Alien World?

'Alien World?' photo by Ivar Marthinusen 

'Alien World?' is my name for this magnificent photograph . This strangely beautiful flat alien landscape looks like a lake of steaming gas which tumbles into a misty void with rainbow columns and a second sun. Is this a planet near Betelgeuse? Maybe it's in a 2 dimensional universe somewhere other? Or perhaps this is Tolkien's Middle Earth floating, hovering in between? What to you see?

It's actually on Earth. The photo was taken at a ski resort in Åre, Sweden by Ivar Marthinusen on Jan. 27, 2009. A view of the world from above atop a mountain... with sun, clouds, mist, snow, ice halo and a subsun. Thank you, thank you, thank you beloved Creator for this otherworldly, amazing, magnificent creation. WOW, I'm in awe!

Space Weather featured one of Ivar's photos on their home page February 1. The photo above was on a page with others taken on the same day. They say of the photos...

"Skiing photographer Ivar Matheson did everything right on Jan. 27th when he took the picture above. "I was at the Ãre ski resort in Sweden. It was a sunny day and the air was filled with ice crystals. This gave rise to an impressive display of luminous sun halos, sundogs, sub-sundogs, subsuns, upper and lower sun pillars and tangent arcs." The complete collection is a must-see."

~Bonnee

Inspired by Light - 2009 Trend Forcast

'Inspired by Light' photograph by Olivia Jordan

'Inspired by Light' is my name for this amazing photograph. In awe and wonder, outstretched hands hold Light. Grasping sun. Glistening rays circle. Star burst. The Light which illumines...  us. Magnificent reminder Olivia!

 

Economic Trend forecast for 2009?

A snippet of the prediction by Gerald Celente, Editor and Publisher, The Trends Journal, Rhinebeck, New York:

“In 2007, we predicted the Panic of 2008 and that was mostly in the financial areas. Now we're going to see it in the Collapse of 2009 spread beyond financials throughout society. It's underway. It's happening before our eyes. This is a collapse of monumental proportions. Every day the news is filled with one disaster after another. There's nothing, nothing, they can do to stop this - other than a productive capacity and maybe an alternative energy, something along the lines of the discovery of fire or the invention of the wheel! (laughs) But it has to be really monumental. We can't do it by printing money.... you can read the full article at: earthfiles.com or see Celente's website Trends Research.

My thoughts...

There certainly is much fear in Celente's prediction. I read the 2008 trend forecast in January 2007. At that time he said based on the financial trends he saw, there would be an Economic 911 and it would start with one really big bank failure and go from there. He was right! In other years he predicted a boom and upsurge... he was in all the media from NBC News to The Wall Street Journal with that prediction. He was right then too. No one really wants to hear bad news.

I think his 2009 prediction is right on based on how it feels right now. There's a boiling undercurrent of frustration and disbelief, moving toward explosive anger. There is massive change in the wind. A revolution of sorts. And it's not about money... none of it ultimately is about the green stuff. The outcome will ultimately be based on what we want... everything is consciousness. So just like we turned the prophesy about Y2K around by shifting our consciousness... we can shift this too.

One very big factor which hasn't been taken into account in all of this is our Divinity and the power of thought and feeling. We are not helpless victims, nor are we the same peoples we were before the Great Depression. We have grown Spiritually... if you doubt that just look to the movie industry for some examples... we've got Spiritual Cinema Circle, The Secret, Celestine Prophesy, Conversations with God and so many more uplifting mind/spirit altering 'Creator films'. Today we are also more telepathic and more of us clearly see that which is untrue or trying to be hidden.

This is a global restructuring effecting all life. The questions arise...  do we want to shift? Do we believe we can? What do we want as an outcome? Which path do we WANT to take? What are appropriate actions? What is the highest good for All That Is? Nothing is ever written in stone. Perhaps this is our next collective test or assignment. We are all Masters... either of Divine Expression or Limitation... acting with Love or reacting from Fear. We hold the answers in our hearts and hands... inspired by Light. What do you choose?

~Bonnee

Light Beam in Aspen

'Light beam' photo by Thomas O'Brien

'Light beam' is my name for these amazing photographs. A second sun floats just above the tree tops beaming Light to earth. It looks like a being of light floating above and behind the trees. An amazing gift and wonderful display. Images taken in Aspen, Colorado January 3, 2009 by Thomas O'Brien.

Thomas says about the images, 

'I had been seeing small sun reflections in the ground all day when riding the lifts last Sunday so i decided to hike around on the backside of the mountain to see if i could find a brighter one. it was incredibly hard to photograph, it was like i was shooting directly into 2 suns at once. getting a shot without lens flare was nearly impossible. I had seen much dimmer ones before but this one was incredible. '

Atmospheric Optics expert Les Cowley reports, "It is exactly like shooting into two suns at once because it is a subsun, a direct reflection of the sun by millions of ice crystals acting as mirrors. The crystals are flat plates drifting in the cold air. Subsuns can be blindingly bright, look for them while skiing or when flying."

