Hope Fitzgerald

My guess is you've already heard about or played with the Law of Attraction, most famously used by Esther Hicks as well as the 2006 film The Secret, though neither were the origin of the concept. To discover that, you'll need to go back, waaaay back... To keep it short and sweet, I'll borrow from blogger Michael Boles, who sums the history up well: "A long time ago ... Homer wrote book called the “Iliad”. In it, Homer implies the principles of the Law of Attraction. He did not invent the principles, but only repeated what had been handed down from the antiquities (pre-writing). Apparently the soil that went into the raised bed was particularly potent, because my tiny basil plant had morphed into a waist-high shrub! I've grown basil many times before but never had this kind of success.

I went into my little garden the other day to grab some basil for pesto and was blown away by what I encountered. Apparently the soil that went into the raised bed was particularly potent, because my tiny basil plant had morphed into a waist-high shrub! I've grown basil many times before but never had this kind of success.

Yesterday was tough here in America. There was no avoiding the many memories of that horrific day 20 years ago that upended our national identity and plunged an entire population into a deep, confused grief. Revisiting so much loss, we could be forgiven for falling once again into despair and hopelessness. But we also know how crucial it is these days to keep our vibrations high... so, how are we to navigate these emotions? For one thing, we can manage our memories to feel them all but not get stuck in any along the way. We can also try to remember the MANY facets of that time, not just the endless replaying of TV footage, in order to take the lessons forward.

News of flooding in Germany and India, and of heat, drought and fires in the North American west has made it impossible to talk about anything else this week. Of course, our hearts and waves go out to those who are suffering... We all know that over the years things have been getting more extreme on our beautiful earth and how can we not be heartsick about it? As I pondered how to write about this, I realized that I should go directly to the Earth to ask her for what she might need from us. I humbly offer this word-for-word channeling in hopes that it is helpful, should you be feeling despair over current events: It brought to mind a play I was once in called The Crucible, Arthur Miller's powerful work about the Salem witch trials, written as a protest against the McCarthy-era communist blacklisting. What Miller brilliantly displayed was the way perfectly normal people could become swayed into taking previously unimaginable actions when they're gripped with fear. I played Mary Warren, the only one of the girls who wavers between following her wanton, compelling peers and the God-fearing adults. As the director explained to me, this role represents the audience, who also can't decide where the truth lies: with the girls experimenting with dark magic and accusing those grown-ups they disliked with demonic possession, or the law-abiding adults, who saw the girls as hysterical and even ridiculous, never suspecting how dangerous they could be. That watershed moment when we fully accept that we are not alone and loved without condition is when life is forever transformed and the path is laid for more exploration. Of course, each path is entirely different and appropriate for each person and one that, before incarnating, we built into our life plan to find and follow. Just as no two people are the same, so are no two paths the same. And so we embark in wonder and find that around each bend, there are gems of deeper understanding that necessitate the shedding of old beliefs and habits. We seek more and more freedom as we get closer to the core of who we are and who we desire to be.

A member of our tribe recently mentioned she was exhausted from maintaining a neutral position in today's climate of dividing people into one belief camp or another. It brought to mind a play I was once in called The Crucible, Arthur Miller's powerful work about the Salem witch trials, written as a protest against the McCarthy-era communist blacklisting. What Miller brilliantly displayed was the way perfectly normal people could become swayed into taking previously unimaginable actions when they're gripped with fear. I played Mary Warren, the only one of the girls who wavers between following her wanton, compelling peers and the God-fearing adults. As the director explained to me, this role represents the audience, who also can't decide where the truth lies: with the girls experimenting with dark magic and accusing those grown-ups they disliked with demonic possession, or the law-abiding adults, who saw the girls as hysterical and even ridiculous, never suspecting how dangerous they could be. That watershed moment when we fully accept that we are not alone and loved without condition is when life is forever transformed and the path is laid for more exploration. Of course, each path is entirely different and appropriate for each person and one that, before incarnating, we built into our life plan to find and follow. Just as no two people are the same, so are no two paths the same. And so we embark in wonder and find that around each bend, there are gems of deeper understanding that necessitate the shedding of old beliefs and habits. We seek more and more freedom as we get closer to the core of who we are and who we desire to be.

Anyone who has embarked on a spiritual life has experienced the bliss of discovery that love truly is all around. That watershed moment when we fully accept that we are not alone and loved without condition is when life is forever transformed and the path is laid for more exploration. Of course, each path is entirely different and appropriate for each person and one that, before incarnating, we built into our life plan to find and follow. Just as no two people are the same, so are no two paths the same. And so we embark in wonder and find that around each bend, there are gems of deeper understanding that necessitate the shedding of old beliefs and habits. We seek more and more freedom as we get closer to the core of who we are and who we desire to be.

Anyone who has embarked on a spiritual life has experienced the bliss of discovery that love truly is all around. That watershed moment when we fully accept that we are not alone and loved without condition is when life is forever transformed and the path is laid for more exploration. Of course, each path is entirely different and appropriate for each person and one that, before incarnating, we built into our life plan to find and follow. Just as no two people are the same, so are no two paths the same. And so we embark in wonder and find that around each bend, there are gems of deeper understanding that necessitate the shedding of old beliefs and habits. We seek more and more freedom as we get closer to the core of who we are and who we desire to be.