What is the purpose for your spiritual practice? I asked this question to a lot of people and very few could answer it. Why do they have a need for spiritual beliefs? My husband and I talk about this often. He has no need of a Spiritual practice or belief. He's decided human beings can't know if God exists for sure or an afterlife so why bother thinking of them? This has brought him peace. Most of the people I asked didn't know at first. One replied that it was to build a relationship with God. For most, it appears to be a habit that their parents gave them. Most people don't have a conscious purpose for their Spiritual Practice. Most of the time it is just an inherited Idea that they learned from their parents. If they don't show up for Church on Sunday they are bad and may be damned to hell. If they do show up they are promised a place in the Afterlife where they won't be tormented. That is the long and short of their religious practice and it's purpose...not to be destroyed. My Spiritual Practice My spiritual practice is seeking truth. Reading as much as I can from every perspective possible and coming to conclusions. I can see a thread of truth throughout all of the religions and ancient practices. Through the course of that I studied psychology, Buddhism and meditation. That has probably contributed more to my life concerning quality and general peacefulness. Meditation is but a small part of my practice but I do it diligently every night just before going to bed and during stressful times at work or home. Mostly, I am open minded and will give any spiritual perspective my time. From the ancient beliefs of the Egyptians to the most modern Christian Sects there are general similarities. There is much in all of the systems that would unite all people if they could see the same small thread that I see. Yet, mysteriously, I've found the more I've learned and comprehend The One Creator, the less I can convey to my fellow human beings. Existing within tiny little perception boxes of their own creation anything that does not speak to directly to their experience seems nonsensical. Oneness is not something that can be adequately described when experienced especially when we are conditioned towards a belief in Separation. Why Seek? First, most people don't become seekers. Most people's spiritual practice consists of going somewhere like a Church or Temple or Mosque and being told about God. They leave the relationship with God to the priests of the religious orders and only show up to hear about him on days of particular religious significance to cover their assess in case there is a God. They pay the priests to keep out of hell. Often times, they describe it in their mind in a different more flowery appealing way but to speak plainly this is their practice. I always felt that the perspective priests tell is warped. Even as a child I knew they were in the business of making money as opposed to helping the people they work with find peace. The fact they love to scare and terrify people with the idea that the Devil can spiritually attack them and that they will go to Hell if the people don't do exactly as the Priests says...They always sounded like a used car Salesman to me. The more dependent and hopeless the people are the more their flock grows and the more money they make. Over the course of Seeking for spiritual answers I've come across a lot of unpleasant beliefs that people have constructed. I took them into consideration but I became aware of the feelings that they invoked. Why do I want to bring an idea into my life and hold onto it that would bring me mental pain and anguish? Why would I choose to live life feeling guilty just because I was born human? Listening to my own heart I learned that the ideas that brought me unpleasant feelings, freaked me out and increased my anxiety were not good. Ideas like the Apocalypse just didn't make sense...why would a loving Creator want to destroy the world he created? Why would I want to see other people being punished...going to a public execution, to me is distasteful, let alone witnessing a global execution. Ideas that brought me peace, that Revelation is not a book of prophecy but spiritual self-discovery for example, simply ring more true then those that bring fear. They are more subtle ideas than the doom and gloom blood thirsty vengeance...but it makes everything more personal. A lot of that meant letting go of my desire to see my fellow human beings punished and a desire for my own punishment for my supposed guilt for being born human. What is my Purpose? My purpose is to find peace and rest in my relationship with the cosmos and the One Creator. I've gone through phases of not believing and exploring more philosophical questions. The questions philosophers have asked is can God be all powerful but have an enemy, Satan, that appears to be equal to him? How can God be good if he allows evil to exist in the world? Why is God male and does that mean that women are inferior? No doubt, these questions give atheists a lot of ammunition against most religious people who can't answer these questions. Mostly, I've sought peace and understanding. I've found the answers to be something far beyond what I expected but they make far more sense then the small petty little ideas that priests offer. I'm not afraid of questioning God. I no longer call it God because that confuses the matter. What God are you speaking of when you say that- Apollo, Yahweh, Zeus, Enlil or Osiris? There are so many God's with so many names and most of them have been dismissed. Most of them have been personified and projected upon so they might as well being human beings walking among us right here on Earth. I went through a phase of calling God All-That-Is but I didn't like that either. I called it Source, because it's the Source of all life but that didn't quite capture the essence either. I've called it Spirit, but that encompasses all