Cycle of Awakening Commences

[omega minimo]

Today "a new yearly Sun-Uranus cycle of awakening commences. Working with Uranus energy permits us to "cut across" the wheel of karma and transcend ordinary conditions."

"This could be deemed a harmonious illumination regarding relationship situations, especially in terms of what we are contributing to them. Remember that self-love, and the lack thereof, underlies all matters of love and money right now."

"As we make these changes or try to, there is the potential for enormous fear to come up, because we have to leave behind the two things that humans depend on most to get through the day — external structure and expectations."

"This is a phobia; it’s a debilitating fear without an apparent cause; neither is there a conscious consequence: “If I think for myself, this will happen.” "


This is perfect (all read after the fact) for leaving behind expectations of being able to "cut across the wheel of karma" and "transcend ordinary conditions" by encouraging others to think for themselves, relinquish "debilitating fear," leave behind inhibitive "external structure and expactations."

My own cycle of awakening is relearning a lesson I thought I already had: behind bluster and fearful bravado, there may not be anything to learn or anything at all. Because people seem "intelligent," they may be bound by convention and peer pressure and fear and unable to tap into their own potential awakening, unwilling to share their current awareness.

We each come to this in our own time, or not.

I do not accept being marginalized by hypocrisy or being limited in shared relationships due to the fear and truncated thinking of "intelligent" people. I accept that those limited by "self-love, and the lack thereof" and unwillingness to "think for themselves" will remain fearful of "opening many social doors and unexpected pathways to new ideas."

I accept the futility of using reason and respect and knocking on those doors, inviting comingling and pointing to the "unexpected pathways to new ideas."

I accept that doing so causes the fearful to dig in deeper and hide behind false bravado.

I accept that they may not -- currently -- have as much to offer as I gave them credit for and I sincerely wish them well.

The sooner the better.

For all of us.

Or not.


http://www.daykeeperjournal.com/calendar.shtml

Saturn and Uranus continue to oppose each other, but the tension is relaxing now, after their second exact opposition (of five) on February 5. Saturn will bring illumination to us on March 8 as the Sun reaches its opposition to it, the culmination of the yearly cycle that began September 3. Four days later, a new yearly Sun-Uranus cycle of awakening commences. Working with Uranus energy permits us to "cut across" the wheel of karma and transcend ordinary conditions.

THURSDAY MARCH 12

The Sun conjoining Uranus today will spice up your life with elements of the unexpected. This is the start of a new yearly cycle of innovation and randomness, so observe and take note of what stands out in your experiences. The continues its sojourn through Libra, making afternoon connections with Venus (by opposition) and Jupiter by trine. This could be deemed a harmonious illumination regarding relationship situations, especially in terms of what we are contributing to them. Remember that self-love, and the lack thereof, underlies all matters of love and money right now.

http://planetwaves.net/pagetwo/2009/03/11/no-room-for-f... /

With the Sun approaching a conjunction to Uranus today, the energy is high, erratic, unpredictable and — if we’re paying attention — brilliantly creative. Whenever you see Uranus prominent in the sky, expect the unexpected. The aspect is exact tomorrow but it’s applying all day today, so it’s in full force and effect.

snip

As we make these changes or try to, there is the potential for enormous fear to come up, because we have to leave behind the two things that humans depend on most to get through the day — external structure and expectations. Those things are Saturn functions, and Saturn (in Virgo) is opposite this amazing conjunction we are experiencing in Pisces. Saturn also represents fear. Saturn in Virgo is the fear to think for yourself, one of the most important boundaries that we have in life. This is a phobia; it’s a debilitating fear without an apparent cause; neither is there a conscious consequence: “If I think for myself, this will happen.”

With this Uranian, imaginative energy running so high, I suggest you ask yourself just what you’re afraid of and why. I think that fear needs to be a conscious act, so that we can consciously choose whether we want it, and decide if it’s helping us in any way. Do we really have room to waste our lives paralyzed by fear? And while it’s possible to get over fear on paper, in theory and in the therapy room, can anything really do the trick except for taking action and seeing something constructive or creative happen as a result? Getting over fear requires taking a risk.

In other news, the Moon ingresses Libra at 2:45 pm EDT. The first thing it does will be to square Pluto in Capricorn, so this takes the relational energy of the Libra Moon and turns it introspective. If you can go there for real, then the next thing that happens is a series of trines to all those planets in Aquarius over the next two days, opening many social doors and unexpected pathways to new ideas.