Photo was featured on SpaceWeather.com January 11, 2009.

~Bonnee

Sun orb?

On January 16, 2009 MacGyver took this interesting photo  of sundogs in Chicago, IL. What is that pink ball and arc near the sun? It looks 3 dimensional. Is it a camera flare? Some other mechanical anomaly? Or maybe it's an energy orb?  WOW! You can see a larger version at Weather.com.

 

So many wonderful gifts from Creator. Space Weather has photos of diamond dust ice halos and/or sundogs from 6 different photographers today (January 17, 2009). Plus the Weather Channel featured one on it's home page. Baby it's cold outside!

Chris Haws from Faribault, MN captured another Creator's Wheel (ice halo and sundogs) January 13, 2009. He says, "It was a very cold morning, -20 degrees F, with a fine mist of ice crystals floating in the air," he says. "The sundogs were magnificent, truly almost false suns." Awesome!

Mark D. Marquette from Boones Creek, TN took the photo left of 'Frozen Flora' on January 13, 2009. He says, "A Tuesday morning fog and 21 degree temperatures caused some of the atmosphere to freeze out, as water vapor took icy form in East Tennessee. The Sun burned off the beautiful scene by 11 am--and I sure am grateful I can set my own work hours! I enjoyed capturing this rare sight in Dixie." How beautiful! I've never seen frozen fog before.

~Bonnee

Signs and Wonders

'Iridescent clouds' photograph by wilco1900

Spectacular display! Iridescent, opalescent colors above the clouds. A glimpse beyond... to the new spectrum of Light. Colors unseen... displaying pearlized opals in the sky. Shimmering pink orange of love, sparkling gold-ish of Spirit. We are given many signs and wonders. Visions of our progress... we move... expand... become. Thank you beloved Creator, thank you, I remain in awe!

 

Signs and Wonders

Pearlescent... opalesce... exotic

Colors shimmer in the sky

We stretch... we move...

Beyond what was.

Expanded... broadened

We see what is

All around, everywhere

Creator's signs and wonders.

~Inspired by the beautiful photos on this page.

 

Atmospheric Optics explains, "When parts of clouds are thin and have similar size droplets, diffraction can make them shine with colors like a corona. In fact, the colors are essentially corona fragments. The effect is called cloud iridescence or irisation, terms derived from Iris the Greek personification of the rainbow.
The usually delicate colors can be in almost random patches or bands at cloud edges. They are only organized into coronal rings when the droplet size is uniform right across the cloud. The bands and colors change or come and go as the cloud evolves. They occur most often in altocumulus, cirrocumulus and especially in lenticular clouds. Iridescence is seen mostly when part of a cloud is forming because then all the droplets have a similar history and consequently have a similar size.

The lovely photo above taken August 1, 2008 in Round Rock, Texas by wilco1900 is displayed on flickr.com. I couldn't find any more information.

 

Daily it seems we are given new spectacular displays. The photo left of another Creator's Wheel (a.k.a. diamond dust sun halo) was taken January 3, 2009 by Mila Zinkova in San Francisco, CA. The photo was featured this morning 1-7-09 on the home page of SpaceWeather. Gorgeous display and photo of it.

On December 24, 2008 a beautiful rainbow sun dog appeared. Andrea Tolman of Basin, WY capture it saying, "On the morning of Christmas Eve we stepped outside from the hospital/clinic to view two very bright sundogs."

Wow amazing! Signs and Wonders everywhere. You can see more of the recent displays at SpaceWeather.com.

~Bonnee

Spring Maiden, Tingstad and Rumbel

'Spring Maiden' performed by Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel

Lovely, soft and sweet. Beautiful performance of  a traditional Korean folk song. Mmmm... nice!

Tingstad and Rumbel, Song: Spring Maiden performed on ocarina, English horn and guitar, Album: Leap of Faith (2008), Label: Cheshire Records, Video production: Aaron Rabin.

Spring dawns

Grass dances as breeze passes

Flowers stretch to warming sun

Mist puddles refracting rainbows

Bird sings of season come

Earthy musty fairy's yawn

Winter's long sleep finally done

Joyfully greeted warming sun

Life's elated... a new spring dawns.

~Inspired by 'Spring Maiden'

 

Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel are good friends who have been performing together since 1985. They have recorded 19 albums. Their album American Acoustic was recognized as Acoustic Instrumental Album of the Year in 1998. Acoustic Garden won the New Age Music GRAMMY Award in 2003. You can listen to more music, watch videos, read the latest news and purchase music at their website:  tingstadrumbel.com.

