Due to the Coronavirus, and until further notice, all physical meetings for the New Moon and Full Moon are cancelled and will be replaced by live audio broadcasts via Zoom. Archives of the broadcasts will continue to be posted here. The Zoom broadcasts for New Moon and Full Moon will include a talk followed by a meditation. An email notice will be sent in advance of the meeting with all the information needed to link to the Zoom broadcast.
Meditation is the primary form of service for those following a spiritual path. It is a means of cooperation and alignment with hierarchical intent. The new moon period follows upon the cycle of out-breathing in the rhythmic cycles of the breath; it is a time of pause wherein together we can establish a soul-mind-brain alignment. During this period, we work in thought to concretize the ideas and impressions received at the time of the full moon period and undertake the sometimes difficult process of translating them into practical plans that can be of service in the world. The effect of this meditative effort is to enhance the many ways in which the “power of the one Life” and the “love of the one soul” are working out through all true servers everywhere.
Goodwill, the Problems of Humanity, and The Spirit of Restoration in Our Time
In the Great Invocation we call for the Plan of Love and Light to work out in and through the centre humanity. And in the final line we affirm that through lighted, loving purposeful energies of the soul and the Triad, the Plan is being restored. Over time this focus on invoking higher energies and then training the vision to see the impact they are having on consciousness, relationships and creative activity has the potential to transform the way we observe and participate in human affairs. Instead of seeing the great problems of humanity as a source of despair and hopelessness, we begin to focus our attention on evidence of these higher energies impacting the consciousness of individuals, families, communities, and nations; professions, academic disciplines, arts and culture – revealing the problems as opportunities for transformation and healing. As the pulsating energies of the soul reach into human thinking, human planning, and most importantly of all human acting, they inspire and uplift, but they also disturb, repulse, and upset ancient habits.
One way of approaching this is to explore the theme of restoration, drawing on the final line of the Great Invocation and insights from the teachings on the Forces of Restoration which poured into humanity in Easter 1945, during the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. Rather than restoring the old order the incoming forces were designed to restore “the will-to-live and the will-to-good”. They were concerned with “human vision, human integrity and human relations as they underlie the entire problem of … brotherhood”.
We will consider what it might mean for the forces of restoration to pour into the consciousness of our time during the Easter Festival, noting the impact they appear to be having in a variety of influential movements for restorative approaches to justice, development, and education.
Question for Reflection:
- Why were the Forces of Restoration so necessary in Easter 1945? Why might they be needed today?
- What signs, if any, do you see of Forces of Restoration flowing into human consciousness in our time?
References:
- Alice A. Bailey, Externalisation of the Hierarchy, pp 456-61. https://bit.ly/3oS0J8A
- Center for Justice and Reconciliation. https://bit.ly/3GZwyT7
- Restorative Justice. Wikipedia. https://bit.ly/3uT7Npk
- Storm Cunningham, “Restorative Development: The New Growth Strategy for Communities of All Sizes.” ICMA. Vol. 85, No. 7 (August 2003). https://bit.ly/3vaUgtJ
