"If all the beasts
were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon
happens to man. All things are
connected.”
Chief Seattle
I was walking with my dog through Valley Forge Park when I came upon a Red-tailed Hawk. He was a beauty. Fully mature, I could see the sunlight shining through his red tail feathers as he sat perched on the branch of a tree. I stopped and it appeared he was staring down at me. My walking companion, Cody, was running around chasing leaves making quite a racket but even so, the hawk continued to peer down, studying me for what seemed a lifetime.
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| An encounter in the Park |
A friend of mine, a healer and Shaman, once told me the Red-tailed Hawk might be my Animal Spirit. She said any animal that appears in your life with regularity is visiting to share some kind of message. Last summer, a family of Red-tailed Hawks nested near our home. I saw them almost daily, riding the thermals above our hollow, even once catching sight of the youngsters locking talons in mid-air.
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| The Red Eagle |
The Pueblo Indians referred to these beautiful creatures as “red eagles,” high flyers that could see the Earth clearly from great heights due to their exceptional vision. The Native Americans believed their acute eyesight (four times stronger than man’s) enabled them to see what the future held as they soared unseen currents in the sky. They credited the red eagle for being a Visionary, able to see the larger perspective and to discern what is most important.
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| The only known picture of Chief Seattle, 1864 |
Chief Seattle, leader of the Duwamish tribe, for which the Washington city gets its name, believed: “Whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man.” On December 7, 1972, a crew member of Apollo 17 took the famous “Blue Marble” photograph of the Earth. While other shots of the Earth became available as early as 1967, this was the first time our planet was photographed in its entirety, and is considered the most widely distributed photograph in human history.
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| Blue Marble, December 7, 1972 Apollo 17 |
A short film called Overview was just released in February chronicling the experience of the astronauts in space. Based on the term coined by Frank White in 1987, “The Overview Effect” is the cognitive shift in awareness reported by some astronauts while viewing the Earth from orbit or the lunar surface. The astronauts share their awe-inspiring, and sometimes life-altering experience, of seeing our planet from a cosmic perspective.
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| Aurora Australis |
This shift
in perspective came to the men and women of the Apollo missions and the International
Space Station crews that followed, with the profound recognition of how
indescribably beautiful, vital and fragile our planet truly is, with “nothing
but a thin layer of atmosphere protecting us from the certain death of space.” Their
experiences, symbolized by the Vision of the Red-tailed Hawk, describe a unique context that comes with being “above it all,” as opposed to being “among it.”
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| Brazil from Space |
Interestingly, the “Blue Marble’” photograph was almost an afterthought, with a crew member randomly grabbing an unpacked Hasselblad and taking the shot. Our “race to space,” like so many things we humans do, was so external and outward facing, we didn’t realize until much later that the opportunity to look back at ourselves might have been the most important reason for going there in the first place.
My recent visit
with the Red-tailed Hawk has been an invitation to look back at myself with a greater perspective. What is most important to me now? How do I want to live? What can I contribute?
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| The Bahamas from Space |
As spring approaches, it will soon be time to get back into my summer studio. I am thinking about exploring these emerging themes in my artwork: How can the objectivity of distance create a greater knowledge, and intimacy, with myself?
I invite
my readers to watch the film Overview,
and welcome you to share any comments or reflections about “The Overview Effect” in your own life.
“The way is not in the
sky. The way is in the heart.”
Buddha
So, just before I read your blog post, Mike and I were, having, yet another disagreement, about the mundane things in our life, that we have somehow allowed to become the focus of our days. Why don’t the kids clean their room? Why aren’t the grades higher than they are? Why do we need to ask for compliance of simple tasks, over and over? Why is there never time to enjoy our life?
