An apology and some thoughts

[Grateful for Hope]

A few nights ago I posted several negative posts to PinkTiger. I know I should have either PM'ed her with my concerns, or, even better, let them go. I apologize to PinkTiger and to the entire group as any negativity posted here impacts everyone who reads here.

I have been doing a great deal of thinking since then, and, wanted to share my thoughts with the group. However, I just read AZDem's Obama thread (it has gotten an amazing number of responses, so I suspect that it was an important topic for many here), and, I find that many of the thoughts I have had are being expressed in that thread. To me, this is an amazing example of synchronicity.

I realized that I was very upset and angry about the suspension of Edwards' campaign. This surprised me as I have participated very minimally in the "primary battles" here on DU, and, in fact, opted to hide the GD/Primary threads from latest page. I hated seeing the dissension.

In thinking about this, however, it occurred to me that the anger I felt was at how the corporate MSM has attempted to manipulate our perceptions of the candidates, so much so that John Edwards (let alone, Kuchinich) received a minuscule proportion of coverage. How dare they? How dare the corporate "powers that be" attempt to shove their own preference(s) down our throats? IMO, it may very well be that one of the darkest days in US history was when corporations were granted "person" status.

The dissension we are seeing on DU at this time is a result of many factors, IMO. MorningGlow is right that we were traumatized by 9/11, and the current regime, with the help of the MSM, has done everything it can to keep the populace fearfully compliant. There is more, however. We saw two presidential elections that were, at best, questionable, and, at worst, outright fraudulent. And, as a result of these elections, we have seen our country bankrupted, our jobs increasingly sent overseas, our economy slide into a recession, two wars that have resulted in unimaginable loss of life (I saw a few threads were the estimate of loss for Iraq is 1 million), and a level of corruption so blatant that there is no longer any attempt to hide it.

It is no wonder that people here on DU are upset. I suspect we are all, to one degree or another, suffering from PTSD. There has been so much trauma over the last eight years. I also suspect that many are feeling a type of learned helplessness (how we vote doesn't matter as the elections are rigged anyway). All of this has undoubtedly led to distrust of others, including fellow progressives.

I do believe that many have been looking for a "savior". Given the circumstances, it is natural to look for someone to lead us back to the country we thought we knew. AZDem is right, however, that we have been shown time and again that there is no such savior. Personally, I was hoping and praying that Gore would enter the race. When he did not, I looked to Kucinich, and then to JE. Having been disappointed all three times, I began to look at what the Universe was probably telling us. And, I came to the conclusion that we need to look to ourselves for the answers. No man is an island, and no one person can affect change in a vacuum. I truly believe that it is up to all of us to help our planet get back on an even keel. The person we elect will hopefully add to our efforts by leading our country in a thoughtful, intelligent, and spiritual way.

Thank you all for "listening".

[I Have A Dream]

1. Hope, I really respect you for this thread. (I already did, but...

I do even more now.) We all do things in the heat of the moment, but it says a great deal about a person's character to take action to rectify a situation after deciding that they regret something that they did. Thank you for this.

You have put into words much of what I also have gone through. It's difficult to not let the frustration overflow.

:hug::hug:

[Grateful for Hope]

2. Thank you so much for your kind words, Dream

They mean so much to me.

:hug: :grouphug:

[Justpat]

3. We have been living in a political crisis mode for so long

and it wears on even the most stout nerves.

I am so glad to be able to discuss these things in a reasoned manner.

And I agree with your post one hundred percent - especially about the need for
so many to find a political savior. We each need to be the democracy's heroes.
It has become dangerous to speak out in our country, a situation none of us
ever experienced in our lifetime, but we need to exhibit courage and a
willingness to be heroes for our planet and our country.

I also experience feeling of profound sadness because there is a part of me
that believes that we have come to the end of our form of government and do
not seem to have a populace willing to go forward into more spiritual and
truly democratic forms of governing ourselves.

The number of people in our society willing to accept repression as an acceptable
means of dealing with an external threat really, really scares me.

It is not possible for me to claim to lead a spiritual life and then capitulate
to fear and hatred in politics or any other area of my life.

I love this forum and the intelligence and the many lives dedicated to finding
our God/Goddess and creating a better life.

[mother earth]

4. Well said, OB.

[Grateful for Hope]

5. Oh, OB, what you say is so true

I was tempted to speak of what I, too, see as an end to "our form of government". It has not quite happened as yet, but, I don't think it is going to be that much longer. And, it is very tragic that so many appear not to realize that we are in dire straits right now. I am thinking that the "Dumbing Down of America" has been, to some degree, a very successful strategy for those who would prefer to have a passive, repressed population.

