JANUARY 2012
This White Eagle teaching for the New Year is all-encompassing; so encouraging and strengthening that we wanted to share it with you. It actually came in the monthly Newsflash from our Mother Lodge, St. John’s Retreat Center earlier this week.
From a White Eagle New Year’s Address:
“Behold I make all things new!” You, beloved family, stand at the threshold of a New Year; which means you have before you fresh opportunities for serving God and helping forward the spiritual evolution of the present age.
You survey the earth and the conflicting minds of humanity and your hearts are sad, or perhaps even full of fear. You wonder what the coming year holds in store. The masters and the lord of Karma who direct the progress of mankind will reveal to hearts which are pure and simple the truth of that future. From these great beings who control and direct the destinies of mankind we bring to you the message for the New Year.
In spite of uneasiness and fear they tell us that the new age is destined to bring a new revelation of God to mankind. Before the coming of this new revelation the heart of mankind must be prepared. The furrows must be ploughed before the seeds can be sown. That plough is even now at work on the earth and some people are finding this process unpleasant because it means a complete revision of preconceived ideas they held concerning their own personal and particular comfort and benefit.
The new age brings to humanity this wonderful and glorious revelation of life in a spiritual sense, a revelation of the brotherhood of spirit. Men and women have to learn that they cannot live for themselves – cannot live to him or herself. They have to learn that every thought and words and deed of theirs affects the whole race. They have to learn also that whatever is gained for self alone cannot be enjoyed, for he or she cannot be happy while his brother man remains in want. For personal happiness depends upon the welfare of all others. This is a hard lesson, which is why much conflict arises while the ploughing of the field is taking place. However, when the first furrow is ploughed the ploughman keeps his vision straight before him, concentrated upon the sign-post towards which he is driving. Therefore this New Year do not be deflected by the opinions and fears of the world, but keep your vision steadily fixed upon your goal; remember that with every passing day fresh opportunities are being offered to you by the lords of karma...
We give you this message as one of hope, and to comfort you. For what takes place in the personal life, the individual and particular life, is taking place in the collective life. That which you see in the world which appears painful is the way that the race must travel. That which you see in the personal suffering of someone is the way that particular soul must travel… as you accept with patience and with sweet surrender the difficulties which you encounter, so will you find flowing into you a great power, which is a light and a life-force which will make all things new… Be consoled and know that God is love, God is wisdom. He looks to His children, to you and to all men and women to live in accordance with his Divine decree. As you do this so will you enter into the perfect kingdom of life…
God be with you. God bless you…all our love to you…”
Trusting that this New Year will bring you deeper insight and wisdom, casting bright light on your path.
Very best wishes from us all at the Ontario Lodge.
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DECEMBER 2011
Christmas Day is almost here!
Last Sunday we held our Christmas Service and welcomed Ray back! It was so good to have him with us again for a short while, ‘in the bosom of his Canadian White Eagle Family’!
One of the carols we sang was ‘It came upon a midnight clear’. The bards of old were very special men. I think you will agree when I remind you of the words of the last verse :
For, lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet-bards foretold,
When, with the ever-circling years,
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient spendours fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.
We shall keep on keeping on to help bring the Golden Age around once more!
In the book ‘White Eagle on Festivals and Celebrations’ there are several pieces on the Christmas Festival, and here is part of one:
"…..At this time of year a heavenly outpouring of love and wisdom comes from the holy and blessed Trinity, Father-Mother-Son, an outpouring to which all men and women will respond according to their sensitivity or degree of spiritual evolution. Each aspect of the Godhead has a particular influence on humanity, on the human spirit, the soul, and the body. And at Christmas time in particular the divine Mother (as well as the divine Child) pours forth the love, the joy and the sweetness of the spiritual life.
For this reason the heart (or human love) in everyone becomes stimulated and there is a desire to think of others, to make contacts which will renew goodwill and kindliness among you all. Never close your heart to this great inflow of light from God at Christmas time………………Every season has its own spiritual significance, but of them all Christmas is the greatest for it binds the human family together as the heavenly family is bound. The light shines from the heavens and enters the cave, the chakra of the heart. There the light gives life to the Child, renews the Christ life. It is not enough that you accept this truth with your mind. You must accept and believe with your whole being.”
From our hearts to your hearts we send much love, and may the magic of the Christ-mass remain with you throughout the coming year.
From all your friends at the Ontario Lodge.
