Your driver, your cook, your secretary, your banker, your chartered accountant, your broker:

wow!

Happy International Womens Day Suchitra, and to all of the wonderful ladies that our part of our intentblog community!

peace

Craig, you missed "the plumber, the electrician, the drycleaner and the wrought iron furniturewala"... :-)!!

Hello Suchrita and Everyone,

International Women's Day, whatever that means you wonder....

well, if we are to look at the conditions of the majority of women in our global community I would have to say......not much.....in third world nations it is still such that women are victims of their sexuality more than not....no education or cheap availability to birth control....living under the dictates of male dominated governments and religions....forced to give birth to their children in the most dire situations...even lacking the most basic of needs, food, water and shelter....in America, here, the land of "gender enlightenment" our presidential race is a very telling story of the struggle women have over a male rival in business or government.....example the female....her credentials more than qualify her for the position of the democratic nominated presidential candidate while her male rival clearly lacks....in his credentials as compared to her's...if anyone truly cared to examine, but her male rival...is younger, cooler, and yes, he can whip up a phrase or two with pizazz that sends "shivers" up and down a listener's body which make the "i love you's" tumble forth from his audience and elevates his standings in the polls...the numbers being know to rise in the double digits overnight..really, this race should have been "shoe in" for the lady...she is that qualified....but, but, but.....of course, his supporters will have none of the ole....gender bias....stuff....as having any meaning at all in this race...but if truly looked at with an "objective eye" the truth is blaring...he lacks...he lacks...he lacks....in comparison to what is needed at this time for this particular job.

so, international womens day is an oh, so, nice...thought...but for women the reality is.. everyday is a struggle to be seen, to be heard, to be respected.

we can veil it all we want but when it comes down to it...men, love men, women love men while women still have a heck of a time loving themselves and each other....

have a great day ruth

correction"

Suchitra....sorry for spelling your name wrong in my comment..ruth

Most women do not have hired help to do all their things for them. What a rude wake-up call to "appreciate your blessings"... by losing them.

But, isn't this the very road of we women to walk?

I'd love to have a cook, house-maid, someone to take and screen my phone-calls, do my laundry, ironing, cleaning, pick up my things at stores, drop things off at the cleaners, and have the finance and time to hire a wrought-iron maker, for a custom-fit patio furniture. And oh yeah, have my own driver..

Yes, you are so blessed.. and perhpas God is having to remind you of them, through their losses..and how most women in the world, live without what you so easily use.

I'd give just about anything.. to be able to cook my child 3 meals a day again... God is showing you this maybe? Cooking for your own child, is an honour, a blessings..a bonding time.

A year to move? Lucky you.. I have 2-3 months from right now.. with no money, so I"ll end up in an unhealthy dangerous poor apartment/neighbourhood..nor hired-help whatsoever, so I'll be robbed by movers again.. cops won't do anything..again; hey..can I borrow your blessings?

Oh yeah, Happy Women's Day..

Suchitra,

I know what you were trying to convey in your post... and my heart goes out to you.. Don’t get bogged down by comments from people who don’t know our culture… who envy hired help but don’t understand the other bigger issues that Indian women face…

I know it must be awful to be asked to vacate your own home – place where you raised your precious daughter…It must be painful to suddenly be asked to live a different life – and for no fault of yours… Its unfair… but you’ll pull through – you always do..

>>Huggs<<
ms

Dear Suchitra,

I happen to have a totally different point of view on International women's day. I believe that every woman has to learn in her life to become responsible for what she does, why she wants to do it and if what she does makes her really happy.

At your age I went through kind of the same experiences and I got my life lessons when I moved with my husband from my birthplace to a little village far away from it, because of him finding a job there. I had two children in the age of 8 months and 2 and a half years.

From one moment to the other I Had to stand on my own two feet: no parents, no friends, no family in the neighbourhood, a husband working full time and me "alone" at home with the kids, more or less becoming a kid with them :)

Neighbours that both had jobs, without children was the reality for me at that moment, so during the day there was no-one to talk to.

It took me 3 years to adapt myself, learning through experience. When the kids went to school, things became a bit more regular and I found some more time for myself.

