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.

top rated cleaning service Lake Forest ..

In The News:

NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.

Holiday scams spike during Black Friday and Cyber Monday as criminals exploit your leaked personal data. Learn how to protect yourself from fake stores and phishing.

Commerce Department proposes TP-Link router ban over Chinese security risks. Learn how this potential prohibition could affect your home network and devices.

Hyundai AutoEver America suffered a data breach affecting 2,000 current and former employees, exposing names, Social Security numbers and driver's license information.

Washington court rules automated license plate reader images are public records, even when stored by vendors like Flock Safety, setting precedent for transparency.

Fake airline texts claiming flight cancellations are targeting travelers with convincing scams. Learn how cybercriminals steal personal data and credit card info.

Discover how iOS 26's new Adaptive Power feature automatically extends iPhone battery life by learning your usage patterns and adjusting performance intelligently.

New TikTok malware campaign tricks users into running PowerShell commands that download Aura Stealer, which steals credentials and authentication tokens.

Gaia Family offers fixed upfront pricing for IVF cycles with unlimited embryo transfers and financial protection, partnering with over 100 U.S. fertility clinics.

The Jetsons Act aims to position Pennsylvania as a leader in advanced air mobility by establishing regulations for hybrid ground-air vehicles.

Fake Geek Squad invoice emails are targeting users with convincing charges and urgent phone numbers to steal personal information and money.

Fox News Digital's artificial intelligence newsletter digs into a robot in Russia that faceplanted, George Clooney's alarm and OpenAI's rivalry with the New York Times.

Major data breach at Conduent exposes personal information of 10+ million people. Government contractor hit by cyberattack affecting Medicaid, child support systems.

Texas startup Janta Power raises $5.5M for innovative vertical solar towers that generate 50% more energy than traditional panels while using just one-third the land.

NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft launched aboard Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket Thursday afternoon from Cape Canaveral, beginning their journey to Mars with arrival expected in 2027.

Learn how to set email reminders on iPhone and Android so you never forget to reply again. Simple built-in features help you stay organized and on top of messages.

Discover how Apple's passkeys revolutionize Mac security by replacing vulnerable passwords with biometric authentication and encryption for ultimate protection.

New survey reveals 78% of parents fear AI scams targeting their kids, yet nearly half haven't discussed these threats. Learn why this dangerous gap exists.

Chrome now autofills passport and driver's license info automatically. Google's latest browser update adds official document support with encryption and user control.

Scammers impersonate Department of Veterans Affairs employees claiming veterans owe money, but real VA communications only direct to VA.gov or official channels.

The AltoVolo Sigma hybrid-electric aircraft flies 500 miles at 220 mph while operating 80% quieter than helicopters, featuring safety systems and compact design.

Google search scam alert: fake customer service numbers can give scammers remote control of your phone. Learn how to spot these traps and protect yourself.

Electric vehicles overtake gas cars in total CO2 savings after just two years of driving, with emissions benefits growing over time as power grids get cleaner.

Louvre Museum reportedly used "Louvre" as password for surveillance system during $100M jewel heist. Learn how weak passwords put even famous institutions at risk.

Bipartisan AI jobs bill from Sens. Hawley and Warner would require companies to report AI-related layoffs and hiring to Department of Labor quarterly.

Anam Cara - Watching The River Flow

Spirituality