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Welcome
Feature from Los Angeles, California
Dreams of Randomness
Why Ovaries & Testicles?
Book Recommendations
Randomness in the News?
Who’s Who in Randomness
The Child's Garden
Poetry

From the Editors

This month we are featuring Randomness, number 23 of the Descending Principles (numbered 20-29).  Randomness suggests chaos, and many people contracted with Randomness do have a high tolerance for what others would call "chaos." He or she simply lets the chaos have its moment in the sun, offering space for the kaleidoscope to turn, without doing anything about it.

"Chaos theory" in science is also associated with the "butterfly effect," the famous analogy of a butterfly in China flapping its wings, resulting in a thunderstorm in Seattle. This isn't chaos, but large effects that one would not have predicted. The more technical term for this effect is "sensitivity to initial conditions." Many people contracted with Randomness are highly sensitive to initial conditions - they know that even their thoughts can change reality.

Tamar Frankiel, Editor

YOU CAN STILL JOIN OUR FABULOUS ONLINE CLASS ON SPIRITUAL PARENTING!  BUT DON’T WAIT! WE’RE STARTING THE LESSONS RIGHT AWAY.
“SPIRITUAL PARENTING: Your Child’s Invisible Garment”
Beginning March 2! Sixteen weeks of classes and online discussions led by Connie Kaplan and Tamar Frankiel.  These two mothers – who raised 8 children between them – will share the resources they have gathered from studying the 30 spiritual principles to understand the development of children and teens.  You will gain AMAZING insights into yourself and your family dynamic when you work with us in this class.    

GO TO: http://universe-city.generosityincorporated.com and click on the bos that says: Join in the upper right. Or, go to our main website and click from there: www.generosityincorporated.com

Thanks to Cammie Doty and Carol Bucklew for their help on this issue of our newsletter.

Report from Los Angeles, California

This month's principle is Randomness. Here is a teaching from one of our dream sisters:

Dr. Connie Kaplan uses the metaphor of the kaleidoscope to describe Randomness. One holds the kaleidoscope up to the Light and sees many tiny facets of colors forming a pattern. Upon turning the kaleidoscope it appears to be chaotic, as they turn and float around until they coalesce into a beautiful pattern. Randomness is the opportunity to work with chaos trusting  that the potential of a new pattern will crystallize.

Another metaphor I like is the preparation of a vegetable soup. Every ingredient blends and fuses its varied properties to become this tasty soup.  Merely looking at a carrot, one might not see the potential of a savory soup. However, in trusting the process, one can taste a spectacular final result.  When my sister-in-law got married at home, her small kitchen was a huge mess from the preparations. I stood in the door way, said “Hmm?” rolled up my sleeves and went to work. I was an instrument of Randomness bringing order from chaos. I didn't realize this until I heard a voice, her mother-in-law, say "I could never do that. How did you even know where to begin?” In traditional astrology, my Jupiter is in the 6th house (the house of service); therefore I "heard" the call to clean up the kitchen.  As I am contracted with Randomness through Mercury, the mental body, it was easy for me to be assured that order was possible.

Last week I went to a new installation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, by the artist Damien Hirst.  On a huge wall is a floor-to-ceiling picture of a mosaic made up of butterfly wings. Each wing reminded me of the tiny pieces in a kaleidoscope.  I felt as if a mandala were drawing me in, to realize that Randomness was at work.  Moreover, the butterfly is a metaphor for transformation, adding to the astounding layers of meaning. The worm wraps itself in a cocoon and then struggles out, transformed into a butterfly. Upon death of the butterfly, the artist dives into the realm of potential to manifest this beautiful picture. His next panels were "stained glass" church windows.  As my eyes raced over each beautiful wing, I stepped back and raised my head to see this beautiful expression of Randomness at work.

--Elaine Levi

Dreams of Randomness

We can learn about the principles by examining our dreams. Here are three dreams of Randomness:

With family and friends, going out on the town. The cars seem to be driving strangely, off and on sidewalks in strange directions. We get in a shortened van, several squeezed into the front seat. One of my children is driving, another is shrinking into the back seat to make more room, but no one moves back there.  Then we get out and start walking. A big bus nearly hits us as it swoops up on the sidewalk and out again. I say, “This is the real world and it’s pretty scary.”  As we walk along storefronts, many are dressed strangely. I realize it must be Halloween and these are costumes. I see a guy in a Santa Claus suit too. I think we’re probably strange-looking to them. One of our group, a man dressed in red and white, could pass for Santa Claus – no, he doesn’t have a bread and his wig looks like George Washington. 