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OCTOBER 2011
Recently, during our Absent Healing Group, we read this inspiring ‘Gentle Brother’ and wanted to pass it on to you in the hope that you will find it inspiring, too. We also hope that you will find comfort and encouragement in White Eagle’s words as we ‘Keep On Keeping On’ together.
THE GENTLE BROTHER
You cannot too often call upon God in your heart. This, my dear brethren, is the secret of your happiness, your joy in service. Even if you are making food, if you are polishing a floor; if you are tilling the ground, watering the flowers – whatever you are doing, even if you are perhaps weary and unhappy, think to yourself, ‘I am doing this for God, not for myself, but for God…God…God’. And your thought of God brings healing to your heart, and healing to the particular condition or person you desire to help.
You think your world is in chaos; but we know that by the help of the many groups at the present time who are discovering God, the reality of life, who are praying to that God for peace and good-will, gradually, step by step (like walking up a ladder, from earth to heaven), humanity is being raised. Humanity is doing a lot of talking and quarrelling, but it is learning, and it is gradually rising above those things of a material nature which are the enemies of mankind. You are gradually escaping from them, you are gradually overcoming your enemies, because you yourself are beginning to see light, truth or in very ordinary language, common sense, which means the sense of right-ness and harmony.
You are never alone. Your need is understood; but every worker, whoever you are … has to undergo tests. This is the secret which you must try to understand. Every worker is faced with many tests. These tests can be uncomfortable and make you very unhappy; but on the other hand, they can bring you strength, they can bring you an increase of spiritual power and love, and so can fill you with indescribable happiness and joy.
Never forget the angel by your side. Hold the hand of love and true humility in your work. ‘Lord, of myself I can do nothing. It is Your life-force within me which does the work, which guides my brain and gives me strength to work manually, mentally, spiritually.’
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SEPTEMBER 2011
Hello, everyone!
The summer has passed very quickly, it seems, and once more we are back in the track and raring to go! Hope your summer was a good one.
We still have a few kinks to iron out on our web site and we thank you for your patience.
Our first Sunday Service of the season will be on September 25th and it will be good to see everyone again. We would love to have you join us for our services if you can.
The groups have started up once more (the Oakville Group continued throughout the summer) and so we are off and running. You are most welcome to join the group of your choice
I think most of you have heard by now that our beloved Lodge Grandmother, Ylana Hayward, passed into the light in the early hours of September 7th. Her passing was peaceful, surrounded by her family. What a wonderful welcome she would have received on the other side! Ylana was very active in the Lodge for 77yrs. She had just celebrated her 95th birthday in August. We certainly miss her physical presence, but know that she will continue to work with us, seeing a lot more clearly now!
Our Mother Lodge in Texas has had a very difficult summer with the drought. Fortunately, the fires did not reach them
Please hold them, and all the state, in the light of the Christ Star.
Thank you for visiting our site.
Good wishes and bright blessings from us all at the Ontario Lodge.
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May 2011
THE DAUGHTER LODGE HAD VISITORS
What a pleasure it is to share the home and countryside we love with dear friends from far away! This we experienced recently when Anne and Austin Bassett, who work at St. John’s Retreat Centre in Montgomery, Texas, came to visit us here in Southern Ontario, Canada. For Anne it was in part a return to places she knew from childhood, and for both of them a vacation and a rest in the bosom of our Ontario Daughter Lodge family.
Nancie Patterson, Anne’s mother, had been an integral part of the Daughter Lodge here from its inception eighteen years ago, and a member of the Lodge before that of course, so that Anne’s tie by birth to us makes her doubly dear.
To say that Austin and Anne are easy guests is an understatement. I had some trepidation when inviting them to stay in my modest, small apartment, yet somehow they managed to fit themselves in and join in my rather staid routines with apparently total ease. They took my lively dog Star to their hearts, and he is still missing them, I fear, as are we all. The advantage to staying in this particular spot is its peacefulness and its closeness to waterfalls, meadows and woods, which I think they enjoyed fully.
Photo: Austin and Anne (right) visit with friends Eda and Dianne in Toronto.
