According to the Mayan Tzolkin calendar we have begun the next 260 day cycle, just days before the New Year in our traditional calendar. Is there significance to this shift, other than making affirmations and resolutions? The glyphs and numbers point to beginning again on many levels.
I’ve come to the conclusion that you should have an incredibly AWEFUL day today! I’m serious! I hope you have an AWEFUL day!
Spiritual Formation is today’s buzzword for what is actually an ancient practice. This kind of spiritual exercise loosens stiff necks and bends proud knees. It works from the inside out, conforming us to the Holy One by growing within us an awareness of His Ways.
Every New Year I encounter the same interior battle between the good business practice of setting goals and my Christian understanding of God\’s outworking of our purpose and plan. When does goal setting or making New Year\’s resolutions cross the Christian line into self-determination?
American society values control over almost everything. We want to control things at work, things at home, our finances, our weight, our careers, and our relationships. In such a culture of control, where does God fit in? Can you really achieve success and happiness by turning your life over to God?
On the day of the Chaturthi, the last of the days dedicated to the elephant-headed god, thousands of processions converge on the beaches of Mumbai to immerse the holy idols in the sea. This immersion is accompanied by drumbeats, devotional songs and dancing. Every year, the largest Ganesh idol is installed at Khairatabad in Hyderabad, which is more than 30 ft tall.The Ganapati Mahotsav or the Grand Festival of Ganesha is the principle festival in Bombay, the financial capital of India. In Bombay factories commission the largest of the 6000 or so Ganeshas collectively. Each of these idols can be upto 10 meters in height and are paraded on lorries decorated with multi-colored lights. At the other end of the scale, little Ganeshas are placed in nukkads or street corners and in homes, and pujas are performed daily. The festival was started by Shivaji , the great Maratha ruler, to promote culture and a feeling of nationalism amongst his subjects who were fighting against the Mughals.
The belief in reincarnation or a past life is very prevalent in society. Religions also adopt this belief in many cases. The idea that one may have lived before in some ancient time is practically appealing and exiting to most people. Having an interest in finding out when and where this was is perfectly understandable. How many people actually realize that they can use this information to make some big changes in their present life?
Many people want to dream lucidly. If you\’re among them, the first thing you need to think about is how you want to go about learning.
So you want to lucid dream. Well that\’s a good start, at least you know what you want to do; but how exactly do you go about it?
Have you ever heard of the action figure Stretch Armstrong? Stretch was a popular 70\’s toy superhero made of a gel-like substance. Though he was a mere foot tall Stretch Armstrong could still be wrenched and pulled far beyond his proper shape.