#9 Joyful Service and Sharing 2018

Practicing Joy in the World

November 17 – December 26

Shakespeare reminds us that the potency of this month of Joyful Service and Sharing dwells in activating, re-activating, claiming, and reclaiming friendships. The joy of that activation stirs the soul and sends us out as messengers of delight to bestow friendship toward others in acts of caring thoughtful service. Writing letters, sending packages, donating money and time, walking the neighborhood and bestowing kind blessings with every step, every thought – all these help create the world anew and sweeten the generous universal field that sustains everyone.

“My religion is kindness,” says the Dalai Lama, and these days moving into deep wintertime are days to practice kindness, through making friends, beings friends, loving friends. Sometimes I think that this is one of the fierce lessons women had to learn through thousands of years of patriarchy: how to be a friend. This lesson can help us (and our world) survive and foster survival, thrive and foster thriving for those who come after us.

This month’s joy spreads out through the element of Air, and beyond that into Space and Spaciousness. Each act of kind sharing and serving from the place of friendship can be dedicated to the well being of all creatures, and travel out as prayer, as song, as desire — floating out beyond, way beyond, into the holiest of airs, the very realm of Bliss/Being.

That very thought brings the joy of laughter. So enjoy a taste of Bliss/Being this month.