A little after midnight on May 11, 2024, Meher Mount Caretaker Ray Johnston received a phone call…
“You gotta go out and look toward the Topas,” said the friend over the phone.
Immediately Ray ran outside and saw the aurora borealis behind the Topa Topa Bluffs.
The rest of the Ojai Valley was covered in clouds, but higher up, the sky presented this incredible light show.
The aurora borealis appeared due to a geomagnetic storm caused by solar flares. This meant that parts of the world that are never able to see the aurora borealis (also referred to as the Northern Lights) were able to witness it for two nights in a row.
Board member Agnes Montano captured the natural poetry of an oak leaf falling on the flagstones of Baba’s Walkway at Meher Mount.
These words of Avatar Meher Baba seemed to fit the image.
“Do not let any material thoughts or worries disturb your mind and eat it away. Let people say what they please.
Be like a rock that is unaffected by the continuous blasts of wind and remains firm in its place without moving an inch.
Do not be like a leaf of a tree moved here and there by the slightest breeze, and eventually falling off.”
— Avatar Meher Baba
Meher Baba walked this flagstone pathway when He visited Meher Mount in 1956. This walkway is a reminder that the Avatar of the Age walked among us and shared His love.
It contains the echoes of Meher Baba’s footsteps — a memento of His presence. It walkway symbolizes our connection to the Divine, Meher Baba.
“When I became a lover I thought I had gained the Pearl of the God; foolish I did not know that his Pearl lies on the floor of an ocean which has innumerable waves to be encountered and great depths to be sounded.” — Hafiz
And the squirrel looks down and says, ‘Hey.’ I have been saying ‘Hey’ lately too, to God. Formalities just weren’t working.” — Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī
“The love just poured out of Him. His vibrations were like a hummingbird. You couldn’t see the vibrations, but you knew the vibrating. You felt that in Baba.” — Agnes Baron on meeting Avatar Meher Baba
“The pond is an essential part of Meher Mount’s role as a sanctuary for all life, large and small. A hub for life in a challenging environment. ” — Ray Johnston, Caretaker
One morning when the birds were singing and splashing in the fountain, I heard an amazing amount of buzzing coming from the rosemary bush by the Visitor Center.
Watching the bees swarm over the blossoms, I was inspired to pick up my sketchbook to do a quick draw. Later, I added some watercolor and played with my new paint pens.
"In the 24 years I have lived at Meher Mount, I’ve come to think there is a battle going on here between the light and the dark,” lifetime caretaker Agnes Baron told Adi K. Irani, Meher Baba’s close disciple, in 1970.
“Agni, It’s not a battle between the light and the dark ,” Adi responded. “It’s a balancing.”
On this day Meher Mount is reminded of the indelible and enduring impressions of Agnes Baron (1907-1994), co-founder of Meher Mount whom Meher Baba affectionately called His watchdog.
On a walk along Baba’s Path, temporary caretakers Robert Turnage and Kristina Somma noticed a slight movement on the ground. There at the mouth of a gopher hole was a beautiful little frog, almost perfectly camouflaged by its brown color. What a lovely gift.
“Lo, I am with you always means when you look for God, God is in the look of your eyes, in the thought of looking, nearer to you than your self, or things that have happened to you There’s no need to go outside.
Be melting snow. Wash yourself or yourself.
A white flower grows in quietness. Let your tongue become that flower.”
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about. Ideas, language, even the phrase each other doesn’t make any sense.” — Rumi
Ron Holsey and I were taking a hike around the grounds. I kept noticing how many fragrant, picturesque plants and flowers we were surrounded by.
All the colors were perfectly autumn and beautifully varied.
On the way back to the Visitor Center, I picked any that made me go, “Wow look at this one.’” I didn’t even have to arrange them. They formed a natural harmony like they did in the fields.
I appreciate how beautiful it is to be at Meher Mount.