Then I followed that women's course, where women orientated themselves on society again, cause it was changing quickly during that time and the buzz word was: Emancipation :)

What we were told was totally freeing but what they did not tell us was that it came with much responsibility, something most of us women were not used to as we still lived in a paternalistic society.

So naturally I went "overboard" in my enthusiasm to be "free". I was being lived and I have an impression that you are being lived too.

What you now experience is a warning for you to figure out for yourself what You think is Really important in your life and rigorously get rid of everything that isn't.

I found it in good health and the little things in life that are oh so important, like for instance baking that omelet for your daughter.

And yes, finding a job that brings you the money to provide you and your daughter the basics for a living. Something I did not have to do, which I did so much want in that time, but it wasn't just possible then for me.

You are in a situation that you have to and I do not envy you.

But it is You that has to find things to do in your life that you can take responsibility for and that you think that are valuable.

It is all about your own integrity, You are the most important person in Your life.

And then Women's day will become an everyday normal way of living in Your world. To be happy in Your world, that is the important thing.

Well, too long a reply but I truly hope it will serve you in a way :)

Lots of happinies to you from the heartphone,

Mieke

Sorry international women's day wasn't an idealized day of leisure and enjoyment for you. Hopefully, somewhere groups of women were able to meet and focus on their issues and get some solidarity, even though you were not able to be at such a meeting.

I could go on and on about how many of the things you are losing - cook, housekeeper, accountant, etc are things most of us do without all the time, but I am not going to do that.

Because, the point is, you are in a time of deep transition and change. And I think the chaos is good for you, and I think you will emerge from it a stronger, wiser person - a little more fire on the rough burnishing the diamond, as it were, and all that.

I think that sometimes when the chaos is crashing around us all at once it is hard to remind ourselves of that bigger perspective, and it seems to me that you were reaching for your iPod to help you with that.

To me, the message of the iPod breaking is to remind you that no gadgets are necessary for you to find your inner grounding, even in the midst of chaos.

What stood out to me about the post was two things: 1. your daughter sincerely treasured the fact that you cooked for her - to her it was a supreme symbol of love and caring, and 2. your own mother called you and was not distracted by all your troubles, she just wanted to connect with you too.

So it sounds like the most important women in your world made strong attempts to connect and share their love with you on International Woman's Day.

The chaos of life in transition will be dealt with. I have no doubt you have the fortitude and intelligence to do what you need to to to navigate the changes coming, and as I said, I think it will be good for you in the long run.

What's important is staying connected to the people you love, and with the love inside yourself. Sounds like to me the people you love the most and the existence itself were trying to remind you of this on International Women's Day.

Transitions are not easy. My best wishes to you, and here's also my wish that the changes will bond you and your mother and daughter even closer and make all of you stronger and wiser.

Cheers,

Yogi

Dear North,

I am sure you can find one or two good people in your town that will help you :)

What about the cab-driver?
What about church? You have done so much for them?

Love, Mieke

Hi Suchitra,

I read your blog with a lot of interest. You had a bad day, but I wonder what it has to do with the International Women's Day. Do you mean that all the terrible things you feel happened to you happened because you are a woman? Or shouldn't have happened because you are a woman? I really don't get the connection between all the crying and the "womanhood".

Unless you think that women are victims of all kinds of terrible things that come to them unfairly and out of the blue, just because they are women. In which case I disagree.

I think this can have been one of the best days of your life. Maybe now you will pull yourself out of the meaninglessness you describe and start living for real, in your real power and with your own, real, direction. I hope you do, and wish you well.

Dear North & Mieke,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts in such an intimate and revealing way.

There is nothing sentimental about your answers yet I felt your heartbeat between
the words, even though your replies to a whimsical post are so different, they
made my heart to swell.

Mieke, to write with so much compassion your heart must be steeped in honey of Love.
After all the true Compassion is not towards the poor, but towards the poverty itself,
the poverty of human existence. That's the realization of Christ within.

North, I pray your current situation be resolved in the easiest of ways and may you have
all the blessings to lift your load of your shoulders. Please don't allow yourself to feel
pressed down by the difficulties, you are a very kind and sensitive person, but you are
also wise and strong. This phase will pass sooner than you think.