It has been a cool and rainy Spring here, and we were most fortunate to have good weather while Anne and Austin were here, so that they were able to enjoy a day out with Pat at Niagara Falls and then Niagara-on-the Lake, one of our prettiest small towns. While they were there they visited one of Canada’s icons, Tim Horton’s, for lunch. They spent an afternoon with Anna and Karen, having a memorable and rather outrageously extensive lunch at the Mandarin, a favourite Chinese buffet. We all enjoyed a pot luck lunch at Sue and Johnny’s home in Binbrook, which members from near and far attended. We were glad that Austin and Anne were able to share in our Brotherhood Service too. At the end of our visitors’ stay in Greensville Ray came to pick them up, and he drove them to Toronto and then ferried them around for the rest of their vacation in the big city, finally taking them to the airport to fly home.
Perhaps what we all enjoyed the most was the chance to be in Anne and Austin’s company, talking about White Eagle, the teachings, and the Lodge, hearing each others’ experiences and maybe enlarging our understanding of the depth and richness of our Brotherhood heritage. This is not to suggest that we did not laugh often, cry occasionally, and eat too many peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. It was a gift to us that Anne and Austin chose to spend their precious vacation here, giving us much to look back on with delight, and encouragement to keep on keeping on our White Eagle path.
Margaret Rees
May 2011
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THE WESAK FESTIVAL
During the full moon at the time when the sun is in the Zodiacal sign of Taurus, a great ceremony on the higher ether, the higher plane takes place, known by the name of the “Wesak” Festival. We would try to convey something of the glory, the beauty of the ceremony, since souls from all over the earth, both incarnate and discarnate, are drawn to this glad festival of reunion and communion in the Great White Brotherhood; for there in the dawn beneath the great silver moon - indicating the preparation of the soul and the intellect of man - there appears on the horizon a tableau or representation of the Lord Buddha, who might be described as the Golden One, the great teacher who came to this earth to teach man wisdom and love, to teach the significance of silence, patience and stillness of life. There enthroned appears this benign figure clothed in gold, with a radiant aura which extends for miles and indeed over the whole earth; because at that time under special direction this aura goes forth as a blessing over all humanity; and in the glory of that aura can be seen the world teachers of all ages.
Close to the Buddha comes the form of the gentle Jesus, who came in deep humility as a carpenter’s son with the object of teaching earthly minded people how through the true craftsmanship of life they may attain to the glory of the Christ-initiation. Try to picture the scene - picture angelic beings singing and praising God for the glory of the fuller life, the beauty of the worlds invisible. Perhaps in your sleep state, through your aspirations, you may be taken to the Wesak Festival, where you can absorb the rays of the great ones. This power will work out in your life in various ways so that ultimately you will be raised in consciousness and blessed by this outpouring. Through stillness and quietness surrender yourselves.
-- White Eagle
Taken from the Compendium of White Eagle Teaching, Volume IV.
This year the Wesak Festival falls on May 17th.
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After our Absent Healing Service on Monday afternoons, we always read one of White Eagle’s Gentle Brother’s and we particularly loved this one, although every one is a little jewel, and we wanted to pass it on.
THE GENTLE BROTHER
Beloved brethren, we pray that in your hearts you will feel the love and understanding of the Brotherhood of the Star. They bring this to you, dear brethren, because every human being needs understanding. People are so hasty in their judgments. Oh! how quick the human nature is to rise up in judgment – and such judgment is always wrong. But the Master does not judge, he is all-love.
The Master listens to your thoughts. Each one of you vibrates thought, and thought is the most powerful agent in life. Life is the result of thought. As a man thinketh, so he is. Humanity is born on to this earth planet by God’s thought and God’s love for His children, the little sparks of His own life. As your children are born of your love, so all the great family of mankind is born of the love of the Father Mother God. Therefore try to be compassionate and tenderly understanding of your brother. There is so much confusion of thought on earth, but you, as an individual, can do so much to help humanity; you can do so much by being right with God in your own heart. If you are right with God in your own heart you cannot do any other but be right with your fellows. Let a man set his own house in order, then he will no longer judge others. Get right yourself, right with God; put into operation the law of unity and harmony, and in this way you will help your country, you will help the whole world.
God loves us all. God is love. You are part of God. There is no higher gospel, no purer gospel than the gospel of love. Look for the best. Never condemn. Remember that every soul has to learn to recognize God in every form of life. You call life good and bad, but you will learn that all life is one and what appears to be bad, and what you on earth call evil, is really the life of God evolving and causing all that is good to rise to the surface. Think of that, my children, and balance what appears to be good and evil, for both are part of life. Both have their part to play in the growth, in the evolution, and in the salvation of every living thing.
Keep on keeping on and you will get there, you will get there.
We hope it speaks to you, too!
From us all at the Ontario Lodge.