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The mere prescence of a thread on a topic deemed "woo" by the self appointed arbiters of What DUers May Discuss OR NOT!!!1111!! is irrational, self righteous, info free, one liner attacks; delivered with the attitude of "what did you expect, you deserve to be attacked." preventing anything resembling discussion and shutting down and/or locking threads other DUers are interested in. This rabid zealotry appears as knee jerk and ignorant as any of the religious fundamentalists the science fundamentalists criticize.

Perhaps there are too many here who didn't grow up with or have access to the wealth of science fiction that inspired -- and continues to -- exploration of ideas and imagination, including science and futuristic technology, that peaked in the 70's/80's and went off a cliff with the rest of our culture after. It still exists, but the media masters like to regurgitate old ideas and not so much with the support of new voices/artists/writers that don't have Sure Thing written all over.

Even the comment that "so it's only a miracle if we'd predicted that this particular organism was going to be the result" seems like short-sighted and truncated thought. It's this limited scope of the possible, the willingness to shut down imagination and vision, including the inevitable merging of old ideas with new; and previous concepts thought separate seen with new awareness of interconnections.

Aren't scientists still looking for The Theory of Everything?

The Watchmen is from an old comic. A classic of superhero/scifi/fantasy. Using this as an example of "woo" is just sad and again, a bizarre truncation of imagination, literary process and awareness of metaphor or -- evolution.

"One of the between-chapter pieces is an essay on the political significance of Dr. Manhattan. In this fictional piece, the fictional scientist/author matter-of-factly refers to the increasing similarity between quantum mechanics and Taoism. This is a favorite trope among woo-thinkers, especially those who like to use nifty-sounding scientific jargon to validate their nonsensical claims about vibrations and perception and all of that."

This "favorite trope" that you have a prejudice against has been studied and written about extensively, including by scientists and integrative thinkers. The complete bias and dismissal of ALL the ideas and contributors is bizarre, limited and again, overly zealous to be credible.

And did it ever occur to you that something you haven't experienced is possible anyway? Where would science be if that sort of openmindedness was totally shut down by hidebound thinking? In fact, science doesn't have the same prejudices that the attack squad on DU perpetrates. It's amazing to me how self righteous people are about dismissing so much of human experience and thought from their vocabulary and pool of potential ideas.

"Later, in the discussion between Laurie and Dr. Manhattan, the good blue doctor laments his wish to witness a "thermodynamic miracle," and event so unlikely as to be functionally impossible, such as oxygen spontaneously turning into gold. After a lengthy debate, Dr. Manhattan decides that every human life, arising from a vast series of improbable events, is statistically equivalent to such a miracle, and this is of course nonsense. Some event was going to happen at the end of that series of events, so it's only a miracle if we'd predicted that this particular organism was going to be the result. Dr. Manhattan, supernaturally intelligent and transcendently wise, nevertheless makes a mistake that should have been covered in STAT 101. This, too, plays into woo-thinking in general but also to Creationism in particular, which has long favored the "fine tuning" argument, which proceeds along much the same lines."

It's a comic dude. It's a fantasy. It's a metaphor. It's literary. It's imaginative. It's all the things that transmit culture and ideas that may or may not be "verifiable" to satisfy the stubborn demands of those who have lost touch with that aspect of being human.

There are two ways to live -- as if everything is a miracle, or as if nothing is.

A lot of science fiction become fact become movie become technology would be impossible if the visionaries listened to the haters.

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please reread (or read, if you haven't) the posts in the spirit intended or at least try to comprehend:

"It's amazing to me how self righteous people are about dismissing so much of human experience and thought from their vocabulary and pool of potential ideas."

"I advocate for an end to the bigotry and bullying because I do have "knowledge or interest in the scientific method," and interest in the potential of DUers to learn from each other, find common ground or at the very least follow "DU Rules based on respect." "

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Excuse me

It is your rabid and unfounded accusations that are inflammatory here.

As for "belonging here," I can discuss these matters in a respectful manner. Can you?

I am responding to an OP here and advocating for real discussion where we share ideas and not shoot down topics, ideas or DUers in a knee jerk manner.

I used a word "Indigo" and the pile on was so immediate and extreme that no one on DU can legitimately claim to know what I "believe in" or think about the topic, b/c I never had the opportunity to say so.

One problem with the pile ons is that it perpetuates misunderstandings and misrepresentations, such as the false accusations you are making.

For those reasons, what I actually said was,

"This rabid zealotry appears as knee jerk and ignorant as any of the religious fundamentalists the science fundamentalists criticize."