of the Spiritual Dimensions...so I've started calling it The One Creator. I don't believe The One Creator is male or female. Nor is it in the image of a human being. The small seed of Spirit that we often call the Soul is in the image of the One Creator not the physical human body. In all of the religions under the vast amount of names that human beings have assigned to it...at the end of the day it's all interpretations of The One Creator. This is a very unifying idea. Conclusion I went in with a lot of questions seeking the truth and that has been my spiritual practice more then anything else. If I did not see the thread of truth in all religions and spiritual belief systems I might not believe in the One Creator at all. Yet, it's clear that there has been contact with forces beyond the human scope of imagination and that they have been trying to help us. Sadly, human beings were easily wowed and worshiped those forces instead of understanding those beings were equal to us. Once you remove all of the human projections that we have put on the One Creator it becomes something more beautiful than most religious thinkers are capable of comprehending. Yet, the idea I hold is a conglomerate of all of the different religions of the world and their natural conclusion. The One Creator is a non-judgmental being waiting for us to wake from the slumber of a nightmare who seeks companionship. There is no Satan or the Devil aside from the Ego which exists within our minds and must be tamed to the point where it dissolves. This removes The One Creator's responsibility for the evil in the world and puts it directly into the hands of the human beings. There is no Satan to blame either...it's just a bunch of people giving into the darkness that resides within them. They gave that darkness a name and tried to make it a seperate entity from them...but it is as much a part of them as their Soul that unifies them with the One Creator. Herein, I've found peace and understanding for my fellow human beings. No longer seeing people as ships weathered by storm and sea by an unforgiving God...I see people operating as victims of their subconscious and Ego living out patterns and ideas that belonged to their parents without questioning them...which came from previous generations. They try filling a deep hole within them but don't realize that it doesn't need to be there...that they created it by believing in the Illusion of Separation. They can resolve the battle between good and evil that exists within their own mind. I've also found that most of this is even talked about in the bible but easily misunderstood. I also understand that this is how it's meant to be...that people who aren't interested won't understand the deeper mysteries because they are not interested. Talking to them is like talking to a wall and expecting an appreciative answer...it won't come. Some seek heaven. What I found is that this world is just a dream. In another dimension we never left heaven or home...we are still and ever will be with the One Creator whole and complete with no possibility of being tempted into destruction. We can experience heaven within our consciousness right now in this moment if we so choose...it takes some discipline and a practice like meditation to quiet and then dissolve the ego but it's an effortless natural by-product. The path can be as complicated or as simple as we wish.
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***************************Warning Contains Spoilers************************************
If you haven't seen this movie yet, what is wrong with you? This movie is absolutely amazing. There was a lot in it that I wasn't expecting. The humor was far and above better then most movies that set out to be a comedy. I am really surprised with this year. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is now my second favorite film. That's really shocking to me. Within the last year three movies have come out to bump movies that I used to love. Two of those are Marvel which is even more amazing...but at the same time not as I have always loved the comics for a reason. In previous years, I wouldn't even go to the movies. There was nothing out that I even desired to see. Having quality movies being made...primarily Star Wars and Marvel..is amazing. Aside from the humor what really makes this movie amazing is their treatment of Ego...literally a character named Ego which is a very adequate metaphor the Ego in human beings. This movie literally had me laughing so hard I was crying. I was slapping my thigh in humor at parts. Particularly when Chris Pratt turned himself into PacMan by using the Light of the Interior of the Planet. What Family means The movie was really focused on human relationships. Relationships were the center of the film as we watch the characters grow with one another. The members of the Guardian's of the Galaxy are not related by blood...they are a family that have chosen one another. I have experienced much the same thing with my friends Jennifer and Joe Lara. My husband, Ross,and I treated them to seeing Guardians of the Galaxy for Joe's birthday. I fully feel that they are family and all of us have a deep bond that goes beyond friendship. There is no judgement of one another but unconditional love and support no matter what the other person is going through. Each of us look to one another for advice and support...and we receive advice and support when we need it. We accept each other with all of our flaws and all of our gifts. That's what this movie was really about...family. Relationships Most people are involved in the relationships they are because they are projecting onto other people. They are so involved with themselves they don't see what's going on with the other person in the relationship. They project whatever they want to see on the other person instead of really seeing them. This happens all of the time in human relationships. This