We celebrate Female power of the Universe every day and every instant, both as men
and women. We shall never know completeness unless we recover the other half in
our own being. The Energy has female quality, and the Source male. All this world
of forms and manifestations comes from Energy and being sustained by Energy.
The Shiva Himself is inert without the Throb of His Shakti.

With Love

igor

I hear ya sWORDSman, I was giving the benefit of the doubt on those ones. Har har . . .

I will move you for free anytime North!!! Knowing my luck as I tried sneaking across the border I would get shot for being a pot smuggler or something . . . Har har

Damn Ruth whoa! Incessant! But I am so scared of unending masses of Muslim (Russian, Chinese, Venezuelan, Mexican, whoever) armies, air forces, navies, etc. (o whoops the Muslims don't have any of those) invading our homeland at 3 AM, and only John Mad Dog War McCain will promise more wars that will keep me safe (and the military-industrial complex extremely well financed and ever growing), many more wars he says even, and considering that the near east is about to go up in flames: my vote is for Armageddon!

You free-loving, queer-marrying, baby-killing, felon-forgiving, unpatriotic liberals are just evil (ask any republican and that is what they tell you: over, and over, and over again)! So better to side with the patriotic mass-murderers than with those damned commie secular humanists . . .

O, but I believe democrats can be, and have been, mass-murderers too, but McCain, Hillary-lite that is, has made it clear he will start more wars!!!!!

Just kidding. Ron Paul or I don't vote at all!

P.S. African-“Americans” and peckerwoods it is time to unite my brothers and show these accursed white people what is really going on: revolution! Yeah baby!

Pax vobiscum

HI Mieke.. it is complicated. It is not exclusive to only my life at all.

I truly have nobody I feel close enough to.. to ask to help? I am just one of hundreds of thousands facing the same issues of constant apartments in duplexes getting sold, and more moving.

Haven't heard from my cab-friend.. most men can't stay friends with a woman long, without sex involvement... know what I mean? : ) I guess he lost interest in being friends without it. lol

Oh well, this is my problem; it will be as it will be...

Love, North

But actually though the last time the United States was "invaded" was during the Mexican-American war. Some say that it is happening all over again; but hey, as the peasant population grows the bottom-up revolution becomes an ever increasing possibility!! Yeah baby!

peace

Dear Igor... every phase passes; and this one cannot pass soon enough to please me(smiles).

Dear Craig.. har har(giggles)

thanks, Suchitra, for the best blog I've read on IB for months and months (and months!!).

it is clearly a moment of change in your life. that wire fire is the roman candle of your future. time to celebrate, indeed -- one never knows what the new something will be, but it just has to be something really great. or some things! maybe including writing a regular column somewhere??

love, h

North!!!!

The power of positive intent sis!!

International Woman's Day can mean different things to different minds.... we have an unlimited amount of freedom here in America that many women around the world have never had and never will.... we are blessed!

Dear Igor,

"Mieke, to write with so much compassion your heart must be steeped in honey of Love.
After all the true Compassion is not towards the poor, but towards the poverty itself,
the poverty of human existence. That's the realization of Christ within"

Yes, you got it :)

I had an undescribable overwhelming experience of "Oneness" when I was 34.

After overcoming all the fears that came with it, it changed my life completely and since then I truly have experienced the fullness and bliss of life and I honestly wish for everyone to achieve this.

I have made a wonderful poem of this, kept it to myself though, but it truly describes Shiva with the Throb of his Shakti. Harb understands completely :)

But you can read much of my experience back in that little poetry book of North and mine :)

Much love,

Mieke

Then there is this link on the feminine resurgence. [Click my name]

Feminine Resurgence, the revolution, a world with a natural balance of power where feminine and masculine embrace and entwine equal in measure. A global resurgence of the divine feminine, a Matriarchal society, with love and nurturing compassion, feminine energy uninhibited and unleashed. Sex , the expression of the life force, touch, the release of natural opiates the tangible symbol of love, and conflict resolution rather than attack and confront. Support (R) evolution, our evolution depends on it. One Being both noun and verb.