So it goes on, this bizarre outing, till we finally go home. Someone says, “Maybe it was just a dream.” We start comparing notes – remember this? –as if to say, we all remember it, it probably wasn’t a dream. Now my youngest daughter is with me; I’m holding her and looking at a sign on the wall.  MEN-red with white letters like a restroom sign. Then it changes to WOMEN and back and forth. We look at each other knowingly, about realities shifting. She says to me, “Do you know the code of the soul?"

This dreamscape is “strange,” “bizarre,” not obeying the rules, with realities shifting.  Yet we are told “This is the real world.”  Those who “know the code of the soul” recognize that Randomness is just as much a part of the world as any more orderly-appearing principle.

We’re going southwest and have two tips on how to get there. Nonetheless it’s difficult to find. I have to park the car one place, then move it and park again. At one point we go through a tiny back alley where a man who looks like he lives in the alley by scrounging around – but who also reminds me of “Socrates” in the film A Peaceful Warrior, gives advice.  Two of my daughters and a dream-sister are with me. They clamber over a pile of wood and slide down. One of the girls starts to pick off pieces of wood but the other says, no, that might make the splinters worse.  No one gets hurt though. I travel to another area on a slick dark blue floor on which I partly skate, partly walk.  It seems like an inner entrance  - like a theater inside a mall -- but I don’t remember what I do there. I go back and forth a couple of times, each time more “skating,” less walking. There’s one spot I notice each time, a sort of swirl in a narrow area between two half-walls or counters, and I have to watch for a bump.  The last time back it seems to have shifted to a pretty outdoor scene, like a college campus where students skate around in the winter.

Again the dream offers shifting spaces and modes of movement, though not as much chaos as in the previous dream.  The reference to “splinters” suggests the kaleidoscopic effect of Randomness, as does a “swirl” with a “bump.”  Then the dream settles into a normal scene.  The presence of a “Socratic” figure, even though he’s a back-alley sort of person, reminds us of the wisdom of acknowledging Randomness.

I was traveling with a dream-sister in Oregon, driving down hilly and curvy Bald Peak Road. We had a package to mail to Peggy, but it was hard to get to her, because Peggy had moved to a higher altitude and not every post office would deliver there. At that time we were at about 1300 feet. Then we came to a road which went down the back side of the mountain, so we turned left, and then took a quick right, even though there was no road there. What was there was a dimensional opening into another reality with a slightly different set of roads. In this place there was a post office that would deliver to a higher altitude where Peggy was.
It took both of us to carry the package into the post office. The package was large but thin, a wide rectangle, wrapped in brown paper and tied with a creamy color string. It was addressed to "Peggy, where she is." The postmistress took the package, looked at the address, gave us a knowing look, and said, "Ah, yes. We know where to send this."

The dreamers were traveling at “13” hundred, suggesting that they were coming from the level of Intelligence in the Containing principles, the human world. But the higher altitudes, the Descending principles, required strange travels and difficult transport through a portal into new dimensions, to deliver a rather ordinary-looking gift to a mysterious address. If we’re trying to reach Randomness, this seems the most likely way to get there.  And in fact, we’ll find that, like Peggy, it’s right where we are.

To find Randomness in your dreams look for difficult modes of travel or transport, spaces that don’t obey the normal rules of space-time; references to ovaries, testicles, semen; for the colors red or coral.

Why Ovaries & Testicles?

This month’s “internal focus” is one of the more obvious metaphors for a spiritual principle. Genetic mutation is a prime example of Randomness in the biological world, and which egg will connect with which sperm is a major aspect of the mystery of procreation. The ovaries and testicles are the ‘random generators’ of human existence. -TF

Book Recommendations

The World is Flat, by Thomas Friedmann
If you can figure out how all the new developments outlined in The World is Flat will organize themselves, you must be contracted with Randomness! Friedmann, a New York Times columnist, introduces us to the radically shifting world of 21st-century technology, in a book that has gone through 3 editions in as many years.  You can dip into this book, or read it all the way through; either way, if you’re over 30 it will open your eyes. --TF

The Web of Life, by Fritjof Capra
Whenever I need to try to understand the new sciences, I almost always return to my standard favorite author:  Fritjof Capra.  To understand the principle of Randomness, one simply must know a little about chaos theory and systems thinking.  In his book The Web of Life, Capra gracefully interweaves the two.  He describes chaos theory thusly: seemingly random oscillations that if observed long enough result in highly organized patterns. (17)  He then speaks of systems thinking:  putting seemingly unrelated patterns into the context of a larger whole. (30.) Capra uses references to literature, poetry, sacred scripture, and of course scientific data to put forth his theory that all life is a network of interconnected frequencies. I found the principle of Randomness implied throughout the book as he spoke of the marriage between chaos and order. --reviewed by Connie Kaplan