~Bonnee

12/21 'The Light', Winter Solstice

 

'The Light', Winter Solstice at New Grange, County Meath, Ireland photograph by Alan Betson

Only on Winter Solstice each year will the sunrise create this beautiful warm glow in the depths of the chamber at New Grange. In complete darkness (the womb or void) one sits in quiet contemplation until the sun's first rays bring the renewal of sweet light and life.  A reminder of the all the blessing it brings for another season. The photo looks a bit like 'light at the end of a tunnel', or 'a star at the top of an evergreen tree'. Spectacular!

Message... the Light increases multifold this day. Open to receive the blessings which are pouring forth. Come to me I await you. Let us dance in joy and celebrate the Glory and Majesty of God. Be of good cheer for it comes. Rejoice!

 

Celebration abounds...

12/21 - Winter begins, the shortest day and longest night of the year. Winter Solstice (12:04 am UTC).

Yule, Pagan and Wiccan holiday which ushers in the return of Light. It celebrates the return of the Sun God. It is a time of enlightenment, when light is reborn in the womb of darkness to begin another cycle.

The lighting of the Yule log (usually oak or pine), is a traditional custom for the Holiday. It symbolizes and honors the Sun God. Some of the log is kept to begin next years yule fire.
During Yule homes are decorated with fresh evergreens, holly, ivy and mistletoe commemorating the coming of light and life. Fresh greenery in winter is seen as a magical tool of growth. Yule is a reminder that the ultimate product of death is rebirth. The celebrations include much laughter, singing, dancing and feasting.

The painting above left is called 'Winter Solstice Fire Lord' by Steven Lucas (2008). Amazing, powerful image. I hear him say "Come within, warm self and dance with me... renew." Magnificent! You can read Steven's blog or see more of his works at fineartamerica.com.

 

12/21 to 12/25 - Pancha Ganapati, Hindu festival celebrating Lord Ganesha the Five-Faced Maha Ganapati - Lord of Categories. The celebration is five days of festivities, feasts charity and gift-giving.  Daily chants, songs and bhajanas are sung and trays of sweets, fruits and incense are offered. After the daily puja, sweets are shared. Gifts are given to the children each day, who put them before Pancha Ganapati, all are saved to open on the the last day. The festival is centered on restoring peace, love, harmony and bringing joy and happiness. Image is Lord Ganesha. More at hinduismtoday.com.

 

12/21 to 12/29 - Chanukah the Festival of Lights, eight-day Jewish festival that begins on the eve of Kislev 25, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration, of spirituality over materiality. The menorha (a nine-branched candelabra) is lit nightly, starting with a single flame plus the shamash on the first night. Two on the second and so on until all eight lights plus the shamash are kindled. The holiday traditions include eating foods fried in oil, such as  latkes (potato pancakes), dreidel games and "gelt," gifts of money. Image is a menorha. More at chabad.org.

 

12/21 to 1/9 - Soyala New Year Festival, Hopi, Pueblo and Zuni American Indian tribes consider this a time of purification and renewal. The Soyala symbolizes the second phase of Creation at the dawn of life. One of the most sacred celebrations which honors the beginning of a new cycle. Activities take place in the kiva and include reverent silence, fasting, humility and eating of sacred foods to achieve spiritual focus.  Prayer feathers are prepared and placed in homes, villages and in shrine sites around the ancestral homeland. Picture is of the Hopi Soyal Kachina who comes in December. More brownielocks.com.

May the Light renew you and yours on this sacred day. Happy Holidays!

 

The photo of the 2003 Winter Solstice sunrise at New Grange, Ireland is by Alan Betson, from Dunboyne, Co. Meath, Ireland. The photo was printed on the front page of The Irish Times newspaper on the 22nd December 2003. You can find out more about Alan at gaelicweb.com.

There is a webcast of the 2007 Winter Solstice sunrise at New Grange, Ireland available at newgrange.com.

~Bonnee

12/19 Forrest Illumination

'Forest Illumination' photo by T. Credner & S. Kohle

Forest Illumination is my name for this incredible photo of a being of light illuminating the forest. A bright aura and halo surround the head with light radiating from the crown. A masterful being indeed. Is this a fairy, elf, angel or other being of light? Or perhaps it's Creator's way of displaying the light of one's own energy field? What ever it is... it is amazing and magical!

Enjoy the Glory and Wonder of the Holidays all year!

 

'Glory and Specter of the Brocken' is the name Credner and Kohle called this photo. They say about it:

"The above image was taken in a foggy forest on Tenerife island, May 2000. With the sun in the back the own shadow could be seen in the fog, the so called Specter of the Brocken. The surrounding bright ring is a Glory, an effect of back scattered light from small water droplets. You can see more of their wonderful photos at allthesky.com.

