Quiet yourself.
Reach out with your mind’s skillful hand.
Let it go inside of me
and touch
God.
Don’t
be shy, dear.
Every aspect of Light we are meant
to know.
St. John of the Cross
The night sky has been clear for the last several days. As the sun vanishes on the horizon, glorious oranges and pinks give way to the purplish vastness of twilight. And then comes the steady radiance of a planet or two followed by the emergence of star after star.
With the moon being new, the stars are literally the stars of nighttime. They have no competition from the lunar glow, and shine brightly in the cloudless sky. As constellations begin to take shape, I am reminded of the saying “as above, so below.” Or, “as without, so within.”
For me, these starry nights offer several luminous messages, beginning with equanimity, togetherness, spaciousness, and interconnectedness. The backdrop of the infinite openness of space is enriched by the presence of each individual star holding its own light without stealing from the other. Instead, their proximity to one another creates celestial forms echoing the dynamic and interdependent web of earthly beings, e.g., humans, animals, and birds.
The “twinkle” of the stars offers another insightful message, which is that things are not always as they appear. While the sky appears to be filled with sparkling jewels, the glistening is an illusion. A star’s light is refracted as it passes through the turbulence of the earth’s atmosphere. This distortion gives the starlight the appearance of “twinkling.” A similar phenomenon happens with my perception as it gets skewed by the churnings of my mind.
Perhaps the most humbling message is the call to invoke brightness in the midst of instability and change. And, to trust that behind the churnings is a steady light that can be known when the mind is cloudless, i.e., peaceful and clear. As St. John of the Cross reminds us, we are meant to know, and have the capacity to know, the light that lights up all the world. May we all turn toward the heavens during this upcoming season of light.
Practice
This short practice fosters awareness of our connection to the universe.
Prepare –
- Turn your phone and any other devices to airplane mode.
- Find
a quiet and comfortable place to sit.
- If you are on a chair, place the soles of your feet on the floor.
- Cover
your eyes with your hands.
- Allow your thumbs to rest on your temples. Lightly touch the tips of your little fingers between your eyebrows and the tips of your index fingers slightly above that (near the area known as your “third eye.”
- Invite ease into your eyes and breath.
- Release and relax your hands into your laps. Allow your eyes to either be softly closed or in a gentle gaze.
Practice –
- Bring awareness to the area where you were resting your little and index fingers. Imagine that area is an open window.
- Inhale
- Imagine as you inhale that a light is emanating through that “window” area on your forehead and reaching into the entire universe.
- Exhale
- Imagine as you exhale that a light is shining through that “window” area on your forehead and expanding into your skull and nervous system.
- Continue for several smooth and easy breaths.
Transition back into your day –
- Sit quietly for a few moments.
- When you are ready, return to your day.
This quote translated by Daniel Ladinsky appears in Mala of the Heart: 108 Sacred, page 106, edited by Ravi Nathwani and Kate Vogt and published by New World Library. Photo by Isaac Mehegan. HEARTH is posted each new and full moon. KateVogt©2019.
