By Jo Mooy
The act of traveling or experiencing new things always inspires topics for me. While on the road this past summer, for example, I became aware that a current was running just under the surface of all our movements. It wasn’t loud nor did it demand attention. It was gentle and very subtle, pinging up through the various activities. Though it never overrode any activities, it was always there, nonetheless. The current was “Silence” and it became a great friend.
In the summer of 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on several landmark decisions. They said a Muslim woman could wear her head-scarf at her place of employment and, in another ruling, Muslim prisoners could grow beards. They said the State of Texas could ban the Confederate flag on license plates. They upheld subsidy provisions of Obamacare. They approved same-sex marriage in the United States. Needless to say, these decisions polarized a country already divided on many issues.
The Supreme Court rulings had a direct effect on our experiences while traveling. Standing at the police barriers on the streets of Charleston, SC, after the murders of nine people in a Bible class, it surfaced. I could have expressed sorrow to those standing near. It would have been the normal thing to do. But “Silence” said say nothing. Everyone knows and shares the same emotions as you.
Waiting in the lobby of a restaurant in the South, a large screen TV blared the news of same-sex marriage. A young couple in their 30s listened to the announcer. They began to expound on what they heard. HE: That’s it for this country! It’s against God. SHE: We should think about moving somewhere else. HE: Yeah, we should leave the country. It’s not ours anymore. Both of them looked at me, expecting my agreement. Thousands of one-liners floated in for a retort. Then “Silence” said say nothing. Move away. I stared at them for a moment, swallowing the one-liners that begged to be let loose, and left.
On one of the hottest days in the North Georgia Mountains, we visited Tallulah Falls planning to hike to the bottom of the canyon. At the first turn of the trail we stopped. Heat and exhaustion were taking a toll. We went back to the visitor’s center to rest. An Indian woman in full-length sari and robes was brought in by her friend. Her face was bright splotchy red and she was panting heavily. Through gasps she complained that her heart was racing. Her friend looked frantic. Silence said help her. Without knowing what we were doing, we told her to run cold water from the water fountain across her wrists to cool the blood. Within 15 minutes her color returned and her heart slowed down.
Every experience and every person we meet has a direct purpose on our path. Each can be a tool for growth or one that keeps us bound to where we are. It’s often difficult to remember that, much less act in accordance with it. Training in spiritual practices can enhance our awareness of events. But it takes a real commitment and a strong desire to interrupt our “normal” responses and act differently. Treating all experiences or people as a potential ladder on the journey changes our response as well as the outcome.
When we listen to the voice within, we develop a direct way of raising our personal level of consciousness. It takes great diligence and constant practice. But when we do, Silence becomes the Healer. It heals us by changing how we react to things. And in turn, changes the situations we encounter.
Jo Mooy has studied with many spiritual traditions over the past 40 years. The wide diversity of this training allows her to develop spiritual seminars and retreats that explore inspirational concepts, give purpose and guidance to students, and present esoteric teachings in an understandable manner. Along with Patricia Cockerill, she has guided the Women’s Meditation Circle since January 2006 where it has been honored for five years in a row as the “Favorite Meditation” group in Sarasota, FL, by Natural Awakenings Magazine. Teaching and using Sound as a retreat healing practice, Jo was certified as a Sound Healer through Jonathan Goldman’s Sound Healing Association. She writes and publishes a monthly internationally distributed e-newsletter called Spiritual Connections and is a staff writer for Spirit of Maat magazine in Sedona. For more information go to www.starsoundings.com or email jomooy@gmail.com.