“One did nothing-nothing except inquiringly stare ahead, and move one’s hand to one side or the other. The houses, the country side, floated evenly past, yet ones feet remained still and growing every moment colder. And one’s mind , with a queerly mixed detachment, roamed over every field of thought, touched on the old perplexities, worked its way with unhurried thoroughness argued through conversations, conjured up faces and tags of poetry, even feasted on single words, breaking them down into letters and individual sounds and so discarding them. (Excerpt from Emma Smith’s Maidens’ Trip, penned in 1948.)
The Maidens’ Trip is a story about three young English women who take on the work of ferrying coal and other stock up and down the canals in England during the height of WWII. A hard life for any one. Mostly a man’s job supported by his wife and children who all lived in a small cabin upon a narrow boat. I do not do justice to Emma’ Smith’s well written semi- autobiographical tale here. As I have in past blogs regarding other books, I recommend you find a copy of Maidens’ Trip to read.
This month I am taking my first trip since February back to my metaphorical lighthouse, albeit with a mask on and hand sanitizer at the ready. I have strayed too far from my own intuitive journey mesmerized by our national tragedy enhanced by incompetency we have “elected” into office. (November elections, I await with an impatience I once only displayed awaiting Christmas morning! Hell, who am I kidding that special morning still titillates me so!)
Back to the task at hand. Emma Smith’s description of herself, standing at the tiller of her boat, mesmerized by the slow beat of the motor and steady unhurried pace of the bow, perfectly describes for me the beginning steps needed to clear one’s mind. To get rid of your mind’s clutter. Inner silence is my necessary step to enter my inner mind. I note here that the clutter of my mind is very very hard to dispose. I am a memory hoarder.
My Golden Rule to follow while I unthink through this process of shedding my belief constructs while beginning to attune my physical sensing responses, is to feel positive, good, peaceful, open without judgement.But, (you should ask here), isn’t positive or peaceful feelings grown from some seed of judgement? Maybe judgement, but I feel discernment is a better tool. I have written in previous posts about the difference thinking something ( judgement) versus knowing something ( discernment).
If you know positiveness, your perception of your world will change. I have found that to be so true. I find the good, the supportive, the happiness within myself and more easily find that goodness in those of you who surround me.
I know then you can truly hear the meaning of words spoken.
I know then you can develop a consciousness of the energy of people.
I know then you can become more aware of existing consciousness streams
I know then you can lose the restrictive power of your ego.
I know then you can begin to experience power and freedom to BE.
Is this knowing intuition? Can I find it in my mind while I daydream? Or only after I have swept said mind clean of my thoughtless trash?
Mona Lisa Shultz M.D., Ph.D. points out in her book Awakening Intuition; over the eons, the Egyptians, the Greeks and Freud believed that our dreams were our vehicles carrying intuitive insights into our awareness. Whether it was the Gods as the Egyptians believed or as Freud believed, our unconsciousness connecting with us during our dreams, the function of sleep and specifically our dreams are vital to enhancing our intuition. It is not my intention to ever question the Gods or Freud, I am only trying to also enlighten (myself) while awake.
I end this month by repeating here the lines penned by John Milton in Book 1. lines 254 and 255 from his epic, Paradise Lost.
the mind is its own place and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell a Hell of Heaven.
Thank you for reading and stay safe!
Mark