ReplyDeleteMike is very bothered by what he sees as a systemic issued in the family: failure to plan, failure to execute, failure to stay consistent, etc. I used to feel the same way. However, somewhere, around three or so years ago, I began to see the bigger picture. These “little daily annoyances” just did not irritate me anymore, or at least not nearly as much. I don’t think it was any coincidence that about three years ago my first-born left for college. My job raising him was coming to a close and I had the opportunity to “look back” on that process and realize that I had been lost in the mission. Just as the years of education, preparation and planning that the space missions went through before their launch, we had done the same with child rearing. We got lost in the “responsibilities of steering the ship”. It wasn’t until my “mission” drew closer to fruition, that I experienced that Overview Effect.
Mike struggles with this, I think, due to the inability to let go of that responsibility. He is focused on the mission. Our society, tells him, especially as a man, to focus on the mission. My ability to “look back” has lead me to see the fragile state of our lives. Our kids are growing and will soon leave us for their own plans, our family will be forever changed, I would rather focus on the beauty and blessings we possess as a family now. I have simply accepted that “invitation to look back at ourselves with a greater perspective” a little sooner than Mike has. Just as the video states, the ability to do this is key to our survival. I think it just takes time and clearer vision, to see the perspective, and thus to shift the thought process. It is a true gift to me to be able to do as the Red Eagle and be able to “see the larger perspective and to discern what is most important.”
Of course, I still wish they would do their chores ☺
Megan, what an interesting insight to think of raising your family as a "mission," and the importance of making sure to look back and see the beauty and wondrous blessings you possess as a family, right here, right now!
DeleteI'm sure your acceptance of this "invitation to look at the larger perspective" will also help Mike, in his own time and in his own way. It's all about being present, isn't it? So much of our lives are spent on looking forward, let alone dissecting the past, that we often forget to experience the present moment. This perspective guides each of us differently. For me, it's about working less and enjoying myself more - living my life more fully and generously.
I'm so glad this resonated for you, so that you could think about the experience of watching your three wonderful, healthy kids grow - the incredible opportunity of that! It's been a pleasure to watch you grow - from the adorable little peanut you were into the strong woman you became.
Linda
Linda:
ReplyDeleteI am so moved by your thoughts in this latest blog, as well as, by the film, "Overview." Thank you for sharing both.
All too often, I catch myself falling into the mundane aspects of everyday life. Much like Megan stated about falling into the trap of labeling the raising of her family as a "mission." Well, as many of us know, our behavioral patterns often follow our thoughts. Thoughts are very real, physical and measurable energies.
Interestingly, I believe that a large portion of what we consider to be "universal consciousness" is made up of these types of energies. We all need to be more mindful not only of how we ACT or behave, but what we think. What energies we project outside of ourselves. As many are becoming more aware of the power of our thoughts....yes, the importance of The Power of Positive Thinking.
Not only will these types of thoughts move us "outside of ourselves" in our present experience of life, but they will also, and perhaps more importantly, shape the consciousness of our future and that of future generations.
It is fascinating to hear the astronauts in "Overview" communicate how their experiences in space changed their perspectives forever.
Having had a Near Death Experience myself, back in the mid-90's, I can completely relate to the difficulty in their attempts to describe their experiences in ordinary words. Without sounding too "out there" myself, I fully appreciate my experience as nothing short of extraordinary. Somehow I was able to gain an overview of all of life, with me in it, and how it all works in unity. Everything truly is inter-related. And, everything is a gift, as well.
Much like those lucky few who traveled to the moon (wow!) and yet, when they took a moment to gaze back upon our own planet Earth...it was that moment that brought clarity of perspective to their mission.
It truly is important that each one of us reach out and attempt to share this message with one another. This is one way in which the universal consciousness WILL BE shifted and heightened in the awareness of our fellow men. And, it will have a positive effect. I just KNOW it will.
Thank you for sharing! Oh, by the way, the Red-tailed hawk that I mentioned to you has appeared each day along my driveway. Perhaps, he is preparing for your visit soon. I know that I cannot wait. We have so much to share.
Big hug,
Ham