Happy Thanksgiving

9 WAYS TO CULTIVATE GRATITUDE

1. 1
    
   Notice your day-to-day world from a point of gratitude and be amazed at all the goodness we take for granted. The video "A Good Day" from TEDxSF can get you in
   the right frame of mind.
 
2. 2
    
   Keep a gratitude journal. All it requires is noting one or more things you are grateful for on a daily basis. No fancy notebook, no computer program required.
 
3. 3
    
   If you identify something or someone with a negative trait (the cold conference room), switch it in your mind to a positive trait (the conference room with
   a great view).
4. 4
    
   Gratitude requires humility, which the dictionary defines as "modest and respectful." Explore where it fits in your life. The article"Humility: A Quiet, Underappreciated Strength"is a good start.
 
5. 5
    
   Give at least one compliment daily. It can
   be to a person or it can
   be asking someone to share your appreciation
   of something else ("I love how quiet it is in the morning, don’t you?").
 
6. 6
    
   When you find yourself
   in a bad situation ask:
   What can I learn? When
   I look back on this, without emotion, what will I be grateful for?
7. 7
    
   Vow to not complain, criticize, or gossip for 10 days. If you slip, rally your willpower and keep going. Notice the amount of energy you were spending on negative thoughts and actions.
 
8. 8
    
   Sound genuinely happy
   to hear from the people who call you on the phone. Whether the caller responds with surprise or delight, he’ll know you value speaking with him.
 
9. 9
    
   Become involved in a cause that is important
   to you. Donate money or time or talent. By joining in, you’ll gain greater appreciation for the organization, and it will appreciate you more, too.

-from Unstuck.com

A TUMULTUOUS FULL MOON IN GEMINI, NOVEMBER 25TH

"November

Full Beaver Moon

For both the colonists and the Algonquin tribes, this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. This full Moon was also called the Frost Moon." -The Old Farmer's Almanac

Today the full moon in Gemini rains down its intensity upon us. What do you get with a airy duplicitous moon in a fiery sign like Sagittarius? Hot air coming from opposite directions. Expect this to be more of a frost full moon than a beaver one. The frost is represented by the cold thin sheath of our armored protectiveness being melted by warming air. Though running for the comfort of a den may be a smart move to handle the influences of this lunation, one cannot hide forever.

In keeping with the ongoing theme of transformation, the full moon in Gemini will confront us with the duality of our choices. Should you stay or should you leave? The winds of change are compelling us to put up or shut up. We won't be liking the pressure, but this full moon is acting as a catalyst for us to break free from the rut we decorated that is holding us back.

Another aspect of this process will be dealing with loss. Exemplified by the aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks, we will be dealing with how we deal with sudden unexpected tragic loss, coming to terms with profound feelings of helplessness, and how we move forward constructively in spite of uncertainty and fear. We are experiencing the critical need to balance the assault on our psyche by creating integration, unity, and healthy bonds. The time is now.

Resist the urge to flee, look away, bury it, and pretend it doesn't matter. Emergent feelings are there to remind us of our humanity. Accepting them as a part of our healing will comfort us during the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Slow down, breathe, listen without judgment, and affirm that we will ultimately be led to greater equilibrium. Being of service to others is particularly important at this time. Let the Dr. Jekyll inside of you counterbalance the issues driving your Mr. Hyde shadow by demonstrating kindness, patience, and devotion. In turn, this positive energy will be restorative to a planet that is in desperate need of tenderness and compassion.

NOUS SOMMES PARIS

TO THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES,
WE SHALL NOT FORGET YOU.

TO THOSE GRIEVING, 
WE SHALL OFFER YOU SOLACE.

TO THOSE INJURED,
WE SHALL TENDERLY CARE FOR YOU.

TO THOSE WHO NARROWLY ESCAPED,
WE SHALL COMFORT YOU.

TO A NATION WOUNDED BY SENSELESS TRAGEDY,
WE WILL STAND BY YOU.

NOUS SOMMES PARIS.

THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD

"SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that sank in a Lake Superior storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29. When launched on June 7, 1958, she was the largest ship on North America's Great Lakes, and she remains the largest to have sunk there.

Carrying a full cargo of ore pellets with Captain Ernest M. McSorley in command, she embarked on her ill-fated voyage fromSuperior, Wisconsin, near Duluth, on the afternoon of November 9, 1975. En route to a steel mill near Detroit, Fitz joined a second freighter, SS Arthur M. Anderson. By the next day, the two ships were caught in a severe storm on Lake Superior, with near hurricane-force winds and waves up to 35 feet (11 m) high. Shortly after 7:10 p.m., Fitzgerald suddenly sank in Canadian waters 530 feet (160 m) deep, about 17 miles (15 nautical miles; 27 kilometers) from Whitefish Bay near the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario—a distance Fitzgerald could have covered in two hours at her top speed. Although Fitzgerald had reported being in difficulty earlier, no distress signals were sent before she sank; Captain McSorley's last message to Anderson said, "We are holding our own." Her crew of 29 perished, and no bodies were recovered." -Wikipedia

The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald Lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vST6hVRj2A

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called 'Gitche Gumee'
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty.
That good ship and crew was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early.

The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?

The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too,
T'was the witch of November come stealin'.
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the Gales of November came slashin'.
When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind.

