Meditation Instructions for Sun., Oct. 16, 2011

For this Sunday, October 16th, the focus for our meditation will be on Offering. For eons people have used Offerings in their spiritual practice as a means of appeasing the gods (“sacrificial offering”) or in atonement for some wrong or offense towards another (“peace offering”). An Offering can also be made as an expression of gratitude for the blessings one has received. In making an Offering one usually gives thought to what would best serve the intended purpose. In Native traditions a person might make an Offering of tobacco in recognition of the material’s importance to the history and culture of Native peoples. Followers of the indigenous Tibetan pre-Buddhist Bon religion use an Offering called the torma, a ritual cake made from barley grain and yak butter that is formed into a shape and ornately decorated. Modern Western religions formalize the process of an Offering by incorporating it as a routine portion of a religious service and even providing special envelopes to be used in making a donation. In each instance one is making a ritual Offering of some sacrifice to honor a divine presence or spiritual being. The action ideally should be much more than just the mere writing of a check and instead truly reflect our intent. This week in our meditation let us consider all the reasons why we might want to make an Offering in our life. What are the blessings we have received and how do we want to Offer an expression of gratitude for them?

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us, connect to the circle of others participating in this project, and create the brilliant star-like light over the nation. Extend blue rays from the center of this light to the nation's four borders and then connect to the grid or matrix that extends from the circle.

Ask yourself how does it feel in my body when I make an Offering out of gratitude for the blessings I have received? What does it feel like when I choose an Offering that best reflects how I wish to honor another? Then send the energy and intention of that feeling to the grid for the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to k_miritello@bellsouth.net or kmiritello@gmail.com