Very good point that we need to be our own heroes. I have been afraid to speak out precisely because of the dangers that I now see, and I realize that I can no longer remain silent. Thank you for pointing this out.

This is indeed an amazing group!

[Justpat]

6. .

:hug:

[Why Syzygy]

14. I really wonder about

the people who don't *get it*. That's probably my main problem with the front contenders. You can see many more examples here at DU in the political forums. How can they take it so seriously? They either just have no clue and believe that show is all *real*, or they know and are staging in order to lead others astray.

If someone has not weeped for our country, as I have, then how can I trust them to mend the shatters? This is why Kucinich speaks to us. He so gets it.

[Grateful for Hope]

19. Yes, Kuchinich does get it.

There have been several posters in this group who have said that it is not yet time for someone like Kucinich to assume leadership. I think this is true.

I have hope that "we the people" will be able to exert more and more influence on the direction this country will take as the days and months go by. For instance, one way to exert influence, IMO, is to vote for Edwards in the primaries if this is what feels right. I think this action will send a message to the MSM that we will not allow them to select our candidates for us.

I know what you mean about weeping for our country. I, too, have done my share of this.

[mother earth]

7. I don't know what you posted to Pink Tiger, but I questioned the

spirit of her prediction. My comment might have been better served up to the OP who posed the question, as I do believe it was intended to minimize a good man and to hasten the departure of anyone opposing the ordained frontrunners. I too apologize to Pink Tiger for extending my initial anger toward her.

I do believe we are in the "tipping point" and in whatever way things turn out, a new day will be born.

This is the only part of the board where you can truly enjoy the journey and learn along the way, and it is in no small way due to the spirit of love, honesty and encouragement, even when you stumble. We are all feeling the frustrations of getting out of our comfort zones and finding our way.

[Grateful for Hope]

8. "A new day will be born"

This is a message of hope -- and it is something I needed to hear right now. Thank you, mother earth.

It is always a relief to come to this group after reading some of the rest of the board.

It is also a relief to know that we are not alone on this journey, and that it is shared by so many loving people in this group.

[LaurenG]

13. nt

[PinkTiger]

27. I can assure you, that was not the case.

But thanks for your kind words in this thread.

[stellanoir]

9. Hope thank you so-o-o much for your candor, clarity, and courage.

I too got slightly flippant and snarky last night and was compelled to apologize for it later.

I concur with you and MG and AZ totally as to the multiple collective contributing factors for acute frustration and the lazy illusion of a singular savior, when we all have individual ways in which to contribute in small and huge ways.

Thinking that there's been more over reactiveness and hyper sensitivity than I've witnessed before in this forum of late, I printed up the chart for it this morning which I had not done before though I had already cast it. I'm thinking about posting a thread about it over time.

The progressed Moon is in Cap and will approach the Natal and Progressed Chiron over the next 4-5 months. Since it's already within orb, this is probably why there has been more than usual of the inadvertent hurting the feelings of others of late. We all enjoy the immediacy of interaction on the internet but it opens up the possibility of just spewing, or reacting through hairpin triggers which are often superficial, totally spurious, and often misconstrued.

Still, there have been times I've gotten upset and chosen to draft a response for hours to days in other programs and that seems to help.

I like that at least my snarkiness inspired DemExPat to post a thoughtful thread on the nature of intuition versus projection. That's a great example of redemptive Moon Chiron energies.

Pink Tiger did post that she was traveling this weekend and wouldn't be posting much so she may not see this for a while.

Oh and I owe you an e-mail dear.

:grouphug:

[I Have A Dream]

10. Hey, stella, may we throw Mercury Retrograde in there as well?

I'd think that communication would be more difficult because of it as well.

Thanks for the reading of the group's chart.

[stellanoir]

11. And a newly centered Mars and a still transitional Pluto to boot.

Yikes.

Well that was just one facet of the group's chart.

We're a double Scorpio with Leo rising, with a lovely though wide Jupiter Venus conjunction in Libra, an intense, thought provoking, though also wide conjunction between Mercury and Pluto in Sag, and Neptune on the Descendant.

It's really interesting.

I calculated it for Washington DC because I believe Skinner lives in close proximity.

[Grateful for Hope]

16. Stella

You are such a sweetheart!

I hope you post that thread soon. It would be very helpful in understanding the current dynamics here. Thank you for doing this!

Interesting that you refer to the "lazy illusion of a singular savior". I hadn't thought of that pursuit as laziness, but, I suspect there is an element of truth here. One thing I have been fighting against for a very long time is the tendency to leave our decision making to the "experts", whether these decisions are medical, financial, educational, etc. We have been encouraged to do this, it is true, but, I wonder how much of this encouragement is a direct result of an apparent unwillingness to do the research (and to listen to ourselves) so that we can make our own informed decisions.