"For it is the goddesses that unite soundly; and then bring order to the men and tame the beast." ~Infinite Play the Movie

and to GO BONOBOS

You know Richard, I just started this book containing the "essential writings" of Martin Buber, and I thought of some of your writings for some reason . . .

and that is most assuredly a compliment brother!

peace

Aloha Suchitra

I love how Caroline Myss shares "Jesus wasn 't born at the Ritz."

And North this is from Eckhart Tolle's book A New Earth, on Frequency Holders:

“Others, after the natural expansion that comes with growing up has run its course, lead an outwardly unremarkable, seemingly more passive and relatively uneventful existence. They are more inward looking by nature, and for them the outward movement into form is minimal. They would rather return home than go out.

“Some of them find it hard to fit into this world. Some are lucky enough to find a protective niche where they can lead a relatively sheltered life, a job that provides them with a regular income or a small business of their own.

"In past ages, they would probably have been called contemplatives. There is no place for them, it seems, in our contemporary civilization. On the arising new earth, however, their role is just as vital as that of the creators, the doers, the reformers. Their function is to anchor the frequency of the new consciousness on the planet. I call them frequency-holders. They are here to generate consciousness through the activities of daily life, through their interactions as well as through 'just being.'

“In this way, they endow the seemingly insignificant with profound meaning. Their task is to bring spacious stillness into this world by being absolutely present in whatever they do. There is consciousness and therefore quality in what they do, even the simplest task. Their purpose is to do everything in a sacred manner. As each human being is an integral part of the collective human consciousness, they affect the world much more deeply than is visible on the surface of their lives."

love patty

Touching read Patty..thankyou!! : )
I can see myself in her descriptions : ) not to sound vain or anything; but, I always have been odd-person out, so I resonate.. nice pick of quotes. : )

I'd love to read that book before my eyes go!

Love,
North

# 23 Brilliant quotes Patty, so appropriate. They express completely that condition known to many awakened souls; of being lost to the world, yet being the world's only real supporters. Thank you, thank you.

Eckhart, he is amazing teacher, very accessible yet profound, here is his website: http://www.eckharttolle.com/

# 24 North, recalling your conversation with Simon on the theme of karma & your remarks on the psychic vampires... I agree with you, there are many beings who literally live off the energy of others, especially of those who due to the shedding off the protective layers feel much more exposed to the external world.

Technically, when Prana moves into the heart center, bursting it open, the aspirant becomes a kind of hoover of negativity in the surrounding. Up until the further stage is attained that being is extremely vulnerable to the lower frequency vibrations. It is interesting that precisely at that stage the healing powers manifest spontaneously and often work without the ''consent of the healer''. It is for that reason during the intense sadhanas practitioners advised to spend more time in ashrams and retreats, where the energies are more harnessing. However I know its not always possible, myself I went through that period while being in the heart of London and it wasn't easy.

I am not saying that it is what's happening to you North, but perhaps there is something similar. There are techniques in yoga to protect oneself during that period, consisting of special cleansing practices, bandhas, mudras and pranayama which create a temporary protection. I've practice Prana Vydia (healing) for years and had to learn how to protect myself from all the picked energies while working with people. As you probably know the simplest one is the concentrated salt-both which restores the ions in the body' aura. There are certain protective mantras which are very effective.

You may know all this already, still if you need I can elaborate in more details or post you reference links. Basically you must know, Consciousness when activated in the body moves with unpredictable ( for the body ) waves often ''disregarding'' the safety net of the body, that's why many saints-in-the-making had their nerve tissues burned by too powerful fire of tejas, before the more gentle and soothing juice of the Moon has been issued into the body to make it immune as it were to the external influences. It is vital to nurse the body as the mother nurses the child during that tricky process.

With Love

igor

#25-Igor--very interesting. Thankyou for recognising my comments to Simon about psychic vampirism, as valid!! I would like to read more on this, and thanks for the Tolle website link!

Love, North

North, do you know 'Yoga Publication Trust', Bihar, India ? They've done an amazing work at rehabilitating the true purpose of Yoga both in India and in the West. One of the books: Prana Pranayama Prana Vidya deals with the aspect of prana in depth, and includes useful practices and cleansing techniques. Another book I'd recommend is 'Reiki Healer' by Lawrence Ellyard. There you'll find useful tools how to keep yourself protected.

