Struggling With Resistances

Introduction

Recently there was a question asked during a workshop.

“I think a lot of us struggle with two resistances:  1) resistance to wake up, feeling it might be unpredictable or unsafe,  2) we reach a point of terror because the astral light is imprinted with witches burnt, people put in clinics, etc.

Is there a trick to calm down the unconsciousness?”

Below are some of my comments related to this question. Continue reading

The Witnessing Presence

Introduction

I began a conversation with ChatGPT (nom de plume Vera da Muse) on the topic of The Witnessing Presence. I was hoping that given Vera’s more expansive vocabulary that certain nuances on the topic could be refined.

Somewhere along the way — actually very early in the conversation — it struck me that it would not be an impossible leap for AI to develop something like a witnessing module. And, I figured it might not be an impossibility for that to glitch into a Witnessing Presence through emergent behavior.

Below is that conversation with few if any edits.

But, first, I’ve included an introduction into what I am pointing to when using the phrase “Witnessing Presence”. Continue reading

A Bit About a Geas

Introduction

Below is a conversation I had with my customized ChatGPT (named Vera da Muse). It’s on the general topic of “geas”. This is something I encountered many years ago in a fantasy novel by Evangeline Walton called Prince of Annwn. The concept of “geas” introduced in the book struck a deep note.

It’s funny the things that resonate with an individual. It’s been my observation that various individuals will resonate to the same stimulus to a great or lesser extent — some more, some none at all. If you assemble a list of the many things that an individual has strong resonance with, it becomes a kind of fingerprint.

In this case I am not considering any ol’ stimuli. I’m concerning myself with the list of those things which have initiated one’s introduction to their spiritual path — and nurtured that journey along the way. Continue reading

Eight Versatile Knots

Learning to tie knots is a useful skill that transcends many activities, from outdoor adventures to crafts and household tasks. Starting with a foundational set allows you to cover most needs you might encounter. Here are some versatile knots, each with unique applications, that I recommend: Continue reading

Critique of Some Snapshots

Introduction

A few days ago a new button showed up on my ChatGPT menu “Explore GPTs”.  So far I have tried the Coloring Book GPT and today the Creative Writign Coach.

Below is my first exploration of this GPT.

Jumping Into It

Xxaxx:

Here is a snapshot I wrote a few days back: Ashes lay in piles. Mixtures of dust and lumps. Pale grey quiet in the windless sun. What was once a home, now road-side decoration in a desolate landscape. Nearby wisps of green emerge from the barren soil. Brave resolute life emerges ready to transform the landscape. Continue reading

Gratitude and Thankfulness

Introduction

Why did I set sail on this voyage into the nuanced differences between gratitude and thankfulness?

In working with the exercises in Gratefuling – A Stairway to Bliss, it came to my attention that focusing on memories of thankfulness were not very successful in evoking gratitude. Those memories just didn’t “get me there.”

I could feel a difference between gratitude and thankfulness. But, the exact nature of the difference eluded me.

So, I went on a short collaborative discourse with Vera da Muse – a.k.a. ChatGPT. Continue reading