“Yellowstone National Park was established on this day in 1872. President Ulysses S. Grant set aside this remarkable enclave of natural wonders “for the enjoyment of the people.” In a century known for its rapacious exploitation of the environment, this declaration stands apart, a historic date in our relationship with the earth.

Yellowstone and other national treasures call out to us in their uniqueness, in their fragility as well as in their strength. As Alice Walker writes, “Anything we love can be saved.” Consider today what wonders of the world, large or small, summon love from you – and what can be done to preserve them. The more we care for the delicate marvels of the planet, the more we care for ourselves.”

Brian Nelson

“An honest man, armed with all the knowledge available to us now, could only state that in some sense, the origin of life appears at the moment to be almost a miracle, so many are the conditions which would have had to have been satisfied to get it going.”

Francis Crick, who, together with James Watson, discovered the chemical structure of DNA on this day in 1953.

The Gift by Mary Oliver

“Be still, my soul, and steadfast.
Earth and heaven both are still watching
though time is draining from the clock
and your walk, that was confident and quick,
has become slow.

So, be slow if you must, but let
the heart still play its true part.
Love still as once you loved, deeply
and without patience. Let God and the world
know you are grateful.
That the gift has been given.”

“Our mind is enriched by what we receive, our heart by what we give.”

Victor Hugo, born on this day in 1802

“The only thing we really have to work at in this life is how to manifest love.”

George Harrison, born on this day in 1943

Anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Prayer for the Peace of the World by Hazrat Inayat Khan

“O Thou, the Almighty Sun,
whose light cleareth away all clouds,
we take refuge in Thee,
King of men, God of all deities,
Lord of all angels.

We pray Thee
dispel the mists of illusion
from the hearts of the nations
and lift their lives
by Thy all-sufficient power.

Pour upon them
Thy limitless love
Thy everlasting life
Thy heavenly joy
and Thy perfect peace.”

“Fight the good fight; and always call to mind that it is not you who are mortal, but this body of ours. For your true being is not discerned by perceiving your physical appearance.”

Samuel Pepys, born on this day in 1633

“In the old fairy tales princes were always being turned into frogs, and princesses who wanted husbands were always being asked to kiss them. Maybe this is a Jungian parable about love – how it requires that you accept the animal within people if you want to enjoy their more “civilized” attributes as well.

Perhaps we should consider every frog a prince. Start to think in different terms – deem every dog a duke and every cat a countess, regard every rabbit as royalty and every mosquito a monarch. What if we stopped judging the earth as a place of untidy wildness in need of human dominion – and instead bowed to nature’s nobility?”

Brian Nelson

“Life is short. People are not easy to know. They’re not easy to know, so if you don’t tell them how you feel, you’re not going to get anywhere, I feel.”

Nina Simone, born on this day in 1933

“”If the doors of perception are cleansed, everything would appear as it is, infinite.” William Blake

The doors of perception are the senses – not only the physical senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, but also the subtle senses of inner vision, resonance instinct, discrimination, and empathy. Without the cooperation of these two sets of senses, we cannot perceive truly.

To be able to perceive everything as it really is means retraining and exercising senses that we have often neglected. Meditation can hone our subtle senses, as we reach beyond the physical for the unseen reality and its meaning…

When the doors of perception are cleansed, we receive earlier warning of matters that are likely to be dangerous or problematic for us; we are subsequently able to make better decisions, draft more accurate forecasts, and read the character of the universe in an altogether better way.

Practice using your subtle senses in combination with your physical senses today. Your eyes tell you one thing about a person, but what do your ears tell you? Is the message different? What do your deep instinct and discrimination have to say?”

Caitlin Matthews