Quarantine, by Greg Egan
An easy-read sci-fi story (1995), which describes a universe of possibilities where beings can imaginatively live many parallel lives at once; a creative randomness reigns. However, in the corner of the universe centered around Earth, people have evolved in such a way that we choose only one possibility in order to create a lasting reality.  The novel’s heroes gradually discover that in the larger universe, this mode of limiting reality is considered a dangerous virus that has to be quarantinedthe patriarchal programming which denigrated powerful goddesses from whole, fertile, self-sufficient keepers of the sacred fire to "dutiful" daughters. --TF

Entangled Minds, by Dean Radin
Over a decade of research into how attention affects randomness, dozens of random number generators placed around the globe were observed after events which created global interest such as the O.J. Simpson trial, Lady Diana's death, 9/11 and the Indonesian tsunami. The results showed that after a short period of global attention being focused on one event, the generators recorded more order and pattern in the numbers generated. You can also see a video on youtube.com; search for Dean Radin, Global Consciousness project.

Randomness in the News

Here are some news stories alluding to randomness and the study of chaos.  Are these examples of Randomness as a spiritual principle or is the term being used in its common meaning?

• Headline:  Random Candidates: Long-Ago Choices – and Chance – Helped Forge the Clinton-Obama Rivalry
  Los Angeles Times, 2-16-2008   In 1998 when Carol Moseley Braun, the first African American woman in the Senate, faced corruption charges in Illinois, Chicago-born Hillary Clinton was invited to run in the primary against her to give the Democrats a better chance of winning.  Clinton declined and went on to run in New York; Braun lost the Senate seat in the fall.  Then, in 2000, Obama ran for a House seat in Illinois – and lost.  Had he won, he would be part of the Illinois delegation in Congress but with much less power and clout than he has in the Senate – almost certainly not a presidential candidate in 2008.

  Headline: Chaos Theory Down to a Fine Art
  Louise Schwartzkopf , Sydney, Australia Morning Herald, 1-30-2008:   The Australian scientist who says he found proof of bacterial life on Mars has turned his talents to the art world.  Tony Taylor, a biophysicist from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, has devised a new painting technique.He calls it morphed entropy, and the works it produces are otherworldly landscapes and psychedelic abstracts filled with rainbow swirls and intricate shapes. Over 20 years, he has honed the mechanical technique so it can simultaneously produce abstract patterns and realistic images . . . He refuses to say how it works. . . . His exhibit, Nature: Chaos and Order Inexorably Intertwined, began February 23 in Gymea, Australia. http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/chaos-theory-down-to-a-fine-art/2008/01/29/1201369128185.html

6. Who's Who in Randomness

These famous people have sun in Randomness; you’ll find them an interesting and diverse group. Ask yourselves, how did they deliver the gift of Randomness? 

• Mike Horn, 1966-
  South African sportsman in the “No Limits” movement, winner of awards in recognition of his “ground-breaking achievements which reflect great triumph of the human spirit against daunting odds.” He traversed South America, going on foot from the Pacific to the Amazon headwaters, then down to the Atlantic on a hydrospeed; circumnavigated the globe at the equator without motorized transport and the Arctic Circle without motors or dogs; and trekked to the North Pole in winter. A resident of Switzerland, he now speaks at motivational conferences.

• Madonna Ritchie, 1958-
  American pop singer-songwriter, record and film producer, dancer, actress, author and fashion icon; noted for her ambitious music videos and performances as well as for using political, sexual, and religious themes, including kabbalah, in her work.
  
  
• George Lucas, 1944-
  Award-winning creator of the epic Star Wars saga and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones, Lucas is one of the American film industry's most financially successful independent directors/producers.
  
  
• Robert DeNiro, 1943-
  Award-winning actor known for his portrayal of conflicted or troubled characters. Films such as The Godfather Part II, The Deer Hunter, and The Untouchables made his reputation, but he also starred in comedies like Midnight Run and dramas like Awakenings.
  
  
• B. B. King, 1925-
  African American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter, widely considered one of the world’s best and most respected blues musicians and one of the greatest guitarists. He became well known as a blues musician in the 1950s and has continued playing, though less frequently, down to the present.  Over 52 years he has played more than 15,000 performances.
  
  
• Evil Knievel, 1938-2007
  The ‘daredevil’ of motorcycle jumps, Knievel at his best was able to clear 19 cars and on another occasion 14 Greyhound buses. He tried many sensational jumps, suffering broken bones in numerous crashes, before giving up his career in 1981.
  