really stood out in the character Gamora and her relationship with her sister Nebula. She was so focused on survival she hadn't paid attention to what she did when her father pit her against Nebula. She didn't see that Nebula was suffering and had she just lost a fight that might not have happened. Instead, Gamora always had to win. Rocket and Yondu While this is an extension of the previous subject I think it deserves it's own section. In the movie Yondu tells Rocket he knows exactly who he is and why he steals stuff like batteries that he doesn't really need. After explaining how the scientists who created Rocket didn't give a crap about him, and that there is this big gaping hole in Rocket that he is trying to fill....Yondu explains that he understands it because he's the same way. The majority of human beings on this planet are this way. We try to fill that gaping hole with whatever we can...usually with physical objects. Little doo dads that we think will fulfill us or reflect us in some way. This really captures a part of the human condition and I felt it was really beautiful. Ego Clearly a huge metaphor this one really hit home. The character of Ego is all about himself and is incapable of loving others. When asked by Star-lord if he is a god Ego replies, "With a little g," these means that he is not the creator...in fact Ego isn't even sure where he comes from which is what drives him to seek out other life. Having perceived himself he goes out to look for life. The image they show is him looking at a little girl holding a teddy bear. He explains that when he encounters this little girl which represents life outside of himself he is...disappointed. Being disappointed in what he encounters he decides that all of life...all of the different planets and all of the beings must become a part of him. He has to eradicate all other life so that they can share in his perfection. That is the only way he will grow and evolve. That's exactly what Ego in the human personality does. Seeing that those around them are less-than what they perceive as worthy...they try to force their will upon them and make them conform to their perception of reality. This is the, "If only everyone perceived the world the way I do it would be perfect," mentality. Yet, Ego's world is, "Not right," as Gamora said. There are no people or animals..it is beautiful but lifeless and in it's perfection it is over done and sterile. In fact, the only person that Ego really loved was Star-Lord's mother and he put a cancer tumor into her brain to kill her. He did this because he was tempted to stay with her and it kept him from his 'purpose.' He purposely killed the only person for whom he felt love. This metaphor was what really hit home for me and just blew my mind. On the way home I was telling my husband that Ego was my favorite part of the movie because it was such a perfectly captured metaphor. He stated he doubted that most movie goers would perceive the Ego metaphor. Even if people don't recognize or associate the character of Ego with their own Ego...maybe future generations will get it. I would like to think that the reason the Marvel movies have been so much more successful than the DC ones is because they have the philosophical core of truth to them. Star Lord Star-lord completely rejects Ego. He is told that he is a god and he is offered all of the power of his Celestial power. He can stay on that planet and draw from the Light to create whatever he wants. Yet, when he realizes what his father intends to do he chooses to destroy his father, Ego, to save the rest of the universe. When his father realizes this he says, "But then you will be like everyone else!" Star-lord replies, "What's wrong with that?" This is the beauty of what you begin to see when you release your Ego. Ego says you are some sort of special god...just like the Pharoahs of old or the Pope think they alone can rule mankind...that's what Ego says. The thing is that we are equal and equally worthy within the Mind of the Creator. There is not a single person on this planet that is truly more valuable than another. The homeless veteran on the street has as much value to the Creator as Donald Trump...we just don't perceive each other that way which is a real shame and failing of the human race. Conclusion This was an awesome movie. I'm sorry I repeated that but it was so worth it! I did just realize that Ego was much like Dormammu in Dr. Strange. There are a lot of things humanity is learning about itself. As I said in the Dr. Strange Review (here) Ego is something that we really struggle with on Earth. I will do a post in Ego but to see it so blatantly put out there in the movies bringing that issue into consciousness is pretty awesome. (Ego also nicely reflects how I perceive The Empire and Darth Vader from Star Wars as well but that's another post). At the end of the day all of us are part of the human family. We are all motivated by different experiences we had in the past. Yet, there are some things that all of us experience. The deep dark hole that Yondu and Rocket represent in this movie is something all of us feel. Even if we had parents that took care of us and fed our self-esteem (another word for ego, which explains the Millennials doesn't it?) we still feel that deep gaping hole in ourselves...that feels unlovable. All of us have an Ego in this world. Some of us learn how to subdue the Ego, as I have been learning and which is the primary spiritual teaching. Some are more Egotistical than others...and usually people hate them because they represent everything they hate in themselves. I feel such Gratitude for Source and that these movies are getting made. I've decided to share the meaning of the symbolism of the snake with you as I have come to know it. The realization of it's meaning started with a very personal journey and then a realization of the universality of this symbol and it's meaning.
