Home
>
Spirituality
>
Anam Cara - Watching The River Flow

Anam Cara - Watching The River Flow

I love rivers. I have for many years lived away from rivers. Yet, when I ever felt unhappy or uninspired I would seek out a pathway along the nearest river to my home.

I have returned home to Ireland following many happy years in England. I am blessed now to live close to the River Shannon near to the first village on the Shannon. This is the village called "Dowra." In Irish the name is an Damhraith, which translates either as "the black stream" or "the stream of the oxen."

I live near the source of the Shannon. This is called "Shannon Pot". This place marks the beginning of the longest river in the British Isles. This is a place where the beauty of the land and myth come together. This is a deep place not just symbolized by the deep, dark peaty waters of the pool.

The Shannon Pot is a place of placidity. It reminds me of how I am to move in the world. It reminds me to go placidly amidst this noise and haste of 21st Century living. It reminds me to deepen my connection to this extraordinary flow of energy we call "life."

Here at this place of beginning I am reminded of the timeless. I am reminded of the boundary between the now and forever and our everyday social reality. This river is where the maiden Sionann devoured the "salmon" of wisdom and then dissolved into this great river. It is a place of magic and mystery.

Rivers flow. They are feminine. They are powerful beyond measure. They do not force but find a way past any resistance. They are eternal. Yet, they come and go. You cannot ever say where a river truly begins. Is it in the raindrop? Is it the cloud above the ocean? Is it the dew upon the grass? Is the ice cap of the Antarctic?

Hermann Hesse in his wonderful book Siddhartha tells us that Siddhartha Gautama became enlightened when sitting contemplating a river. Rivers are like life ? they have no beginning and end. You cannot hold them. The life of a river is in this flow to the sea and its' return.

The Shannon Pot is a physical place but in truth it is not the source of the River Shannon. Our bodies are a physical reality but they are not the source of our being. Like a river, our bodies are a flow. Like a river, they are mostly a flow of water. Water is the symbol of our feeling energy.

Like a river, we sometimes hit rough water. Our fixed ideas are the boulders that block the free flow of our feeling energy. We all have boulders in our Pandora's box of "bad thoughts." Some are big and some are small. Some are so huge that we dam our energy and we become damned. We block our life force and we become dis-eased.

When this happens we need to return to the source. We need to return from the exile of our feeling selves and go home to the homeplace of our heart. We have to stop trying to make the river contained. She has power beyond our limited knowledge. She is contained in the wisdom of your body and when you allow her to flow you let the healing begin.

A very dear friend is currently feeling stuck. When he wisely returned to one of his sources, she told him to make a beginning. First, he was to turn off the television for one week. Second, he was to go to the sea.

When he is at the sea he will be at a place where the end and the beginning meet. The river flows to the sea and turns towards the sky. The clouds pass over mountains and fall upon the land. This water flows to pools, streams and rivers in a cycle of forever becoming.

Return from exile. Come home to your "being." This is your true source and what we call in Ireland "The Homeplace." This homecoming will be a delight to your heart.

May the river of your life flow with blessing for you, your family and friends, so allowing the return to the source of all love. This is God. This is the Beloved. Yet it is beyond all labels and words. This is the dance of life, ever becoming everlasting. No beginning. No end. Only the ever present flow of now.

Tony Cuckson is an Anam Cara. This Celtic term means "Soul Friend." He specializes in providing insight for the spiritual journey, Blessings for YOU, words of wisdom and finding inner peace. Visitors to Irish Blessings Matter website and Tony's Blog get the opportunity to develop a purpose driven life through articles, newsletters and other programs.

Get your free report called "7 ways to it's a wonderful life" at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.com/, or go to Tony`s Blog at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.com/ where you will find links to information related to spiritual parenting, spiritual coaching and spirit in business.

disinfecting cleaning services Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

Joe A. from Shelton, Connecticut, lost $228,000 to a ZAP Solutions cryptocurrency investment scam after his divorce, highlighting rising online fraud.

AI-powered autonomous trucks from Waabi and Volvo target U.S. freight driver shortage with Level 4 self-driving technology and NVIDIA computing platform integration.

Survive flight disruptions with expert travel tips: Book early morning flights, download airline apps and know your refund rights during service cuts.

Apple's iOS 26.1 update delivers major security fixes, performance boosts and enhanced privacy controls for your iPhone. Discover why updating now protects your data.

Russian hackers use fake CAPTCHA tests to spread dangerous malware targeting governments and journalists. Learn how to protect yourself from these deceptive attacks.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Miami-Dade debuts America's first autonomous police SUV with AI cameras, drone deployment and real-time crime detection in groundbreaking law enforcement pilot.

Bank impostor scams cost Americans $2.9 billion as criminals use AI voices and caller ID spoofing to steal life savings. Learn nine essential fraud protection tips.

Foreign-owned apps secretly harvest personal data from seniors, making them prime targets for scams. Learn how to protect your privacy and stop data brokers today.

Sens. Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal introduce bipartisan GUARD Act to protect minors from AI chatbots through mandatory age verification and disclosure requirements.

Ghost-tapping scammers exploit wireless technology to drain accounts through small transactions, but RFID-blocking wallets and transaction alerts can protect you.

French pilot project demonstrates wireless charging roads that can deliver over 300 kilowatts of power to EVs while driving, potentially eliminating range anxiety.

YouTube's Ghost Network spreads information-stealing malware through thousands of fake videos offering cracked software, using compromised accounts and fake engagement.

Protect your privacy by disabling your smart TV microphone. Most TVs have hidden mics that listen even when voice commands are off. Learn quick steps to stop unwanted audio capture.

SessionReaper vulnerability hits Magento and Adobe Commerce stores, compromising 250+ sites in one day. Hackers steal data and hijack shopping sessions.

Master essential parental controls and digital safety tools to protect your kids online. Learn screen time limits, location settings and privacy controls every parent needs.

Cybersecurity expert shares six essential steps to protect against dark web threats, including data removal services, password managers and antivirus software.

NVIDIA GPU space mission could revolutionize cloud services by enabling orbital data centers that make apps, games and AI tools faster and more efficient.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Microsoft warns Windows 10 users face serious security risks as 90% of ransomware attacks target unsupported systems. Learn why upgrading to Windows 11 is crucial.

Nike unveils Project Amplify, revolutionary motorized shoes developed with Dephy that add powered assistance to every step for runners and walkers.

Cybersecurity experts warn about one of the largest credential compilations ever found, urging users to check "Have I Been Pwned" and change passwords immediately.

Quick iPhone and Android battery optimization techniques help your device stay powered all day by turning off hidden features that secretly drain power in the background.

Kodiak Driver autonomous truck achieves perfect 98 safety score, matching top human fleets in groundbreaking AI evaluation by Nauto's VERA system.

New 401k catch-up contribution rules in 2026 will change taxes for high earners over 50. Learn how scammers exploit these changes and protect your retirement savings.

Anam Cara - Watching The River Flow

Spirituality