♥ One Love

LeChaim Domsy!

One Love, this Passover on Good Friday ...

This started out as a status message but there was too much humour and learning in it so I am writing another of my notes...

My status read ...

this weekend will be great fun as Ma Maureen tries to negotiate her way around her Torah Children observing unleavened bread and her Rastafarian children who don't eat meat while she desperately wants to have pickled fish and hot cross buns ...

The malls are draped with posters and paraphernalia of the religious festivals which coincide again this year.  For them it is all about emptying the pockets of all the observers into their cash registers.  Passover kosher signs guide you to the matzos and set apart shelves while bakery staff beckon you to taste and see their hot cross buns are the best.  Floor space free from leaven competes with the overwhelming aroma of fruity buns puffing to perfection in the ovens.  Business is booming and the store owners meet their targets and fulfill their intentions ...

At 38 Lyndon Crescent, we have a very different experience of the festivals coinciding and needless to say our intentions are well tested at times like these.  For the Bensons (my girls and I) we observe the Levitical festival of unleaved bread during this month of Nissan.  For the Rastafarian's (my brother and his fam), it is the obeservance a life long Nazarite vow abstaining from the fruit of the vine as did their forefather Samson and others in that sect.  For Ma Maureen, pickled fish serves as an observance to the mourning of sacred flesh crucified for her redemption.  For these three families the marketing symbols displayed in the shops have deep meaning to their path in persuit of Adonai, of Jesus and of Jah.

So on the next four days, vinegar, leaven, raisens, fish, buns are much much more than a meal ...

Not only does the Easter weekend fall in the seven day period of unleaved bread but so does the first commemoration of Pa Ronnies birthday on 24 April.  The first time Ma Maureen will not spend a birthday with him in 50 years.

With the invention of fruitless buns our problems were almost solved in that my brother and his children would eat the buns and my girls and I would eat of the fish.  That way Ma Maureen would technically have pickled fish and buns with her family.  That was until the Rastafarians chose to observe the festival of unleavened bread this Nissan.  Realising that this also meant no trifle, chocolate cake and other puffy treats on Sunday 24th April left Ma Maus as flattened as a matzo.

We will find our way around the leaven, raisens, vinegar and fish this weekend. Somehow we will have a meal.  In so doing, we will partake of a greater meal by the tolerance, acceptance and unity we afford one another.  It is far easier to eat Matzos instead of buns, fish instead of meat, apples instead of raisens than what it is to feel the need of your friend and brother.  We will all honour our vows, we will all keep our traditions but more importantly we will have fellowship which seeks to include everybody, exclude nobody, respect what is different and be affirmed for what is your own.

Matzos, raisens, vinegar, buns and fish ... all these symbols are but physical reminders to the greater goal.  Whether we eat unleavened bread to lay off the puffed up sate in which we desire to receive for ourselves alone or place the symbol of a cross on a bun to remind us of selfless and atoning love or we abstain from the fruit of the vine signifying a sacred vow ... our common aim is to honour the Creator.

From our family to yours ... may the Creator grant you the light and grace you need to see beyond the symbol ... may the Creator grace you with the desire for unity with your brother and friend ...

                              God Bless .........................One Love ........................Baruch Hashem