As the picture of our snake, Speeder, shows my husband and do not possess phobias about snakes. Although, I know a great many friends and family members that do have a phobia. As always, Spirit speaks in abstract symbols in my dreams. These can be hard to interpret at times and sometimes they are very clear. In the case of the snake symbol it all started with what felt like a nightmare. In the Native American culture everyone has some sort of medicine they offer others based on their animal. I had a dream not very long ago where I realized mine was snake medicine. I was seeing these three snakes heading towards me as a voice told me that it was my medicine. I tried to argue as much as I could because I did not want it to be true. Snakes are almost universally hated. I didn't want to be universally hated as well. In the dreams the snakes bit me over and over. On the calf, on the soft part between the thumb and index finger. I had so many snake bites I thought I should have died. I realized I just absorbed the venom. Then the voice told me that I had been bitten so many times that I had become numb to it and learned to transform the bites into something positive. That's when I realized it wasn't terrible to be a snake medicine person. In My Books I realized that I had created similar character's in my stories about the world I had created: Merosis. In that world there were assassins that took poison until it no longer had an effect on them. The small doses allowed their body to adapt to the poisons so it would not kill them and they could do their job more effectively. I always loved these characters and they were some of my favorite to write. Little did I realize that people could be that way in real life. Viper Pits I had described much of my life as being flung into viper pits. This is how I look at most social situations. Especially work situations where people are back stabbers. I've realized this is the normal way of human interaction. People attack those in whom they see themselves...especially if it's the bad traits they want to deny in themselves. I have worked with vile co-workers that cared for nothing but themselves. They acted out of self interests to the point where they could not even see the people they worked with as fellow human beings. They were only out for themselves and willing to stab or step on anyone to reach their goals. I couldn't understand why I kept attracting these situations where people rejected me. I have had these situations my entire life starting with elementary school. I will go into that story elsewhere. To put it simply when each person bit me I learned something. I experienced betrayal and rejection so much that I became intimate with it. To the point where it no longer effected me. Snake Medicine Here is what Jamie Sam's says about Snake Medicine in the companion Book to her Medicine Cards pg 61: "Snake Transmutation Snake medicine people are very rare. Their initiation involves experiencing and living through multiple snake bites, which allows them to transmute all points, be they mental, physical, spiritual, or emotional. The power of snake medicine is the power of creation, for it embodies sexuality, psychic energy, alchemy, reproduction, and ascension (or immortality). The transmutation of the life-death-rebirth cycle is exemplified by the shedding of Snake's skin. It is the energy of wholeness, cosmic consciousness, and the ability to experience anything willingly and without resistance. It is the knowledge that all things are equal in creation, and that those things which might be experienced as poison can be eaten, ingested, integrated, and transmuted if one has the proper state of mind. Thoth, the Atlantean who later returned as Hermes and was the father of alchemy, used the symbol of two snakes intertwining around a sword to represent healing. Complete understand and acceptance of the male and female within each organism creates a melding of the two into one, thereby producing divine energy. This medicine teaches you on a personal level that you are a universal being. Through accepting all aspects of your life, you can bring about the transmutation of the fire medicine. This fire energy, when functioning on the material plane, creates passion, desire, procreation, and physical vitality. On the emotional plane, it becomes ambition, creation, resolution and dreams. On the mental plane it becomes intellect, power, charisma, and leadership. When this Snake energy reaches the spiritual plane, it becomes wisdom, understanding , wholeness , and connect to Great Spirit. If you have chosen this symbol, there is a need within you to transmute some thought, action or desire so that wholeness can be achieved. This is heavy magic, but remember, magic is no more than a change in consciousness. Become the magician or the enchantress: transmute the the energy and accept the power of the fire." Conclusion I will go into how often I have been rejected by others in another blog. I think that has been a very important part of my journey. That is one of those greatest fears that most of us carry. I faced it so often it became ordinary to have it happen. Through being 'bitten' by people so often throughout my life I have no fear of it at all. I have been rejected for no reason. I have been hated for no reason. I have always had a big heart and given my all to others. Even at a young age I really wanted to help others. Snake medicine is very powerful. I have no doubt that my dream was right...even though I was afraid of such medicine I now consider it to be very empowering. I have long considered myself a translator. I've come to the belief that I am not really native to this Planet when it comes to my soul. I don't believe I was among the original group that became trapped in matter and began to fear God. I am one of those Star Seeds or Wanders who came to help. I am relatively new to Earth and the experience of separation that occurred here. As I have delved into the mysteries in many traditions I have seen the story that we keep telling ourselves. Mistakenly people believe it is the story of Source, which in a way it is because all is Source, but it also the story of each soul that comes here. The snake is an important symbol of that journey but it is as much of God/Source/All-That-IS as anything else. Nothing is a coincidence. Spirit has been trying to tell us the same thing over and over through different cultures for centuries. The snake is an important symbol and plays a role in that message. From the Egyptian, to Hindu, to Jewish, to Mayan, to Inca and to the Chinese...over and over again the snake image is used (sometimes as a dragon) and it is always powerful. There is a reason the caduceus with it's two snakes entwined- the symbol Hermes and Thoth carries- still represents healing. I ran into one of those people who believes in the Power of Positive thinking.
