The Beginning of the Time of Great Change

AWE!!

This is one of the most unique of human experiences … it can arise from any number of sources or events spreading out before us … it can be emotional, it can be Spiritual, it can be physical; or it can be a combination of all of these.

There is an old story that the Teachers would tell about the turtle who lived within his shell. Of course, living within his shell is similar to the way in which we organize our lives – our shells are our personal patterns of daily living. Laughing, I like to imagine the turtle as a cartoon character sitting within the cave of his shell, oblivious of anything happening outside. We could even see him roasting a marshmallow over a warming fire, safe within his shell.

Then a knocking happens, not at the doorway, on the fabric of the shell – it reverberates throughout the structure of the shell. Our turtle has choice: He can be like a Hollywood movie character and assume that anything outside his shell – new or unusual must be evil, and hide in fear or dress for battle.

Or, he might choose curiosity … he might open to the possibility of communication with this knock that seems to reverberate through his world, through his pattern of living.

In one of the legends of the Hopi; when it was foretold that the third world would come to an end, those who opened themselves to communication were able to hear and be guided through their Kopavi – known as the soft spot on their heads. The legend is that the skin of our skull is drawn taut across this area, like the head of a drum; and that if you listen through your Kopavi, you can hear the tapping of Great Spirit on your own drum head. In the legend, those who listened were guided by their perception to a place of safety, while the third world passed into the fourth.

Of course, the message being passed through the Kopavi, can be received in many different ways – the analogy is that we can be open to Infinite Potential manifesting in our lives in any way. In fact, the world around us is supportive, providing many opportunities for us to see beyond our ‘shell.’

On the 19th of June is the celebration of the Beginning of the Time of Great Change. The story of how the physical world manifested in the manner foretold by the ancient Hopi tradition, can be found in Chapter 5 of The Gospel of the Stone, written by Swami Ramananda. We have also spoken of it in a radio program.

Certainly, this is a very dynamic, Awe Inspiring, physical manifestation of Infinite Potential – a knocking on the shell of our pattern of living. Yet the message beyond this majestic happening, is that there is a knocking every day. If we listen and wonder, perhaps we can emerge from our shell and discover Newness – an abundant, creative and supportive world around us. This is a world from which we can draw inspiration, a world that can inspire Joy in our Hearts.

May Blessings Surround You