  
• Margaret Mead, 1901-1978
  American cultural anthropologist, renowned for her contributions to the cross-cultural study of adolescence and women’s development. She helped the American public to free itself of ethnocentric views and encouraged the re-thinking of sexual mores and child-rearing practices.
  
  
• Georgia O'Keefe, 1887-1986
  American artist known for her abstraction and representation in paintings of flowers, rocks, shells, animal bones and landscapes; she lived most of her later life in the Southwest and is often identified with that region.
  
  
• Albert Einstein, 1879-1955
  Undoubtedly the most famous name in modern science. Einstein’s theory of relativity and mass-energy equivalence (e=mc2) revolutionized theoretical physics, and his name has come to symbolize genius.
  
  
• Alois Alzheimer, 1864-1915
  German psychiatrist who first identified “presenile dementia” in a 51-year-old patient, a condition later termed “Alzheimer’s disease.”
  
  
• Gustave Eiffel, 1832-1923
  French architect and engineer specializing in metallic structures. He is famous for designing the Eiffel Tower and the armature for the Statue of Liberty. He created advances in design that enabled structures to withstand deep waters and high winds.
  
  
• Mary Baker Eddy, 1821-1910
  Rejecting traditional Calvinist Christianity for more spiritual teachings, Eddy after dealing with illness for some years founded the Church of Christ, Scientist, one of the earliest organizations promoting the idea that the mind has the ability to heal the body.
  
  
• Charles Darwin, 1809-1881
  British natural scientist whose work on the “transmutation of species,” based in his travels to exotic natural sites, led to the theory of natural selection. His experiments were conducted before the formulation of modern genetics with its theory of “random mutation,” but nevertheless his ideas provided a new, unifying framework for biology.
  
  
• Abraham Lincoln, 1801-1865
  One of the most famous U.S. Presidents, known for his leadership during the Civil War and his dedication to national unity, freedom, and equality evidenced in the freeing of African American slaves.  He also exhibited in his speeches an extraordinary command of the English language.
  

7. The Child's Garden

Erin was in her senior year in high school.  She had an impressive transcript, enviable test scores, and an unusual resume.  Her possibilities for college were many, and she felt the need to explore all her options thoroughly.  Expensive trip followed on expensive trip to visit campuses, and she was still not sure.  Her father became frustrated, and a little annoyed with the intensity of the situation.  I looked at Erin's garment pattern and found the key:  mental body in Randomness.  Erin's mind uses the "chaos theory" in its thinking process.  She has to gather all the information, consider all the possibilities, explore all the avenues.  And at the end, she doesn't necessarily "make a decision."  It's more like the right decision just leaps out at her.

Understanding this principle and its placement in her garment pattern helped us find the patience to trust her process.  She graduated from Wellesley College this past spring.   Guess what?  She went through the exact same process in finding a job.  She considered every possibility under the sun (the Wellesley alumni system is apparently strong and she again had many possibilities on her plate.)  Her parents again had to remind themselves often that they were watching Randomness at work in their daughter's life.  The pages in her mother's copy of The Invisible Garment which discuss Randomness were getting a little worn.

During her job search, Erin asked to see the garment information that her mother had -- oh so casually -- mentioned years before during the college hunt. Mom did her best to tactfully tell the "your mind works in Randomness" story to daughter, in hopes that it would help her understand herself better. (Warning: do not attempt this unless child asks!) Erin found this explanation quite relieving and comforting, experiencing a boost in confidence that her mind was not leading her astray, but instead in its own way leading her to its best expression of being, and educating her to the options around her at the same time. Eventually, Erin found a job which requires her to be in several different locations doing very different tasks throughout the course of a week, and in these situations, often needing to consider a wide variety of options and make appropriate decisions quickly. It's a good thing she's had so much practice!

--Cammie Doty

8. Poetry

Brass Kaleidoscope

by Dale Harcombe.

Dale Harcombe is a contemporary Australian poet; you can see some of her work at www.famouspoemsandpoets.com.  

My daughter raises the smooth
brass kaleidoscope
and watches as coloured glass slivers
conspire together.
New worlds create themselves before her eyes.
Garnet spires flirt with sapphire
and turquoise.
Topaz and amethyst meet in harmony,
a selenic mystery.
A melody of stars singing a tune only she
can hear.
Eclectic patterns shiver and shimmer
then splinter,
sparking off at tangents of
tourmaline and jasper.
An image complete in itself.

I had a kaleidoscope once.
Sometimes
I still see oblique patterns.

Slowly my daughter turns the wheel, finds
a jewelled tapestry
to her liking, and hands the kaleidoscope
to me.
For a time I see the world she sees
and it is good.

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