I've always disliked that movement and I couldn't put a finger onto why until I read a little bit of work by the author I encountered. While I do believe that 'right thinking' (a concept originating from Buddhism) does contribute to a person's overall health and happiness in life the Positive Thinking Group leaves much to be desired. As I've journeyed along the Path of the Seeker I've discovered many things. One of them is that you can't force your will on the Cosmos without a lot of work and effort...which isn't necessary if you learn to flow with it instead. All of the books, tips and techniques about manifesting can be skipped...if you learn to listen to your intuition and learn how to go with the flow of creation. Patience, according to Edgar Cacye, is one of the Fruits of the Spirit experienced by those who are working with the One Creator. The less patience, compassion and understanding a person has the less they are at One with the will of the Creator. A Financial Scam The tips, tricks, and techniques written about in books about Positive Thinking just feel like a scam as you read them...as though they are leaving out the good deep stuff (and they are). They claim that by just being happy all of the time you can make lots of money...but most of us know that's not how being happy works and that money doesn't make anyone happier. You can't wish yourself into a happier state of being very easily. That's the thing with the Positive Thinking Movement and books like The Secret. They are marketed to people as a means by which they can experience financial prosperity RIGHT NOW. They really don't promise much else and a lot of people try the techniques or buy the book because they want to be rich. The techniques are inevitably vision boards or affirmations...but they don't tell you all of the little pitfalls you can fall into...or that the house you put on your vision board isn't going to be available for fifteen years because the people living in it are happy...and you actually limit opportunities because you focus on manifesting that particular house...when there might be a better house available right now! The people who promote Positive Thinking go around the country speaking to companies. There is a huge industry for that sort of thing. That right there should tell you that the primary thing being sold is a way to make a lot of money. Usually, While the people who promote it and get involved in it might make a lot of money speaking at events or selling books about this idea...that's not proof that it works for everyone. Not everyone is meant to be a public speaker or an author or work in marketing. Some people, even when they make a lot of money, can't keep it...but the Positive Thinking movement doesn't even begin to address that issue. A Health Block Further, there are groups that say that what you think affects your health. Yes, it does but so does a lot of other factors. For someone who is depressed, moody or chronically ill this just makes things worse. This implies that there is something intrinsically wrong with them and that they 'want' to be that way. There is no mention that their state of being might be inherited from mental patterns they learned from their environment growing up. Further, it doesn't help to tell people with chronic diseases it's their fault they are sick and then give them a, "Well you should see life as all Rainbows and Unicorns in order to be well..." Since the Positive Thinking movement is all about material results and doesn't even mention paitence or how things might not go right...it can be very detrimental to people psychologically. An Overall Lack of The Creator In these books the Creator is simply not mentioned. There is no room in this Positive Thinking trend for The Creator. This is a group wanting to be neutral when it comes to spiritual beliefs. After all, anyone of any faith can think Positively and don't have to question dogma. You are, according to some, you'r own personal little God and therefore you can manifest whatever you want! Just with your thoughts! Like a little genie! Not only is that magical thinking...but it's not like you snap your fingers and gain control over your thoughts. Most people are ruled by subconscious ideas that trigger emotions leading to thoughts that seem to come from nowhere. There is a reason why Buddhist monks take lifetimes meditating to tame their minds. In fact, the entire movement is materialistic at it's core, "Here is the magical power of thought and how you can harness it to get the house/car/lifestyle you always wanted!" To quote Han Solo from The Force Awakens, "That's not how the Force works!" The Spiritual Path While financial prosperity is a part of a the Spiritual Seeking path...it comes naturally as a by product of the process. Prosperity is not the goal. In fact, there is point where you look at the material goods you collect and wonder at the pointlessness of them. By focusing only on financial security a person could become totally blinded to Seeking an understanding of Creation...their purpose and their reason for being in the cosmos. Instead, for those people who do see results it becomes a question of, "What material thing can I manifest next!?" That focus is what derails prosperity. Spirit isn't going to reward someone by naturally opening up pathways if all they are focused on the next way they can force their will on the universe to get their next physical item. Spirit doesn't care how many cars you have in your garage. That's the path of service-to-self but it's not an easy one. That one takes a lot of work, because you're trying to shape the cosmos to your will. I've found it is so much more easier to unite my will with the power of the Creator and let things flow naturally. When that happens apparent blocks dissolve like so much smoke and everything just comes naturally to fruition without so much effort. What is natural for you to have in Creation will come to you will little effort. Yet, this requires going to the root of why you are not having a easy joyous life. You have to go through the ideas that are holding you back, how they occurred and where the errors in thinking come from