To say it "appears" that way is not an indictment, it's a fact and isn't it ironic. Anyone not doing that doesn't need to froth at the mouth about it. Anyone who is and considers themselves "rational" and science based might consider the possibility that "This rabid zealotry appears as knee jerk and ignorant." (take note it was not directed at a person but generalize, in case you missed that).

There are a lot of smart and interesting people here. Fighting seems rather pointless.

And of course you're aware that "Woo" is insulting and derogatory, a new slur.

edit:
and as someone else in the thread pointed out:

"...it so hard to debate woos rationally."

You don't even try around here. A few insults, then a blanket dismissal.....that's it. End of discussion.

And then Burn The Books!!

[MagickMuffin]

1. I certainly understand your frustration

with trying to conduct an honest discussion within the DU community. Funny thing is, I thought DU was ALL about discussion since this is a discussion board. But apparently there are some topics that are off limits here.

I don't have the skills to be very effective in helping to elevate your topics, since they are always met with such hostility. I never have been very good at trying to get my points across.

The thing that bothers me the most about the naysayers is: would they have been the very same people who claimed the Earth is flat, that the Earth was the center of the Universe, that there is no such thing as gravity, that penicillin was not good for anything, that you can't turn grapes into wine, the list goes on and on.

I commend you on trying so hard to get people to think, to use their imaginations, to wonder about the possibilities, instead of fighting with you because there is "no proof" to any of the topics you try to engage them in. I suppose that's why I only like to address these topics in the ASHA forum, because we are like minded, and even if we don't believe in everything that hasn't been "proven" we still are open minded enough to discuss the topics without getting snarky, rude or hateful.

I'll check out the links you provided.

Namaste

:loveya:

[omega minimo]

2. Thank you MM

It's my lesson to finally get that bullies really are afraid. "Willful ignorance" may not be willful after all.

And yes, their earth is flat.

So be it.

:hug:

[MorningGlow]

3. 'Twas always thus

As MM referenced--the earth is flat, etc. There will always be the naysayers. Why? I have some ideas.

Personal story: When I was a senior in college, I got a fantastically low number in the dorm room lottery. With that number, I could nab a large room in the best dorm on campus. The friend I had been living with for the previous two years and I were sick of each other, so I was going into this choice dorm alone. I had the option of finding someone else I knew to be my roommate or sign up for the room alone and take a chance that I might or might not end up having a transfer student placed with me. I was all for going with the unknown (adventure!) but a girl I knew through my Greek program asked if she could live with me. She seemed all right, if fairly quiet and shy, so I said sure, why not?

In the first couple of weeks of the new school year we were sitting on our beds, having a conversation, and it somehow segued into the idea of reincarnation or something similarly esoteric. I thought talking about it was cool, so I eagerly laid out my thoughts on the topic, hoping for wholehearted agreement but willing to engage in a healthy debate--a respectful exchange of ideas and analysis of each other's beliefs. Instead, she sat stiffly on the end of her bed, her hands on her knees (gods I can still see her, and here it is more than 20 years later) and didn't say much. Eventually she stammered out the best Freudian slip I've ever heard: "I...I prefer not to think about things like that. I prefer not to think."

And there it is. 'Twas always thus. 'Twill always be thus. As long as you're cool with that fact, then once more unto the breach, dear OM! :hug:

[omega minimo]

8. Why

shine a light "into the breach"?

:grouphug: :pals:


I had a similar experience with a friend whose beliefs were rigid and fundamentalist. At least we were able to have the conversation about our spirituality respectfully -- once.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. I've found the deeper I get into spirituality,

the harder it is for me to argue "rationally"--experience of That has a way of making the other seem-unreal, I guess. I sympathize with your frustration--I have faced it, and finally come to the realization that these people are walking a far different path than I am, and literally can't see where I am coming from a lot of the time. I do, every so often, attempt to show them another way of thinking--some "get it" and others don't--and I guess that is the way of the world.

An interesting thing I do sometimes is just come here, rather than the main DU, hang out for a while--after all, ASAH is a positive place--and then go to the main boards, just to see where the mind of DUers is traveling. Oh, the paths are quite interesting, each unique! Those who dismiss spiritual folk with names do so out of fear--so observe and let them be.

[omega minimo]

6. all good

All good advice in the replies here and always in your much appreciated words, ayeshahaqqiqa.

Yes, I am at the point of "observe and let them be." The lost opportunities and pointless bickering may be the hypocritical "just the way it is."

"I do, every so often, attempt to show them another way of thinking--some "get it" and others don't--and I guess that is the way of the world."