Atmospheric Optics gives this scientific explanation:  "The Brocken Spectre appears when a low sun is behind a climber who is looking downwards into mist from a ridge or peak. The "spectre" is the shadowy figure - the glow and rings are a glory centered directly opposite the sun at the antisolar point. The "Spectre of the Brocken" is named because of sightings on the Brocken, the highest peak of Germany's Harz Mountains.  The spectre sometimes appears to be huge. This is probably caused by the presence of the glory and the mist obscuring more familiar reference points with which to judge its size. Forest glory can appear provided there is a mist of fairly uniform sized droplets, glories can be found in many places.

Photo above left is a Brocken Spectre and Glory taken by Vincent Lowe at Hopegill Head, Lake District National Park, England.

~Bonnee

12/17 Creator's Wheel

Creator's Wheel photograph by Steinar Midtskogen

Creator's Wheel is my name for the beautiful display of Light in this photo. The scientific name is Moilanen arc, diamond dust ice crystals refract light into a wheel around the sun. Magnificent winter display of Light dancing through Creation. A magical gift, thank you beloved Creator!

Creator's Wheel is seen as a written symbol in many ancient traditions and known by many names. The image of a circle with a cross may be called a sunwheel, solar cross, ring cross, Celtic cross, Nordic cross, Odin's cross, medicine wheel or something other. By what ever name, I believe it was originally inspired by a similar glorious display... a Solar Cross indeed. 

In the American Indian tradition the Medicine Wheel is the wheel of life, it represents harmony and connection. It is a symbol of peaceful interaction between all living beings. When the four directions are in balance all is well with the world.

Symbolically the equal armed cross represents the physical realm or Earth. It also represents masculine. The four arms of the cross are sometimes said to represent the elements (earth, air, fire and water) or the directions (north, south, east and west). The circle represents the ethers or Heaven, the moon and feminine. So when drawn together the circle and cross represents the Union of Heaven and Earth or the Divine Marriage. 

 

On 12/15/08 Creator gave us another display of a beautiful sun wheel in Faribault, MN. The photo left was taken by Chris Haws.

Chris says... "This was the longest lasting sun halo/sundogs I have ever seen. Started in the early morning and continued until early afternoon. Air temp was down to -8 at one point with wind chills ranging from -20 to -30. I couldn't help myself to stand outside (and from inside) and take in the glory of the sun halo, sundogs and the circumzenithal arc. Cold days like these manage to sneak in a reward here and there."

Thank you beloved Creator so many wonders!

 

Creator's Wheel is a reminder of the Sacredness of all...  every breath, every word, every step, every feeling, every thought... everything is Sacred.

Happy Holy-day!

 

Photograph by Steinar Midtskogen Oslo, Norway December 2007. You can learn more about the Moilanen arc at Atmospheric Optics.

~Bonnee

12/8 Buddha Sun

'Buddha Sun' photograph by Kevin Baird

Buddha Sun is my name for this spectacular photo which was featured on SpaceWeather.com. The sun became Buddha one October evening in Southern California to radiate blessings to the world. A magical sunset photo!

Kevin says: "At first the cloudless sky suggested a 'boring' sunset;. Instead, it was unforgettable."

The scientific explanation from Atmospheric Optics: Multiple inversion layers produced the complex mirage. The cold California Ocean Current had cooled the air next to the ocean surface. Above that there were layers of warm dry air driven from inland by high pressure over Utah and Nevada.

 

The day of enlightenment. December 8, 596 BC Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Image shows enlightened Gautama Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree.

It is said that on the morning of his enlightenment he looked up and saw the morning star (Venus) and cried in wonder:

That's it! That's it! That's it. That's me! That's me that's shining so brilliantly! How wondrous, how wondrous! All beings are endowed with this pure nature! What a wondrous, astonishing thing has been realized! All the ten thousand things, all the flowers, all the trees, all the rocks, all things everywhere are shining brilliantly!

For Buddhists today is a day of remembrance and meditation. It is a reminder that with right effort and understanding anyone can become enlightened. Zen Buddhists begin an intensive sesshin (meditation practice) on December 1 which, lasts until through the 8th. They often stay up all night in meditation to bring in Rohatsu (the morning of Buddha's realization).  Colored lights symbolizing the many pathways to enlightenment are strung and turned on each evening and candles honoring the path of enlightenment are lit for 30 days. Fiscus trees (ficus religiousa) are decorated with colored lights, stings of beads symbolizing the unity and shiny ornaments representing the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha). Children make cookies in the shape of a tree (Bodhi tree) or a heart shaped leaf.

 Happy Bodhi Day! May all sentient beings attain perfect, complete, precious Enlightenment.

 

Photograph by Kevin Baird October 13, 2005 near Palomar Airport, San Diego CA.  Kevin is a freelance editor at Green Desert Productions. You can see more of Kevin's wonderful photography at kbaird on Flickr.com.

~Bonnee