in order to fix them. Fixing them is as simple as naming them and naming why that behavior doesn't work. Ask the people at AA meetings and they'll understand...maybe they don't apply to every area of their life but they can sure tell you about their addiction (a behavior) and why it doesn't work. Telling people that they have to look into the inner dark of their own psyche, however, doesn't sound as appealing as, "Think and Grow Rich!" In fact, most people are downright scared to look into that dark mirror. The image there is just an illusion, an illusion that can be named and dealt with but the sense of guilt, shame and self-rejection runs so deep most don't have the courage. For people with deep issues with negative behavioral patterns that are experiencing an unpleasant life these books can deepen their sorrow. They think something is wrong with them and that's why they can't make it work for them. Yes, something is off in their idea system and the way they are thinking does help create their experience...but they are not at fault as it's usually a multi-generational idea/error that's blocking them. Just telling them, "Don't be negative! Think positive," won't do a darn thing but demoralize them. Conclusions The Positive thinking movement has done more harm then good. To promote it is to promote materialism. Yes, it sells books like mad. Everyone wants a quick and easy route to more stuff. Yet, that's not the Path of the Seeker. Nor, is more stuff really prosperity. Prosperity comes easily when you find your natural calling in life, all of the tools you need are flowed to you effortlessly...because you're will is One with the Creators. Why would the Creator block it's own will? There are lots of blocks to finding that calling...blocks that are just illusions but the only way to see them for what they are requires that you examine them. That's why the Service to Other path is so much easier then the Service to Self. There is one Belief that does outweigh all others which can wipe out all blocks. That is the only short cut that exists. The belief is so simple...that all of Creation is One...and that we are different projections of that One...and we are all One. When you can really look at another human being, or a plant or a dog, or a spider and know that you are...at a core level of being on another dimension you cannot perceive One harmonious entity...well, it changes your entire perspective and you have limitless compassion. That's an advanced point of view though...and so foreign to our modern scientific or religious ideas of reality it seems like utter nonsense. Yes, your thoughts are powerful and help the One Creator create the universe which is no finished...but you are merely one small aspect of the whole...and you can choose to block that river of energy by trying to assert your own will allowing it only to go into channels that you want which may not exist ...or you can submit and let it flow through you to everything around you. Eventually, in some life the service to self people will discover that to serve others is to serve the self because all are One...but it's a rough road. There is a line in the sand. Positive Thinking leads to self-service and that's why some find it so easy for them to apply. Yes, it can be the first step on the path to comprehending the Creator even for a Spiritual Seeker because it does represent a seed of truth that can be fully realized with more research...but for others it will lead them to a dead end filled with despair thinking the reason they are having negative experiences is because they are doing something wrong. Like a child trying to put together two magnets that are negatively charged the Positive Thinking movement will frustrate all but the few who find the Path of Service to Self easy because it is incomplete and does not promote harmony or unity but competition (a notion on which business thrives). By far the most influential book that I read when I first started seeking spiritual truth was Journey of Souls by Michael Newton. To me the idea of going to heaven and it being some lala land of perfection just never felt right. Perhaps, it's because I was born remembering a past life but I always believed in reincarnation....and the idea of the Christian Heaven and Reincarnation just don't fit together.
I love that Michael Newton was a skeptic, that he didn't believe, that he didn't seek to do past life readings like other people. That he stumbled onto life between lives is amazing. He just told someone to go back to when a trauma occurred and they went to a past life...and then he was able to verify the story. That what he cataloged was an apparently the same thing no matter the religious or ethnic background of his patients is also phenomenal. One of the reasons I adore this book is that it completely changes how we view 'life between lives.' We're told we go to happen and live happily ever after...not really what it is or what it is like. Maybe we get a Halo, wings and a harp...but as Mark Twain hilariously depicted that would get boring fast. I credit this book for breaking down the first idea barrier that I had held because of Christian Dogma. The idea that everyone eventually goes to the same place in the after life regardless of their actions...Yes, there was a sort of judgement but it was just a Past Life Review where the soul really decided how they had performed in the life. That to me was mind blowing...how could a murderer be forgiven? The really big questions aren't answered...but the idea that there is no Hell is huge and that there is a definitive after life that we all go to regardless of our religions...was a life changing idea. This book really should be on the shelf of any spiritual seeker. I still pick it up and ready it every now and then. The cases he uses as examples are fascinating. The material is presented in a very scientific fashion and it's really to the point. The ideas, the first time you read it...are so different that it does take a few times of reading the book before it really sinks in and the material just doesn't get old. The book is vibrantly different the anything else out on this subject and I have yet to find a book that even compares (even his sequels fall short of the magic revealed in the first book). I highly recommend Journey of Souls to anyone who is interested in the after life, reincarnation or grieving the loss of a loved one. In the book of Revelation in the bible is an interesting statement:
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new Earth, for the first heaven and Earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea." Revelation 21:1. I was drawn to this when I was reading John Van Auken's Edgar Cacye on Revelation because the Ocean or Sea is a powerful symbol in my dreams. I've had many dreams about how the ocean/sea influences our life. To people who look at Revelation as a Doomsday book about the future this isn't going to make any sense. They can't make sense of the statement "no more sea" because how would the New Jerusalem exist on Earth without a sea? In the book of Revelation in the bible is an interesting statement: The Ocean In My Dreams In my dreams the Ocean and Sea represents emotions which usually arise from the subconscious. I would dream of animals from the ocean that I did not want to touch because they were icky and I was afraid they or I would die if I did touch them. I would dream about raging oceans around people going through emotional times. As I examined the ideas that I held and if they brought me pain or joy I discovered my dreams about the ocean changed. I realized I was being offered a choice between a raging ocean and a tranquil directed river. I realized that, for me, the ocean represented the subconscious and emotions....once I pulled out all of the information of my subconscious that was causing my instinctual behavior into the light of day my subconscious did not have as much power. In life, I realized I was less emotional. People didn't trigger emotional reactions in me any more. The tumultuous ocean of energy within me had gone from something I couldn't control...something that controlled me...to a peaceful directed river. The Book Of Self-Revelation The key is to not look at the book of Revelation as a prophecy of the world or mankind (which has always been nonsensical).. Instead, Revelation describes a highly archetypal symbolic experience of an inward personal revelation of the Source within us and transformation. This is the same inward journey all sages or saviors traverse from Buddha to Jesus. The path is available to everyone of us as Source creates nothing that is unworthy of existence. Not only does the statement, "New heaven, new Earth and no more Sea," make sense but it is a startling idea...it is the complete and utter transformation of the individual into a the divine. Once it is completed we are the vessel through which Source can work. No More Sea The idea then, is that at the end of the transformation there is no more subconscious. I'm not sure what life completely without a subconscious might be like...I haven't hit that level. For me, I know I've partially realized this idea in my own life. I no longer have the unexplored and misunderstood of my subconscious driving me instinctively through life. Clearly, there will be a part of us that will always maintain the body on a subconscious level of the mind...but it means that at the end of the Revelation there were no more knee-jerk emotional reactions to situations or people around the person who took the inward journey. Conclusion Although I can't say that I am at the end of the inward journey of self-revelation I have caught glimpses of the idea of there no longer being a 'sea.' Bringing ideas out of the unconscious mind that we have accepted into the conscious mind is a huge part of this transformation. Then, at the point where we choose what ideas we want to believe creating our own subjective reality....the sea is no longer needed. There is nothing hidden from ourselves...no thoughts, ideas or fears lurking in the shadows that we are trying to avoid. We are completely Whole, living in the Moment and just peacefully being. Naturally, this would result in a new Mind (Earth) and Heaven (Spirit).
Sometimes, you can't really see the forest for the trees until you look back in hindsight. Then you can put things into perspective and you have that ah-ha moment where you can see the bigger picture.
The last two years have been tough. Reading my blogs this is very obvious. People think this trend to opposing everything started with Trump did not...it started back at the end of 2014. Humanity has grown a lot. There has also been a lot of fear that we are dealing with as a collective. We are in opposition to each other...everyone arranging themselves into all sorts of teams to fight and attack everyone else. That can leave you wondering where the love is in the world. I'm sure people who are watching the news see the world as being a bleak wasteland. We have had a lot of movements. Interestingly, this started back in 2015. That's when people began to get all sorts of sensitive. Until I re-read my blogs I didn't remember we had the anti-bully movements. In fact, everything we have seen since then has been "anti"...anti-this and anti-that...always 'looking out' for the little guy. What does Anti mean? The definition is: "Opposed to; against. Just think about that for a moment. In the United States we have been in all sorts of opposition movements for the last two years. The Opposition Movements Here is a list of the opposition movements: Anti-Bullying movement. Safe Space movement. North Dakota Pipeline Protests Black Lives Matter Protests Donald Trump Protests Woman's Rights Protests March For Science Protests March For Global Warming Protests Are you starting to see a trend? The Prevalent Response The prevalent response to these opposition movements have been fear by a great dear of the populace. Whenever a group gathers there is the chance of mob mentality arising and often times there has been violence. No matter how carefully people gather it seems violence breaks out. All of these protests and movements have challenged status quo society. They reveal the uglier side of humanity (and that goes for both the protesters and the people they are protesting