Wednesday 25 January 2017

The Best of Times



The other day a friend gave me a newspaper cutting with this surprising headline: ‘2016 : it was the best of times’. Reflecting on the year that is past, I don’t think many of us would have said that! It seems to have been a year of great world challenges, and for many people, serious personal ones too. But the newspaper lists some surprising and wonderful statistics (actually given in a reader’s letter):

‘We are living in a world that is getting richer, in which the number of people living in extreme poverty has for the first time fallen below 10 per cent. Since 1990, almost 1.1 billion have escaped extreme poverty. World hunger reached its lowest point for 25 years in 2016 and, for the first time ever, the death penalty has become illegal in more than half of the world’s countries. The world got healthier too: since their peak a decade ago, Aids-related deaths have fallen by 45 per cent and infant mortality has halved since 1990.’

When so much of what we read and hear in the media seems negative and often very depressing, a report like this is truly a reason for New Year celebration!

White Eagle encourages us all the time to think positively, reminding us of the power of good thought to transform negative conditions and of the healing magic of the Star. ‘Read something negative, think healing Star magic’ is my philosophy, but how heartening it is to read something positive like this; it truly does lift the heart!

Just before writing my blog I found by chance these affirmative words of White Eagle in the book of his teaching Spiritual Unfoldment Volume 3:

‘Think of spiritual evolution as a most perfect procedure…… all the broken fragments of life are used and brought together in an indescribably lovely way to perfect the pattern of man’s life on Earth.’

Monday 2 January 2017

Star Thoughts for the New Year



A happy Christmas tradition in my family has always been to watch the Queen’s speech on Christmas Day. This year I was particularly struck by her reference to the saying of St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta: ‘Not all of us can do great things but all of us can do small things with great love.’

For me this is a profound and inspiring statement to take into my heart as we stand at the beginning of a New Year and contemplate intentions, hopes and maybe resolutions for the months ahead.

The foundation stone of the White Eagle teaching is love, as it is of so many teachers and saints down the ages. Jesus said: ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself’. Mother Theresa was a supreme example of practising this commandment. She was a very simple, humble and practical lady—qualities of Jesus himself. Neither sought greatness; they simply did what they could to relieve distress and enfold with love all who came into their aura. I believe both are wonderful examples (as is Pope Francis) as we step forward into 2017.

Let’s strive to keep positive in our thoughts, hold all difficult conditions in the magical light of the Star; and do many small things with great love. As we read on page 29 of THE QUIET MIND: ‘And how, you ask, are we to walk the spiritual path. We answer: say little, love much, give all, judge no-one, aspire to all that is pure and good—and keep on keeping on.’