Unfortunately, the ignorant bigots "degrade the discussion for everyone." I'll bet there are many more here who do "get it" and lurk and/or are intimidated to post.

Other reasons the "observe and let them be" may be accepted AND unacceptable is the violations of the bigotry, the bigotry it perpetuates (just saw a Soccer Mon/Treehugger commercial for some safe cleaning product they both -- women of course -- like to use) and the crucial issues that are not discussed openly because of the bigotry.

In fact, there it is: A "Treehugger," a "normal" Conspicuous Consumption addict, women doing housework or out being "weird" in the forest alone (of course), issues of health, safety, for our bodies, planet and young ones, all the imagery of crucial justice, health, community, planetary, spiritual, hierarchy, economic issues that are all tied together; in service to a product that even bigoted big business can't deny is what more of the people want now.

It's pathetic too that all these ideas, images, products were in play 30 years ago, that the nation went with all the cliched thinking in the direction of conspicuous consumption and away from responsible awareness; now the country is screwed and NOW they're recycling ideas to sell women non-toxic cleaners...

Even when ideas are 30 years ahead of your time, there's those who want to be 60 or a 100 years behind the times.

So be it.

The behavior may be "the way of the world." It's the hypocrisy that's impossible to accept.

[LaurenG]

5. The only thing I know is that I have never done much more than hurt myself

by trying to clarify my reality to people who haven't experienced what I have. I had a disturbing personal change during the primaries and it opened my eyes to show me that I was capable of just as much short sighted and closed thinking as the next guy. I became that which I feared and walked in that reality for several months. Since I started to face those things in me and nurture myself in spite of my unease I have found that it is really very easy to let go and just love people where they are. I had to do the same for myself so I figure I can do no less for others.

Keep shining your light and have no expectations, it's the most positive way forward that I have found.

:hug:

[omega minimo]

7. Well put

"I had to do the same for myself so I figure I can do no less for others."


That allows you to be aware that we all make mistakes, have a range of experiences and a learning curve; that if we get caught in our own assumptions and learn from that, we can accept others... I tend to want to encourage them to stop being so rigid, tho, when stuck in a black and white mode, with no grey.

"Keep shining your light and have no expectations, it's the most positive way forward that I have found."

I won't expect smart people to be rational or integrated with their own self righteousness.

A reasonable expection would be the ability to have discussion unmolested by those who object to anyone shining a light they don't control.

[LaurenG]

9. I normally just sit back and watch.

Some of us are much better at pushing the envelope than others. I am not good at some of the things you are, I don't do nearly as well as you do and so I can only encourage you to follow your heart while you do what you're here to do.

[omega minimo]

10. Help me

choose b/w 2 new siglines:

"I apologize ahead of time for being thought provoking"

OR

"I like my science fiction hard" :rofl:

[LaurenG]

11. it's got to be "I like my science fiction hard"

!! :rofl: !!

[omega minimo]

12. So be it

[omega minimo]

13. In all this time

right at the moment that my insistence that smart people have more to offer than bullying one liners with no back up info was rewarded with some interesting discussion by supposed adversaries, breaking though the cliches and misconceptions, acting like humans and not screen personas; at that moment a former ally in another subgroup arrived to knock down every building block, kick sand on the progress, drag in old posts from this group, strangle and flame and lock the thread (which is what the complaint against bullies and the "woo" slur refers to) and then go completely, insanely, viciously over the edge.

Amidst a bunch of illegally lifted postings from this group, ignoring what had been said, corrected, restated to avoid this sort of knee jerk hostility and accomplished in the current discussion, the perpetrator included quotes which are not mine as if they were, associating me with something someone else posted that offended another subgroup on DU.

This is damaging not only to me but to DU. It is insanely inflammatory and it is truly heartbreaking.

This is the most vicious, hateful, inflammatory and intensionally damaging act I have ever see on DU.

I was wrong. This is a place where some people come to balkanize and act out disembodied fantasies of power, feeling good about knocking others down.

I was right, there is much more potential here.

I am heartened that one or more former "adversary" did open up to have a bit of discussion. And that for some, there IS something behind the attitudes and one liners.



Qouting myself:


I'm interested in the "discussion of issues related to skepticism, science and pseudoscience, and the role of rationalism in society."

I'm skeptical of this false assumption:

"If you want to have the discussion of skepticism VS. belief, you are in the wrong place."

That's fine then, since I said nothing of the sort. I was interested in the topic, a sci fi comic book, and the concept of it being "woo," a derogatory term causing a lot of dissension (intentionally and unnecessarily) on DU.

