Darlene Benton

Making Choices Column

Magical Messages      Making Choices Column         21 February 2005

            By Darlene Benton

            Most times throughout my life I’ve considered magic to be something outside myself. Lately, around every corner, in every book and in the company of soulful friends my previous mindset has been redirected.

            According to Don Miguel Ruiz in his book, The Voice of Knowledge, we have the ability to instantly change our own lives by simply weaving every word as magical light versus dark magic. We can experience being a magician by speaking to ourselves and others with only love as our intent.

            I have repeatedly read, believed and practiced this way of living, but have been unable to make it a part of my every moment of existence. Why not the sages ask? Jesus, Buddha and hundreds of contemporary authors and gurus like Ruiz keep telling us the same mode of living will set us free.

            After finishing The Four Agreements for the second time, also by Ruiz, I think my attention was finally captive. On a semi retreat-like week working where sun and sand abounded, I decided to really commit to this way of thinking, every possible moment.

            The process went like this. Every time any thought of any kind came to mind about myself, anyone else or any activity that was anything but loving, I replaced it with one that was. For example, “I’m never going to get this column done this week with all the travel and interruptions.” Gone. Instead, “I’m always creative in arranging my schedule, home or away, so I have successfully completed my column every week for the past 8 years.

            That’s just one thought of the thousands of monkeys in my mind every day. Usually I only toss out most of them but I made a pact with myself to throw all thoughts that were not positive and furthering out into space.

Ruiz says, “Be Impeccable with your word, Don’t take anything personally, Don’t make assumptions and Always do your best.” The premise of all sages is that each of us can be a Divine being like they are, just think, act and breathe every breath with love and miracles happen.

I’m not scared, guilty or frustrated in this crazy world as long as I believe I can create joy with my every thought, word and deed. Magical, but true, everything else is just a lie about who we are and why we are here.

Copyright 2005, Darlene Benton

For comments write: Making Choices, PO Box 28, Albion, NY 14411 or e-mail www.darlenebenton.com

Thought of the Week of Mindfulness

Let us always assume we are at the beginning.

Creative I Ching Thought of the Week of "Nature" 11/13/08

Learning is the process of moving from confusion to simplicity.

John's Poetry Corner

The Gates of Eden

 

The key to Life is choice.

    Results experiential.

The lock the fear and sympathy

    Resisting Life's potential

 

Insert the key and turn.

    Release your intuitions.

Free the Dragon's fiercest flames

    And pierce your inhibitions.

 

Take a breath, then move.

    Choose another vision

That Spirit carries on its wings

    To shatter indecision.

 

Beware the coming day

    That shines the light of freedom

Upon the Souls betrayed by prayers that

    Hid the Gates of Eden.

Creative I Ching Thought of the Week

You may be where you're supposed to be.

You may not be where you're supposed to be,

But you may be where you have to be

To get to where you're supposed to be.

Creative I Ching launched on blog

The Creative I Ching evolved from the original I Ching, conceived thousands of years ago by the Chinese. Carl Jung in his introduction to the Wilhelm version of the I Ching says, "according to the old tradition, it is 'spiritual agencies," acting in a mysterious way, that make the yarrow stalks give a meaningful answer."

To flip either three coins or count 50 yarrow stalks each day with the intention of seeking an idea that can be applied to one's daily path is the foundation of this practice. Practiced by some of the world's greatest sages, Confucius, Lao Tsu and Jung, who consulted the stalks for over 30 years, it is something to take note of.

However, about 20 years ago an indivudual practicing the I Ching, had an enlightened experience that allowed him to see a different template of these 64 hexagrams, the foundation of the practice. He saw everything as furthering and based on the Tree of Life. The original I Ching seemed to promote negative ideas with certain hexagrams. For example, the hexagrams of "Biting Through," "Disintegration," "Initial Difficulties," and "Darkening of the Light" didn't seem like one would have a very good day or outcome to one's question of the counting. Aware that everything we think about expands, the creator of the Creative I Ching began to change the hexagrams of this less than furthering composition to hexagrams that would allow one's Creative Spirit to manifest its Grandest Choices and Most Creative Visions.

Thus began a different version of the I Ching, the Creative I Ching. And Wilhelm notes in his Bollingen version of the I Ching, this idea from the original text:

    "In it are included the forms and scope of everything in the heavens and on earth, so that nothing escapes it. In it all things everywhere are completed, so that none is missing. Therefore, by means of it we can pentrate the tao of the day and night, and so understand it. Therefore the spriti is bound to no one place, nor the Book of Changes to ony one form." (p. 296)

And so it seems appropriate the Book of Changes, the I Ching, finally changes for the first time in history into a version for the new millennium, The Age of Aquarius, and the end of the Mayan Calendar. "The Creative I Ching," presented here first to the public since its ongoing development over the past 20 years, also has the new calendar for a new age, to manifest over the next 14,480 years. (see calendar)

The Creative I Ching has been designed to fit the template of the Tree of Life. Its practice allows the Spirit and the Ego to visualize the field of experience using the same rules and creative concepts of the original I Ching. But communication with more furthering ideas is now possible and allows an organic coherence between the Spirit and the Ego. With this comes an instinctive understanding of the most furthering path and best use of energy for one's daily life.

Our Spirits live in a sphere created under the assumptions of the Tree of Life. This is the true nature of the Univers. Our Egos exist in a sphere based on teh assumptions of the Tree of Good and Evil. The shape of this sphere manifests a world where good fortune and misfortune are experienced in equal portions, denying our true nature. This separagion of Spirit and Ego is called Forgetfulnes, and is why we are unalbe to remember our past lives and our Spiritual Truth.

At this time on the planet it is clear the template we have operated with since the birth of mankind has not worked. The Tree of Life is a creative template based on good fortune and furhtering for all beings all of the time. The Tree of Good and Evil is a creative template based on the balance of opposites, where for everything good that exists, an equal amount of evil mus prevail. Using the Tree of Life as our template, we could create a world of Heaven on EArth. Using the Tree of Good and Evil as our template, we have created the world in which we now live.

Join me in creating a new world, one without suffering and chaos. (see class descriptions and an overview of the Creative I Ching template for mor information.)

Greetings from the universe's newest blogger

 Writer creating new universe! 

Let the light shine!  This is an exciting time to be alive on the planet and in this blog we will share our most furthering and creative ideas for a new earth.

 I have some skillful practices you will enjoy learning about. Instead of some of the "important" history of our world, like dates, causes and effects of war, we will be learning about the human body the Creative Spirit within each of us and more creative and harmonious ways of communicating with one another.

 I am a wordsmith (Making Choices Column), a daily practitioner of Qi Gong, yoga, T'ai Chi Chuan and CORE Structural Bodywork. I believe the human body and spirit are equally as important as the mind. Giving each aspect of who we are equal time each day matters and we are going to practice ways of creating a balanced life experiencing our Grandest Choices and most Creative Visions. Now let's begin...

 Darlene Benton, MS, LMT

Writer, Healer, Educator