Category: The Latest

As someone who writes novels that explore the impact of time on life I can’t help but appreciate the timing of a news article.

One that invites me to share my unique perspective.

Note: I’ve explored the mysteries of time, alternate universes, and the concept of time travel since I was six.  No surprise it inspired one of my more powerful series.

Taken directly from Bishop Pair, a Metatron’s Army novel:

They paused outside a set of large double doors.  “What is this place?”

“The central lecture hall. You are about to begin your training.”

“But the Academy -.”

“The education you will receive here is beyond the scope of what is offered at the Academy.”

“Am I asleep?”

“Do you feel asleep?”

She hissed in frustration.  “I can’t take classes twenty-four hours a day, Alexander!  If I don’t get sleep my mind will shut down!”

“You are in no danger, Princess.  I would never let you come to harm.  Trust me.”  He pushed open the door, pointed.  “Please take your seat.”

She sat.  “Who -?”  The words died as her attention was drawn to the front of the room where a man in white robes was stepping up to a podium. She tried to make out the insignia just below his left shoulder.  It looked like a -.  She frowned.  It resembled the symbol associated with Aten, the Egyptian god of the sun.

“Pay attention, Princess.”

She sucked in a breath, looked around.  Alexander was nowhere to be seen.  The man at the podium cleared his throat.

“I can’t tell you what an honor it is to be here today among an audience of such distinguished members, many of whom are equally qualified, if not more so, to give this lecture.”

After taking a moment to make eye contact with each member of the audience, he cleared his throat.

“Man has always sought to understand his connection to the world he lived in.  He judged his very existence by comparing his connection to that world, by how he related to it.  The heavens, plant life, animals, even the water all moved in a rhythm that, though not always in harmony with his own, affected him deeply, nonetheless.”

Man?  Was she on Earth?

“Pay attention, Princess.”

Mentally acknowledging the rebuke, she focused on the man speaking.

“His essence, that indescribable energy within, shifted, changed relative to the world around him even as, like a dance, that world shifted and changed relative to him.  This essence recognized these shifts and alerted Man through vibrations.  Today, we call these vibrations feelings.

“There is little doubt that this internal alert system was necessary for survival.  The setting sun was an alert that the temperature would drop, the wind would pick up.

“The phases of the moon alerted man to the cycles of the oceans and rivers.

“Even as Man came to recognize these patterns on an instinctual level, he yearned to better understand them so that he could better connect with those rhythms.  He yearned to be in closer harmony with the rhythms of his world.

“He looked to the stars and as he witnessed and documented the heavenly bodies moving cyclically, he yearned to connect with them, to rise up to be among them.

“He looked to the fields and admired the tenacity of the plants to rejuvenate, to be reborn after storms, drought, seasonal extremes.

“He looked to the animals and watched with wonder as their innate knowledge, that inner essence Man was still trying to understand within himself, guided them to take actions that enabled them to not only survive but to thrive in an ever-changing environment.

“They knew when to migrate, and where and how to search for sustenance.  They knew what to eat and when.  In tune with their inner essence, they knew when to reproduce.

“All around Man, life was a repetitive dance.  Sometimes the dance was long, the steps difficult.  Other times, the dance was brief, the steps taking very little energy.  But the dance was something to be honored, if not enjoyed.  Man needed to better know how.”

It was difficult for Christine to keep herself from looking around to see who else was in attendance, to see if they looked like her.

“The drive to be in harmony with the rhythms of nature is as innate in Man as it is in any living creature, from the largest planetary body to the smallest insect that crawls beneath his feet.  And Man continually seeks to honor that drive so that he can better participate in this dance of life.

“As he began to observe his internal energy shifts relative to the world around him, Man came to understand that the world around him responded to those shifts and through a coexistence of energy, a synchronization of rhythm began.

“Man continued to study this interrelated relationship, eventually giving it a name, Time.”

Intrigued, she no longer found it difficult to pay attention.

“At its core, Time is a way to describe our essence, who and what we are.  It helps us define our place in the world.  As part of seeking to better understand this rhythm, Man began to take steps to gain control over it.  Again, initially this was necessary for survival but as Man began to master this rhythm, he instigated changes that, unfortunately, are all but impossible to undo.

“Our society has become utterly dependent upon the artificial controls Man has put in place to exert control over what was once completely natural.  We are told when it is time to wake up, even if it is outside of our natural circadian rhythms.  We are told when to eat even if it is outside of our body’s signals of hunger.  We are told when to sleep, regardless of whether or not we are tired, and we are provided with artificial lighting to help us avoid that sleep whenever it suits us.

“We are told when to study, when to go for supplies, and government mandates tell us when to take time off and when to celebrate.  We are told when it is appropriate to mate and to reproduce, according to societal norms that are not in harmony with the body and its natural rhythm.

“The tools that measure Time rule our lives.  Our actions are driven not by listening to our essence but by what the calendar says, or the time keeping piece, be it a clock, a personal device, or a personal time piece.