I'm skeptical of not being allowed to enter the group respectfully and post on an OP topic of a movie/comic book -- and attempt discussion of culture, sci fi, imagination, metaphor, etc. that surely some "skeptics" are interested in or aware of.

I'm skeptical of a three letter word being used as a slur and code for unquestioned attitudes, intended to marginalize and alienate us.

I'm skeptical of groupthink and prejudgment by those who are "rational."

I'm skeptical of intelligence and science that is not openminded.

I'm skeptical of the defensive and offensive attitudes of many debunkers.

I'm skeptical of being prejudged in a generic lump of others' projections/misrepresentations based on nothing that I have ever claimed.

I'm skeptical of a system that prefers Twittering to the scientific method of testing different points of view and considering new possibilities.

I'm skeptical of leaps of faith based on buzzwords leading smart people to attack others.

I'm skeptical of this lie:

"It seems pretty obvious that you are trying to pick a fight with the regulars in this group."

I'm skeptical of this attitude:

"Groups are NOT for picking fights, forums are for picking fights."

"Forums are for picking fights"? Oh really? So they're not for DISCUSSION, they're for "picking fights."



A classic of superhero/scifi/fantasy. Using this as an example of "woo" is just sad and again, a bizarre truncation of imagination, literary process and awareness of metaphor or -- evolution.

It's this limited scope of the possible, the willingness to shut down imagination and vision, including the inevitable merging of old ideas with new; and previous concepts thought separate seen with new awareness of interconnections.

Where would science be if that sort of openmindedness was totally shut down by hidebound thinking? It's amazing to me how self righteous some people are about dismissing so much of human experience and thought from their vocabulary and pool of potential ideas.




I'm skeptical of anyone who pretends to know what I "believe". Especially if I'm not allowed to say it.

:cry: :thumbsup:





And tonight, I'm skeptical of the intentions of anyone who would flame, misquote, accuse of being a troll and intentionally associate another with quotes of someone else, known to be offensive to a subgroup, essentially character association and fuel for future flamefests by those who don't understand the lie being perpetrated.

Beyond skeptical, the proof and evidence is in the viciousness and closemindedness, that some individuals perpetrate their atttitudes and prevent meeting of minds. It is truly horrifying.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

14. I'm so sorry this happened to you!

So many don't realize how their words can wound and hurt. I remember one time coming to DU to get away from a personal situation that had me very depressed. I posted a question in GD--can't even remember what it was--hoping to get an interesting discussion started that would distract me from my personal pain. What I got instead was total ridicule by several posters who probably thought it was "cute" or "smart" to make comments about my question. What they will never know is that it drove me deeper still into depression to the point of wishing I were no longer alive. Some kind friends were able to pull me out of my funk, (THANK YOU) and it was quite a while before I felt like starting a thread.

Ever since then, my view of DU has changed. Overall, it is a fairly good place to come and to get news, but it is also a place where people of varying amounts of maturity come -- and their motives for coming aren't always mine.

It is very easy on the Internet to be careless with your words and opinions, not thinking about their impact on others--after all, unless you tell them, no one knows who you are. And yet, to me, it is an interesting test of character to try and act the way you would if they personally knew you and were looking at you face to face. Omega, you are the kind of person I'd love to chat with down at our local coffee shop, for I know we would communicate as much in the silences between sentences as we would with our words. Realize that there are folks who do connect with you out there. Don't suffer from those whose words are hurtful--shine you light, and those words and attitudes go back to their source tenfold.

[omega minimo]

15. It works against all. What a waste.

It's shocking and hurtful to witness how vicious and insane some want to act. And how ignorant/afraid bullies are.

However, the larger loss is for the board or forum or group or community or democrats or whoever, where "respect" is a word and bullies disrupt; where certain topics are protected and others thrown to the pigs, along with any pearls of wisdom that might have been lost in the pigshit or withheld by lurkers who don't want the poo flung at them.

There are a lot of smart people here, who in face to face or rational discussion might back up what their words -- including disruptive one line insults -- with info/ideas, rather than just taunt and shut down discussion b/w others. Even in disagreement, with respect, some discussion would be possible. Might even learn from each other.

There are a lot of mindless macho behaviors, enabled by the disembodied posts, that "degrade the discussion for everyone" and underscore who and what our common cause and common antagonist really is.

When people are ready to face it.

Meanwhile, tossing pigshit in the pool of ideas is more entertaining for those too immature/macho/bullied themselves to face the truth.