Thank you, Stella!

[SeattleGirl]

12. Hope, that is one of the most "makes sense to me" posts I've

ever read on the current state of DU, and the "savior mentality" I see here (not ASAH, but DU in general).

We HAVE been looking for a savior, because we as a country are so lost, and so changed we don't recognize ourselves any longer. We are weary, beaten down, and nearly hopeless after these past 7 years. Sometimes I want to just say, "Forget it. Nothing I do matters. I just don't care anymore."

But you are so right; we need to look inward for that savior, and I think if more people did that, things would start turning around faster than November. However, I think right now, the majority of people can't see that, because of the weight of sorrow and anger they are carrying around. To add to that already heavy burden, the M$M is doing its thing again, marginalizing candidates like Kucinich and Edwards, and "telling" us what our choices are. The Bush Administration (and many elected from the Democratic party) ignore our wishes and do whatever they want, adding even more to the "what does it matter anyway" feeling so many people have. It's difficult, under those circumstances, to find the savior in ourselves; thus, the feeling of ennui continues for many, and for others, they hitch their weariness to a particular candidate, and tell themselves all will be well when he/she is elected. Inevitably, of course, that candidate will disappoint (they ARE only human, after all), and once again, people can be left weary or angry or both.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this; your post just got my mind going, and I'll probably have more to say, but for now, I'll just leave it here.

Thanks for your post. You are well worth listening to.

:pals:

[Grateful for Hope]

17. Wow, SG!

I had forgotten about how our hopes have been dashed since the 2006 elections. There has been a constant string of disappointments...for instance, I remember how shocked I was that Bush was re-elected in 2004. I was SO sure that Kerry was going to win.

I think that maybe we have needed to have these experiences in order to become aware of (or reacquainted with) our own power to implement change.

In any event, thank you for your wise input, and, I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts!





:yourock:

[Dover]

15. Feelin' the power

How can we become empowered?

Everytime we come to those difficult moments of choice we can choose to simply change our own responses and make new choices. Hope, you've just demonstrated that beautifully!
We are all our own heroes when we are authentically ourselves, step up,
take responsibility and use our significant personal powers to completely change something. This is alchemy, this is the power of love for ourselves and others, recognition of our own humanity as well as the divine in ourselves and others. It's really that simple.
Everytime we do that we grow in consciousness, self awareness and open our hearts a little bit wider.
Anyone who has witnessed these kinds of results through their own actions or another's knows the power in it.

Are we empowered? Yes.
If we all do this we will find that miraculously and effortlessly our reality changes. Trust it.

Thank you for the lesson Hope. :grouphug:

[Grateful for Hope]

18. And, thank you for YOUR lesson, Dover!

This group makes it easy to express oneself, and, you are an example of why this is so. Thank you for being a part of this group, and for sharing your wisdom (and beautiful pictures) with us.

O8)

[Bluestar]

20. Wow, Hope, just wow!

I can't tell you how moved I am by your post and the obvious love and good will that is behind it. Also, I appreciate the great energy you are putting out there by provoking the best discussion I have seen here in a long time.

I am the one who brought up the "savior" issue, as it is a question that I posed to my guides. I asked what the attraction was for Obama and why I didn't feel it and the response was "they are looking for a savior". I would like to add a little more to that, if you all will indulge me.

I was told that the response to Obama was evidence of those who were feeling their own power versus those who were still willing to give up their power to a savior. (Remember the great divide--those who would follow the light versus those who choose not to?) This is an indicator of the path we are choosing to take. Let me preface this by saying, not all Obama followers are looking for a savior, but some are (I don't want to judge anyone's choice for president with this statement). I would say those who react to his speeches by fainting, or feel some charismatic attachment to him are definitely in the savior category.

My guide said he was pointing this out to me so that we recognize we have to tap into our own power. For many years on this planet, we have not had the choice to exercise our own power because it was dangerous or impossible to stand up to the Illuminati who had threatened our very lives if we chose to display our own power. But in this lifetime, we all came here to learn the lesson of individual and group power, that no one else's power is more than our own.

He also told me that the reason for the Bush administration was for all of us to begin to understand our own power. (I never like it when my guide tells me that the Bush administration served a purpose, but there it is anyway.) It doesn't matter who is president, the days of suppressed personal power are over. Even if the one we want doesn't become president, or if our system of government collapses, we can still practice our own personal power. We have everything we need to lead productive, abundant lives and to help each other without relying on one leader or another.

[Grateful for Hope]

24. Thank you, Bluestar

I apologize for having overlooked your post.

I am struck by the fact that at least several of us have had similar realizations within a very short period of time. Actually, I am more than struck by this. I am in awe.