When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'.
Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya.
At seven p.m. a main hatchway caved in, he said
Fellas, it's been good t'know ya
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril.
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searches all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her.
They might have split up or they might have capsized;
May have broke deep and took water.
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion.
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams;
The islands and bays are for sportsmen.
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her,
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the Gales of November remembered.

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral.
The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call 'Gitche Gumee'.
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early!

Songwriters: LIGHTFOOT, GORDON

The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald lyrics © Moose Music Ltd.

In memory of the lives lost on this day forty years ago on Lake Superior.

Guy Fawkes Day: Remember, Remember the 5th of November

"Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in Great Britain. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding explosives the plotters had placed beneath the House of Lords. Celebrating the fact that King James I had survived the attempt on his life, people lit bonfires around London, and months later the introduction of the Observance of 5th November Actenforced an annual public day of thanksgiving for the plot's failure.

Don't you Remember,
The Fifth of November,
'Twas Gunpowder Treason Day,
I let off my gun,
And made'em all run.
And Stole all their Bonfire away. (1742)"    -Wikipedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMH1AimA72w

V for Vendeta
"V for Vendetta is a 2006 political thriller film directed by James McTeigue and written by the Wachowski Brothers, based on the 1988 Vertigo graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. Hugo Weaving portrays V, an anarchist freedom fighter who attempts to ignite a revolution against the brutal neo-fascist regime that has subjugated the dystopian United Kingdom and exterminated its opponents in concentration camps. Natalie Portman plays Evey, a working-class girl caught up in V's mission, and Stephen Rea portrays the detective leading a desperate quest to stop V."  -Wikipedia

DAY OF THE DEAD-ALL SOULS DAY

"Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos is a series of commemorative days dedicated to those who have died. It is celebrated generally between Halloween, Oct. 31 through Nov. 2, and coincides with the Catholic holy days of All Saints (Nov. 1) and All Souls (Nov. 2).

Families often come together over this period and preparations can be made during the entire year leading up to the Day of the Dead. This is a solemn occasion, with few actual festivities. Instead, people visit and repair graves of their dearly departed. It is common to light candles, leave offerings of prepared foods, often a favorite meal, and to pray and play music. Private altars are built as focal points for small, private religious observances. Small parties, or wakes, can be held in conjunction with the holidays. Celebrations can sometimes take a humorous tone, particularly if the deceased relative was known to enjoy humor. Poems can be read and public morality plays are sometimes performed." -Catholic Online

Gone are the days we truly remember the dead. Oh sure, we have Memorial weekend but that's more associated with the start of the summer season than a time to honor those we've lost. Once the grieving of a loved one fades from memory, we tend to only remember them on significant holidays. This is what makes All Souls Day or the Day of the Dead unique.

Today is the special day we remember all of them, how they contributed to our lives, and how much we miss their presence. We are encouraged to light candles, say prayers, and leave offerings. Celebrating their lives gives our lives more meaning. Today we talk to them, release our sorrow, ask for and receive forgiveness, and let them know their lives meant something. This is a powerful day of healing for both the living and the dead. 

"Réquiem ætérnam dona ei Dómine; et lux perpétua lúceat ei. Requiéscat (Requiéscant) in pace. Amen."

ALL SAINT'S DAY

"All Saints' Day was formally started by Pope Boniface IV, who consecrated the Parthenon at Rome to the Virgin Mary and all the Martyrs on May 13 in 609 AD. Boniface IV also established All Souls' Day, which follows All Saints.
The choice of the day may have been intended to co-opt the pagan holiday "Feast of the Lamures," a day which pagans used to placate the restless spirits of the dead.
The holy day was eventually established on November 1 by Pope Gregory III in the mid-eighth century as a day dedicated to the saints and their relics."  -Catholic Online

The day following Halloween is the Catholic feast of All Saint's Day. As a parochial school child, this meant the day after gorging myself silly on candy, I got the day off school. It did come with a price: it was a holy day of obligation, meaning going to mass was a requirement. In Catholicism, a day of fun is always followed by a day of repentance. 

The saints are big in Catholicism. We used to trade holy cards with their images like normal kids our age were trading baseball cards. The nuns and priests expounded endlessly on the moral lives of these religiously committed women and men as an example of pure Christian virtue. They glorified how they were beaten, raped, and horrifically persecuted for their beliefs. Being a martyr was a sure one way ticket to heaven. Who wouldn't want to be one?

Even though I am of a Buddhist persuasion, I have statues of my favorite saints in strategic places in my home. Why? Because they are examples of applying spiritual practices to daily life-something we don't see much of anymore. Another compelling reason is that the Catholics gave equal credit to its women saints. They were my role models. Joan of Arc, St. Clare, St. Francis, St. Therese are some of my favorites. They were not some spiritually enlightened geniuses but real people who courageously followed a visceral doctrine they felt would make the world a better place. 

Many of them were intuitively and psychically gifted. I have always found it amusing that if one received innate knowledge the Catholic Church approved of, you were a saint. If they didn't, you were demonic. A number of saints were initially vilified and victimized for having the hubris to say they were receiving communiques from God, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary. Today you'd be put on anti-psychotic drugs. 

Today we have few living saints. Fame, fortune, and beauty is what we are reinforced to worship. That is what makes this day a day to remember; we all carry a saintly side of us that can make the world a better place.

Happy All Saints Day!