“We are dictated to by conflicting versions of these tools.  There is celestial time, also known as sidereal time.  Calendars vary by culture and by religious or philosophical belief.  Time pieces are continuously manipulated in an attempt to better control every moment of Man’s existence.  We use terms such as productivity to berate people for not being in better harmony, not with nature, but with these artificially created tools.

“So, what are we to do?  How can we possibly hope to reconnect to the very essence that defines us, and we must for it dictates our well-being.  And yet if we step outside of socially accepted time we are cast adrift, reduced to that state when we are no longer able to know our place in the world.  Without being able to relate to those living around us we are once again alone.

“I ask you, what can we do to resolve these conflicting needs?  We turn back to our roots.  We connect, not with the tools created by Man, but with nature. “

He cleared his throat.

“I am not suggesting we jettison the tools or try to ignore them.  We would learn very quickly that we have been bounced to the edges of societal acceptance.

“Instead, we should make it a point to reconnect to nature however possible, even in the smallest way, in order to maintain the rhythmic harmony so central to our very existence.

“If you live near a body of water, spend time observing its cycles.  Watch as the rivers rise and fall, churn with the wind and the elements.  Watch the ocean tides move in and out.

“Far better, and much easier, is to observe plant life.  The ideal expression of this is a natural forest that has not been artificially manipulated by Man.  Even in the interest of preventing fires, when Man prunes back the forests he disrupts its rhythm.  He affects events dictated by Time, albeit Natural Time.

“If you are unable to observe a forest, you can observe landscaping.  If you are unable to do even that much then get a plant.  A simple houseplant that can be put at your place of residence or work.  Watch how it changes throughout the day or night, the weeks and months of the year.  This simple act will remind that part of you that yearns to connect with nature and that by simply observing Nature’s Time, we can begin to repair that disruption within ourselves.”

There was a brief intermission during which she stayed seated and avoided looking around.

“You’ll note I left out a few key details.”

Her mind raced and failed to guess what those might be.

“I left out animals.  Unless you live where you can observe the natural rhythm of animals, you are dealing with creatures whose very existence has been manipulated by Man and his tools of control.  When you domesticate a living creature you change its rhythms to match your needs.  You feed the animal when it is convenient for you.  You groom the animal when it is convenient for you.  You take away the animal’s ability to reproduce, seriously interrupting a key component of its internal rhythm.  You force the animal to behave in a way outside of its normal existence and its energy rhythms relative to the world it lives in.

“Even farm animals have been forced into labors outside their natural rhythms, with devastating repercussions Man has yet to fully grasp.

“And speaking of manipulation, have we not done the same to the plant life of our planet through agricultural practices?  Through the thinning of forests on our schedule?  By the very cultivation of a plant outside of its natural environment and into something smaller and more easily managed by man?

“We have disrupted the rhythm of plants as much as animals but – just as with ourselves – you cannot hope to control these natural rhythms.  You cannot force an animal or plant to do your bidding without paying a price.  The animal will die an unnatural death, perhaps sooner than it would have in nature.

“The plants will also have an unnatural lifespan, perhaps bearing fruit early even as the tree itself dies.  When you artificially manipulate nature, you will always be fighting its strength and its attempts to reassert itself.

“The same is true of Man.  Why do you think there are so many challenges facing a simple workday?  Because Man is continuously struggling against the tools he is forced to use to judge his existence by.  He spends unhappy hours breathing in pollution while traveling to and from his place of work or to drop his children off for their allotted time of education.  He is wolfing down food in his allotted time to eat, then living with the consequences of indigestion and other woes.

“In an attempt to use up the tool of celebration within its allotted parameters, he overindulges, often with grave consequences.

“The Man who lives out of Natural Time is a man enslaved.

“And of course, I can see you are wondering about a rather significant omission.  Space.

“What about the heavenly bodies?  Is it possible to connect to that essence, that rhythm, and reconnect to our place in the world?

“I argue that it is not possible because the universe that houses the heavenly bodies is simply too vast.  With millions upon millions of stars and planetary bodies continually going through cyclical changes reflective of their individual rhythms, it is impossible to know our rhythm in relation.  There are simply too many.

“Not to mention, we are unable to even connect to and obey the natural rhythms of the star we can see.  The sun.  We are out of harmony with the planet we live on so how can we expect to connect to the numerous planetary bodies that are above and astrally all around us.

“We cannot.

“We must first conquer what is home, what is within us before we can hope to look to the universe for answers to our most pressing questions concerning our existence.”

He stepped away from the podium, bowed to the audience.

“Thank you for your time.”

The presenter left the room and in spite of applause that was all but deafening, did not return for an ovation.

Christine considered.  The man presenting seemed tired and a bit on the shy side; almost embarrassed.

“It is the caliber of the minds in the audience.”

Startled, she looked over to see Alexander.  How long had the Light Being been beside her?

“Come with me, Princess.”

In a daze, she followed him from the lecture hall.  She wanted to check out her fellow classmates but couldn’t seem to concentrate.

“All in good time, Princess.”

They stopped at a beautiful door.

“May I give you a word of advice, Princess?”

“Okay.”

“The caliber of the minds in the audience?  Consider that you are one of them.”