Humming in Tune with the Universe
/
a night sky- mountains in the far distance with an orange sky that fades into deep blue. In the sky are dashed circles of light.
Dear friends,
People often say about Louisville weather that if you don't like it, just wait a few minutes and it will change. This is also true of our internal weather patterns, emotions moving through like clouds, storms, wind, sunshine, and rainbows. I am happy to report that my internal weather has gotten much sunnier since I last wrote. But I don't want to focus on that so much today.
Today is the United States' Independence Day, a day to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Often on this day my reflections take me to interdependence and interconnection more than independence. This year is no different and I've been particularly inspired by an article recently published in The Atlantic. It seems that scientists have found ripples in space and time. Not being a scientist I don't feel equipped to explain this (check out the linked article above to learn more), but I do want to share some of the beautiful ways Adam Frank describes this:
The whole universe is humming. Actually, the whole universe is Mongolian throat singing. Every star, every planet, every continent, every building, every person is vibrating along to the slow cosmic beat.
Putting all [their research] together, the NANOGrav (North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves) scientists could see that these ripples were not from one discrete source but from a din, a hum, the overlapping echoes of disturbances scattered across the universe.
Every gravitational wave in that background the NANOGrav team found is humming through the very constitution of the space you inhabit right now. Every proton and neutron in every atom from the tip of your toes to the top of your head is shifting, shuttling, and vibrating in a collective purr within which the entire history of the universe is implicated. And if you put your hand down on a chair or table or anything else nearby, that object, too, is dancing that slow waltz.
...moments like these can and should change how each of us sees our world. All of a sudden, we know that we are humming in tune with the entire universe, that each of us contains the signature of everything that has ever been. It’s all within us, around us, pushing us to and fro as we hurtle through the cosmos.
The universe is an impossibly vast symphony of cause and effect. The endless comings and goings of galaxies, stars, and planets create a melding of songs that you are part of too. The NANOGrav discovery exposes the intricacy and gracefulness of that melding. It’s a reminder that the world always has been, and always will be, worthy of wonder. But of course, you already knew that. You always have.
I think about the dance between the individual expression of each of us and the fact that our individual expressions, our energies, are literally and intimately intertwined with ALL. Can I claim independence? Do I even want to? I think not.
What about the United States' independence? I'm not sure we can claim that either. Certainly the U.S. has a unique identity within the global context, an instrument in the world's symphony, and I believe there is value in recognizing that. I love my country, even with all its complexities and ways we aren't yet living up to the aspirations we name. But in an ever-globalized world, this country's bonds to other countries; our people's ties with other peoples; this land's, waters', plants', animals', weather's connection to other lands, waters, plants, animals, and weather are becoming more and more obviously woven together in ways that both heal and harm. Sometimes we hum in tune; sometimes there is dissonance.
Does that mean we shouldn't celebrate this day? I'm not saying that. There is value in humming in tune with our loved ones as we commemorate significant events. AND on other days let us also make space to tend to the dissonance, to the people and places within our country that aren't held in wonder and care, to the people and places outside our country that aren't held with curiosity and conscious connection.
Where and how do you notice the hum of the universe?
Where do you notice dissonance?
~~~
Our energies are ever intermingling. If you want to consciously participate in a Louisville-focused hum, I hope you'll join me in the Resonant Peaceful Cities Project from July 22 to July 30. Hart Communication is one of the community partners. This is the second year Louisville is taking part in a study testing whether synchronized meditation has a measurable effect on a city's crime rate. Last year Louisville showed a 13% reduction in crime during the meditation week. Isn't that incredible? It is free to participate in this project and we are hoping to have robust participation in the study. Click on the link above or check out the graphic in the events below and share with others! You can also join us for a Kickoff event on July 19!
Speaking of free, I am also excited to have added a number of short Reframe documents on my Buy Me a Coffee page; 5 of the 6 are free (the sixth is $2). Topics include: Reframing Deserving; Reframing Needs and Strategies; Reframing Finitude, Scarcity, and Abudance; Reframing Self-talk, and more. If these topics interest you, I'd love for you to claim them, as I hope they add notes of harmony in you and in the greater universal hum.
I hope you are relishing this day in whatever way you spend it.
With love,
Cory