I do believe that the Bush administration had a purpose, and, I have felt (strangely, I admit) some empathy for Bush. I have seen pain in his eyes.

You have an amazing ability to connect to your guides. I do not have this ability -- my thoughts usually come in the early morning hours after a night's sleep. I would really appreciate some advice on how to connect more directly.

Again, thank you very much, Bluestar.

[Bluestar]

28. Hi Hope

Thank you for the kind words. As far as being able to connect, I can only relate how I learned to do this.

I started out doing automatic writing. You can look this up on the web. It's relatively easy. You put yourself into a meditative state and then force yourself to write on a pad of paper--swirls, words, anything that comes to you. Don't pay any attention to what is on the page until later, just start writing words. After you come out of meditation, take a look at the gibberish until you can see any patterns or groups of words that make phrases or sentences.

Later, I was drawn to take a hypnosis class. The teacher started out by putting everyone into an "alpha" state as it is the best way to retain information. He put us into this state on Day one and kept us in it all week, reinstating the hypnosis cadence each morning. That's when the floodgates opened. My guides woke me up in the middle of the night telling me my life's plan, describing past lives, giving me future signs and guidance for the future. I think it was being in a meditative state for such a long period of time that opened me up. You can do it too.

Doing the automatic writing sort of signals to your guides that you would like to communicate with them in this way. They will be thrilled!

If you get information upon waking, try having a conversation with your guides before you fall asleep asking them the questions that you want to know. Make a practice of this and see how it goes.

I used to do tape recording, fill up computer files and books with channeling. Now I just sort of have an on-going conversation in my head and I can hear their responses. I also use kinesiology for yes and no answers.

Sending you good energy for spirit guide connections!

Bluestar

[Grateful for Hope]

29. Thank you so much for this info!

Years ago, I did try automatic writing, but, I think I was too impatient with it. I am going to try it again.

I also like the idea of asking questions before I go to sleep. I think this is an excellent suggestion, and, I am going to try it.

I appreciate the energy...thank you!

[PinkTiger]

21. Thanks. You don't know how much better I feel now.

I really do understand the angst. It is so painful, all this. We have been through so much since 2000. We have splintered family relationships, changed our way of looking at the world, and lost faith.
But I also think that we have the opportunity to gain much.
By that, I mean when we take off the rose-colored glasses and start to look at this more pragmatically, we can start to understand how the present candidates (the two left) can play into a better scenario.
And, if Ann Coulter is feeling some angst, we will even take her vote. As for me and my house, we are voting for the Democratic candidate who wins.

I'm beginning to feel better, too. Thanks, Hope. I feel much better now. Let's be friends.

[Grateful for Hope]

23. PinkTiger

Thank you so much for your gracious acceptance of my apology, and for your kind invitation for friendship.

I enthusiastically accept this invitation!

Thank you!

:hug:

[PinkTiger]

26. You are more than welcome!

I'm out of town this weekend and on the Internet only sporadically, but I went to DU immediately to see how the threads are doing. Thanks again -- You are the gracious one.

[Fire Walk With Me]

22. People in fear, and in post-stress burnout, make choices that they would not normally make.

Considering how Machiavellian and systematic BushCo are, I don't put the tactics of sadism and pure negativity beyond them, the knowledge of the creation of such situations to specifically benefit from them. It's called creating causes and conditions. We've long seen people loudly claim a problem in order to push the buttons of fear, and surprise, they then offer themselves as the only hope. Set up, knock down. Like taking candy from a baby. Thankfully this has been overdone enough that we can see it when it shows up (Rudy using "9/11" as a rallying phrase has resulted in some loss of its effectiveness).

In other words, of course we're in stress. We know that we're being herded and manipulated. There is no obvious release for it, which is another tactic of fear.

[rosesaylavee]

25. Are we so much looking for a savior or just

someone we can agree to lead us? It has been soooooo long since there was anyone in a position of power that I actually trusted to lead on a given issue. A true leader will know that he/she cannot do it all by themselves. He/she will lead by pointing the way out of the quagmires we find ourselves in because of the criminals who have been working in their own self interests for the past couple of decades. I firmly believe that each of us has a role to play to keep our democracy. A true leader will harness that energy and use it to better the country and the world. Goddess help us if we don't get a leader that will do that.

[Grateful for Hope]

30. I do think we are looking for a leader

but, it's when the leader is seen as the answer to all our problems that it becomes an issue.

I really like your description of what a good leader should be be, and I agree that this is the type of leader we not only should have, but must have.

[stellanoir]

31. This is a really powerful article about what's required in leadership right now.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william/why-i-recorded-yes-w_b_84655.html

by the guy who put this video together http://www.dipdive.com/

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4383225&mesg_id=4383225

[Grateful for Hope]

32. Thank you, Stella! n/t