Before you'll get the books here are most effective ways to cleanse your energetic filed using: Sound, Smell, Stones, Colours. I'm sure you know most of it, still have a look.

Sound: Maharishi Gandharva Veda Music is the best in my view, along with the sound of Rig and Sama Veda recordings when played at your own environment. Basically any mantra recitations, but has to be high frequency ones, ( not the new-age groovy stuff with heavy bass line ).

Smell: Sandal, Basil, Rose, Sage, Cedar. As an incense - Sandalwood, Sage, Cedar. As aromatherapy oils - Sandal, Rose, Basil. Perfume is good if made from natural stuff.

Stones: Rose Quartz is best & least expensive ( has to be charged and cleansed often by sun, moon and by water ). Get yourself a writs or neck rosary, capped in silver.

Colour: best to wear vibrant, like orange, yellow, pink and
reddish if feeling run down and tired. Green, blue and violet is good for restoration and relaxation. White is always good. Never wear black especially on the torso area, as it retains negative vibrations.

Recognize which of your psychic centers is being most affected. Such as, where do you feel discomfort or weariness and learn how to ''close'' the lotus flower of the center, literally by imagining the petals being closed inward. That one is a classic of all psychic healers, when dealing with grosser energies.

Love

igor

P. S. North, my attention is on you, your life will improve dramatically !

# 19 Mieke,

I've sensed that you've tasted the mango, your comments betray you didn't just read about its sweetness in the book. Which year was it ?

Where shall I look for the poetry book of yours and North' ?

May you abide in pure bliss and may others partake in your glory.

Love

igor

Igor, this is wonderful information, thankyou!

I just so happen to have maha mrityunjay and gayatri cd's, and have enjoyed incence scents since the 60's era. : ) The only perfumes I'll wear are: natural musk oil, and natural patchouly musk oil. Sometimes, a vanilla musk. lol

A dramatic improvement would be most welcomed. Sometimes, one is too weak to self-recharge energy. I appreciate the reiki-energization!! : )

Love,
North

Hi Igor,

Well, you sensed rightly :)

7 December 1979, how can I ever forget? :)

I noticed you have a contact email address on your website. I will write you an email and you can mail me your address so that I can send it to you.

You can have a sneak preview of the animated cover at North's myspace site: just click on her blue name hereabove.

Love and bliss to you,

Mieke

Thanks Craig, I went and read a little about that author you mentioned. I had heard the name before, seems interesting and I suppose he also was trying to conciliate various perspectives and perceptions.

It says a lot that about you that you are taking the time to read such as that, rather than the mind fluff that devolves the mind.

Any one wanting to make a little extra pocket money might try this. It is run by Amazon. Haven't looked into it myself would be interested in anyone's experience with it.

HIT stands for Human Intelligence Task. These are tasks that people are willing to pay you to complete. For example a HIT might ask: "Is there a pizza parlour in this photograph?" Typically these tasks are extraordinarily difficult for computers, but simple for humans to answer.

Complete simple tasks that people do better than computers. And, get paid for it. Learn more.
Choose from thousands of tasks, control when you work, and decide how much you earn.

Click my name
www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome

Yes . . .

Really good "stuff" thus far Richard.

peace

HI

I love reading all your posts. Woman's day ! Is it one more day with a label? BTW, belated happy woman's day to you and all the lovely ladies in your family viz. Sunita, Sujatha, Your mom , Kaveri and cuppycake.keep writing

We're all Buberians now! Har har.

Buber rocks!

Yeah Richard the one I read is "The Martin Buber Reader: Essential Writings." Edited by Asher D. Biemann. 2002.

It is rather an easy short (less than 300 pages) read, though quite informative.

And have requested more of his materials.

peace

Something for you, Suchitra.

Maybe this could help to bring back some kind of inspirations to you.

Love, lady...

women's day is perhaps gone.
but what i wana say is....

I salute womanhood now n forever...

Three cheers for all the women on this planet.
godbless...

How many of you would like an International Men's day? It's time we celeberate the Man in us too. Why not?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Men's_Day