Another Year of Possibility
New Year’s Day always brings with it a mixture of emotions and feelings – a curious sense for what may happen, a dread of the unpleasant, a chance to make new resolutions, a feeling of guilt already at not keeping those resolutions.
Today packed a new wallop – a class in crystal ball gazing. I always used to just toss this sort of thing off as a bunch of bullshit, but some aspects of it took on a new light today. The class was led by someone who has practiced divination for a long time. Her first advice was to trust your instincts if you are ever in doubt about what to do. She had each of us set an intention for the year, much as we set an intention before practicing yoga. Then we each gazed at the ball we had brought to class. I fully expected it to be totally blank. Instead my observations moved slowly from the crossed hairs of the natural crystal to an incredible mouth that kept opening and closing as I moved the ball slightly. I concluded my initial look with the revelation that there was oh-so-much more to see in that ball than I ever would have imagined.
During class we paired up with another student in class to read for each other. I quickly realized that the important part is not the actual things you see in the ball, but the conversation that ensues between the reader and the subject of the reading. It was absolutely fascinating how perfect strangers could come to know so much about each other so quickly, and how very right we were about each other.
My year which usually starts out totally blank already has several significant landmarks along the way:
– An interfaith dialogue between a small group from Temple Micah and a group of mostly African Americans from a Baptist church in SW Washington. Our next assignment is a one-page “essay” on what holiness means to us. My son’s response of course was “How can you describe holiness if you don’t even believe in God?” I have some ideas that are simmering while I formulate exactly what to write, and I most definitely do believe in God.
– Another couple of classes with our newest Rabbi Toby on “Spirituality” and “God”, both weighty topics.
– A group trip to Israel in March with our Rabbi Danny.
– A Torah reading in the summer with my new-found friend Lynn Bonde.
– Being in charge of the high holiday services at Temple Micah (along with a co-chair I certainly hope). ENOUGH RELIGION!
– Ongoing music with Deborah (my bass-playing friend) and our coach Bill. We are certainly not ready for prime time by any means, but we are so much better than when we started last May.
– Another week at Chautauqau, this time not with my neighbor Bill but with my husband – such a novel idea! Deborah and I will practice our asses off while David and Neal take in all the lectures during the day.
– A trip to Provence with our friends Kris and Bill in October. We’re renting a house near a national park for two weeks, where we can bike around, do wine-tasting, and smell the incredible herbs of Provence all around us.
– Maybe a Blogger weekend somewhere along the way, where the varied DC Blogs community can come together for an intensive period to pursue common interests about the technology, ethics, and possibilities of Blogging.
I’m tired already and this is just January 1st!
There is this little health obstacle in January that I will be so happy to get beyond. After that I intend to take on the world with gusto. I want to work hard to pursue the many friendships I have initiated over the past year, while maintaining the old gems of the past. Where I had anxiety over making friends this time last year, I now have renewed confidence and proof that it can happen. Other than health issues right now, I really don’t have a lot of worries. Instead I have reason to believe that ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN and it will. I fully expect 2006 to be the best year of my life. My crystal ball didn’t indicate anything to the contrary!
Today packed a new wallop – a class in crystal ball gazing. I always used to just toss this sort of thing off as a bunch of bullshit, but some aspects of it took on a new light today. The class was led by someone who has practiced divination for a long time. Her first advice was to trust your instincts if you are ever in doubt about what to do. She had each of us set an intention for the year, much as we set an intention before practicing yoga. Then we each gazed at the ball we had brought to class. I fully expected it to be totally blank. Instead my observations moved slowly from the crossed hairs of the natural crystal to an incredible mouth that kept opening and closing as I moved the ball slightly. I concluded my initial look with the revelation that there was oh-so-much more to see in that ball than I ever would have imagined.
During class we paired up with another student in class to read for each other. I quickly realized that the important part is not the actual things you see in the ball, but the conversation that ensues between the reader and the subject of the reading. It was absolutely fascinating how perfect strangers could come to know so much about each other so quickly, and how very right we were about each other.
My year which usually starts out totally blank already has several significant landmarks along the way:
– An interfaith dialogue between a small group from Temple Micah and a group of mostly African Americans from a Baptist church in SW Washington. Our next assignment is a one-page “essay” on what holiness means to us. My son’s response of course was “How can you describe holiness if you don’t even believe in God?” I have some ideas that are simmering while I formulate exactly what to write, and I most definitely do believe in God.
– Another couple of classes with our newest Rabbi Toby on “Spirituality” and “God”, both weighty topics.
– A group trip to Israel in March with our Rabbi Danny.
– A Torah reading in the summer with my new-found friend Lynn Bonde.
– Being in charge of the high holiday services at Temple Micah (along with a co-chair I certainly hope). ENOUGH RELIGION!
– Ongoing music with Deborah (my bass-playing friend) and our coach Bill. We are certainly not ready for prime time by any means, but we are so much better than when we started last May.
– Another week at Chautauqau, this time not with my neighbor Bill but with my husband – such a novel idea! Deborah and I will practice our asses off while David and Neal take in all the lectures during the day.
– A trip to Provence with our friends Kris and Bill in October. We’re renting a house near a national park for two weeks, where we can bike around, do wine-tasting, and smell the incredible herbs of Provence all around us.
– Maybe a Blogger weekend somewhere along the way, where the varied DC Blogs community can come together for an intensive period to pursue common interests about the technology, ethics, and possibilities of Blogging.
I’m tired already and this is just January 1st!
There is this little health obstacle in January that I will be so happy to get beyond. After that I intend to take on the world with gusto. I want to work hard to pursue the many friendships I have initiated over the past year, while maintaining the old gems of the past. Where I had anxiety over making friends this time last year, I now have renewed confidence and proof that it can happen. Other than health issues right now, I really don’t have a lot of worries. Instead I have reason to believe that ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN and it will. I fully expect 2006 to be the best year of my life. My crystal ball didn’t indicate anything to the contrary!
posted by Barbara at 8:07 PM
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