From Fear to Love

From the Golden Tarot, the Eight of Wands:

Eight wands fly through the air, one with a message attached; they point downward as they race towards their destination.  A pheasant, a solar bird for the Chinese, seems to follow them.  Tonight is the winter solstice, the darkest night of the year, and I'll be traveling and gathering with other companions for a wheel ceremony under the stars.  There will be much reflection as well as celebration; though the temperatures will be below freezing, our hearts will warmed by the fellowship.  I found this excerpt of a speech given by Bolivian President Evo Morales to the UN and felt it was appropriate for today: 
"...according to the Mayan Calendar the 21st of December marks the end of the time and the beginning of no-time. It is the end of the Macha and the beginning of the Pacha. It is the end of selfishness and the beginning of brotherhood. It is the end of individualism & the beginning of collectivism…­The scientists know very well that this marks the end of an anthropocentric life and the beginning of a biocentric life. It is the end of hatred & the beginning of love. The end of lies & the beginning of truth. It is the end of sadness & the beginning of joy. It is the end of division & the beginning of unity."

From the Yantra Deck comes "Compassion - embracing all beings:"

This is another version of the Sri Yantra that shows man's spiritual journey from separation to unity.  The authors describe it as a "shift from fear to love."  Most people are exposed to the idea that we should love one another, but often this doesn't include the earth and its natural residents.  I've been getting a weekly email from Spirituality & Health, and today's included a quote by Scott Russell Sanders that seemed especially relevant to the topic of compassion:
"The Hubble photos increased our estimate of the number of galaxies fivefold, from ten to fifty billion, and thereby also dramatically increased our estimate for the odds of life having evolved elsewhere. Measured against all those worlds, all that potential life, what do eagles and owls and ferns matter? Why would it matter if they disappeared, not only from my neighborhood but everywhere? The most immediate and personal answer is that, if they were gone, I would grieve. Quite aside from their roles in the web of life, they are companions and teachers; they are unique expressions of the beauty that suffuses the whole of Creation. Asking what good are eagles and owls, or ebony spleenworts, or black-footed ferrets, or snaildarters, or any other of our fellow travelers, is like asking what good are brothers and sisters, or children, or friends. Such questions arise only in the absence of love."