Cosmic Lottery: June 16 - 22

"Did you ever think we are spiritual beings having a human experience?"

Kathy Snyder, my sister

"To be born is to be chosen. To be created and come to birth is to be blessed."

John O'Donohue, Irish poet and theologian

"Existence is a cosmic lottery we've won."

Ram Dass, spiritual teacher

These words from my favorite people, resonate with me as I turn 62 this week. I consider my life to be pure gift. To share it with so many good people and to be surrounded by the wonder of nature is a blessing. When I contemplate the mystery of it all, my response can only be one of profound gratitude. I am so glad we are on this journey together. Thank you!

Practice

I learned the meditation of the Four Suns while studying nature mysticism.

Find your place in the universe, here on planet earth, in the shelter of you home, in the quiet of here and now. Plant your feet on the ground. Maybe gently close your eyes as you draw the attention inward. Place you hand on your belly and breathe.

Breathe into the center of your being in the place beneath your hand. Imagine a pinpoint of light at the core of your being. See this tiny spark glowing brighter with each new breath. Sense it expanding from the size of a pea to a grape to that of an orange. Feel the heat of this yellow ball of light. It continues to grow until it fills the entire chest. It pulsates and radiates from within. This is the first sun. It is the gift of your life. Bask in its warmth as you are bathed in yellow light.

Now shift the awareness to the ground beneath your feet. Imagine tap roots extending from the star in your belly through your legs and the soles of your feet into the ground. The roots burrow deeper and deeper through layers of dirt and rock, deeper and deeper through the mantle of the earth to its very core. The roots create a direct channel from the surface to the molten magnum at the heart of the earth. This is the second sun at the center of the earth. Envision red light flowing up through the core, through the mantle, through rock and through dirt. The red light follows the tap root all the way to the belly. There the red light of the second sun mixes and dances with the yellow light of the first sun. From the moment of your birth you have always been connected to the earth. Bask in the warmth of the two suns as you are bathed in light.

The flow of energy continues upward from the belly, through the spine, through the crown of the head, through the heavens, creating a pathway all the way to the sun at the center of the solar system. Feel the golden rays of the sun tracing the pathway through the heavens, downward through the crown of the head, through the spine, to the sun in your belly. Receive everything you need to grow and thrive in this life as the heavens shine upon you this day. This is the third sun. Bask in the warmth of the three suns as you are bathed in light.

The channel of energy continues to flow upward from the belly through the sun through the dark sun at the center of the universe. This is the place where your soul dwelled before taking shape in this lifetime. You have always been connected to every part of the universe. This is the source of the mystery of your being. See with the heart's eye the ultraviolet, invisible light that flows from the heart of the universe, through the heart of the sun, joining the heart of the earth, as the energy of these three suns mingles and combines with the sun beneath your heart. Bask in the warmth of the four suns as you are bathed in light.

Know you are never alone. You are never lost in the dark. From before your birth and forever after, you are one with the source of all light, love, and life. Out of the multitude of beings that could have been, you alone were chosen to inhabit this particular space and time. If doubt and fear arise this day, simply place your hand on your belly and recall the gift within.