Just an update

Things are going okay, no problems. CB and I are getting along fine. We've come to the conclusion that we're not going to fall madly in love with each other, but we enjoy each other's company and things are fine. CB is heading off to West Texas for a week vacation, so this next week will be fairly inwardly focused for me.

I've applied to SMU. I'm waiting on my transcripts getting transferred to the right department within SMU and two letters of recommendation before it all goes in front of the committee. This is holding up moving, because if I don't get in to SMU, I'll have to start looking at other schools like TWU, UNT, or (blegh) A&M Commerce. As soon as the SMU results come in, I'll know what I'm doing next from this point and where I plan to live.

The Roomie is loving her new job. She passed her test at the workplace, so she gets to keep it. She's now trying to get a new car, as hers is just about two steps away from death. She's dealing with a lot of stuff she hasn't had the ability to deal with because she was in survival mode, and it's nice to see her finally coming out of the "make it to tomorrow" mind set and into looking at what's not working for her.

Everyone try to keep your self as clear as possible during this Mercury Retrograde period.

The Sanctity of Life Myth

Now that I've got the update done, I want to get on to something the best frined and I got into a conversation about that ended not so happy.

I do not buy the concept of the sanctity of life. I feel that placing a high value on one life out of many is at counter-purposes to reincarnation and the big picture thinking that goes into it, and that all of this sanctity of life stuff is a combination of the "one Life to Live" crowd and an ego response from the fact that we're physical beings. I find the argument counter to any kind of omnivorous behavior as well -- I don't buy that only humans have souls, so either life isn't as sacred as we like to think it is or omnivores are doing some horrendous things to their fellow creatures. (And yes, I'm an omnivore, and I have the utmost respect for those creatures that choose to incarnate in cattle ranches, poultry farms, and other such places to provide needed sustenance for me. If I can, I'll return the favor in the future)

This all came up because of a discussion on suicide. I generally feel that suicide is an extreme solution to a problem, and that it is often a sign someone didn't get the lesson. But I don't accept that it is ALWAYS a negative thing. I also think Euthanasia is a person's right, and that as human beings with free will it is up to us to decide when we can't take it anymore, and we bear the brunt of that decision. I cannot buy that someone who doesn't talk someone out of suicide bears a responsibility, karmic or not, for the person who snuffed it. The thought that, by not taking every possible chance to talk someone out of suicide and otherwise block their success in the endeavor the person is stealing some hypothetical future life from that person is, to my thinking, taking responsibility from the person who did the action and trying to assign it to a third party.

I also feel that sometimes the most compassionate thing a person can do is let someone deal with their pain instead of trying to make it easier on them. This is a common thread among family members and friends of substance abusers, as often efforts to help the person feel less pain from their abuse problems makes it easier for them to continue their destructive behavior.

And yes, I do believe that there are times when a "Do-Over" is about the only decent option for a person. And no, I'm not someone who will always let my friends just snuff themselves, but there is a responsibility invoked for convincing someone not to do it, and each situation requires long and careful though before intervening in another person's life. I know that I don't always have the right answers for someone else, and there are times where I may well tell someone exactly the opposite thing they need out of some misguided impulse to save them from themselves. Finally, many times the moment when a person sees the most clearly is right before they fall over the edge, and sometimes letting them get right to the point where they're about to do the final deed is exactly what they need.

That's my take on it. YMMV, and I hope it does, because I'd hate to think someone thinks exactly as I do on something, that would be bothe boring and redundant.

The Basics

I had a conversation with the roommate last night, and we got into a discussion of the metaphysical basics. They are:

1. Grounding. Know how to do it in a variety of situations.

2. Concentration. Know how to focus your concentration well enough to enter a trance state whenever you need to.

3. Know your Bodies. Understand the nature of your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual selves well enough to know how to deal with them and how to get them all centered back in the same place and oriented the right way.

4. Know how to Feed yourself. Know how to work with the various types of energy you need to stay balanced. (colors, polarities, elements, etc.)

5. Energy Centers. Know how to work with the chakras in your body so you can absorb energy in a healthy and balanced manner. Also know how to create effective energy conduits between these centers so that you can keep energy flowing correctly.

6. Shielding. Know how to control what energy an other stuff comes into your sphere and how to properly block the different types of energy effectively with the right type of shield for the job. Understand the different permeabilities of effective shields and the benefits and disadvantages of the different types of shields.

7. Manifestation. Know how to properly determine what you need in your life and how to bring what you need into it. Also know that sometimes the first step before asking for something is to ask if you can handle it first.

8. Foundation. Know how to love yourself. Know how to respect yourself. Know how to believe in yourself. And know how to take care of yourself first, so that you're able to take care of others.

9. Sense of humor. Have the ability to "not take yourself so bloody seriously." know how to approach all that you do with a sense of humor and to not take everything too seriously or to treat anything as if it is too sacred to laugh at.

10. Humility. Finally, know how to keep the ego in check. It's important to remember that we're all just one grain of sand in a vast beach, and that though we're all unique, we're also equally valid and that all of the others are just as important and vital as you are.

Other stuff is useful. It can even be extremely useful in different situations. But these are the basics. Anyone with this set of tools can handle just about anything that comes down the pike. And yes, some of these things are viewed as advanced tools, but I think they're the core baseline needed to do effective metaphysical work.