against). They also represent chaos to a lot of people making life unpredictable. We all know what it's like to walk on egg shells around other people who are super sensitive and blow up easily. These protests lead people to feel less safe and that they are threatened so they must tread carefully. Strangely, the protests are motivated by groups fearing that they are or will be infringed some way. There is one thing I know for certain and that is that we cannot go back to how it was before these experiences. What Does It Mean? This is a huge wake up call to humanity. A *HUGE* wake up call. There is a concept I will be discussing called Double Mindedness. This all comes down to this concept: "No one can love two masters. Either you will hate the one or you will love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Matthew 6:24 Our country has committed some of the most evil actions leading to the suffering of untold thousands in other countries because of 'business interests.' In the United States even the poorest among us have luxuries like cell phones and running water. Yes, running water is absolutely a luxury in other parts of the world. This rampant sense of entitlement and reaching for more stuff to make us happy is all just a part of the Ego. The Ego will never be satisfied. The Ego is the lover of money and things...and it is the Opposer of the unity found in Source. This the 'me-too' attitude. Our Double Mindedness is what's pulling this country apart. Not a particular group of people. Not a particular president. A society that is holding opposing beliefs about values...causing a huge amount of cognitive dissonance for everyone as society hashes out what beliefs and behaviors are right or wrong. All of these people in these movements are trying to force their Will upon others and the Natural Order. Yes, compassion is wonderful but not when it leads to control through regulations and tyranny. If people aren't compelled to act out of the goodness of their own heart the act is hollow...and it will be resented. Know Them By The Fruits Of Their Labor This quote from Matthew 7:15 is the ultimate measuring rod for behavior. How can I say these movements were wrong? Easily, just look at what they have produced. Look at the amount of fear in this world. Look at the people who are thinking that World War 3 is inevitable. When something only produces more hatred, fear and resentment it is not good. I don't care how well you dress it up and how pretty you make it in your mind...the Fruit of the Labor always deems if it is worthy. That which is of God/Source is Unifying...and it's healing. The fruits of this is patience and peacefulness as opposed to division and suffering. All division is of the Ego, which people confuse with the Devil/Lucifer/Satan or the Trickster. The Ego is always causing Willpower to be misapplied. The people in these scenarios are always trying to change their outer world instead of their inner world...leading to chaos, strife, and fear. Amazing Times Despite the people who give into the Ego and pursue their own comfort through force above all else...amazing things are happening! We just aren't watching them on the news at night. I have never encountered so many people who are interested in the Spiritual Path. As the dark becomes more Dark and the Light becomes brighter people are naturally turning to the Source for answers. The old dogma just isn't resonating with people anymore and they are seeing beyond it to Unity. While I don't think this going to lead to Unity Mind as some of the extreme metaphysical people teach I do believe that society is sorting out it's belief systems. Society is still holding onto a lot of old outdated beliefs that need to be tossed to the curb. Once this purging cycle is going we can literally re-build our world. Sharing is learning and this is a huge concept I just recently stumbled upon. There are more and more people sharing then ever before and it is extremely heartening. To really know something you have to teach it...through training or other methods. Before the catalyst of these movements that are acting as a Dark Night Of The Soul for humanity...a lot of people didn't need to wake up. Now that they are aware of the suffering and misery that desire creates...they are searching for answers. More people are stepping onto the Seekers Path then ever before! Even I came to understand and accept Oneness which is the only answer that matters...only when you return to that Center does all else fall away and dissolve...all of the apparent contradictions fall away because there is and only has ever been one. Conclusion For those who are not centered in their Oneness with Source/God all of these social upheavals can be scary. I have covered the Hopi Story at Prophecy Rock that depicts the path of the Two Hearts (double minded)...which does not end well. I will go into it again in a bigger blog on Double Mindedness. What we are experiencing, I would say, is what would be expected of a transition from Pisces to Aquarius. There are many layers to this...many layers to this and many people using different systems to explain it in a variety of approaches as each of us approach Oneness with Source/God in our own unique way. To really cover the core concepts of this idea that I have regarding why this is natural...is going to take a few blogs. I'm also covering them in my YouTube videos. While I was going to do all of the Foundational Concepts I outlined in this blog...I realized that was a bit advanced. So, I am starting off with the fundamental building blocks of how we create and experience our own subjective reality. The thing is that it is always Darkest during the Dark Night of the Soul Before the Dawn. Our nation is definitely going through a dark night. (I need to cover the concept of the Dark Night of the Soul in a blog because it's an awesome topic.) Yet, the Dark Night can always be used as a Catalyst for realizing Oneness. We wake up when we are uncomfortable. This drives us to search for answers and search for God/Source. I recently watched the live action Beauty and the beast. This section in Beauty and the Beast Finale really captures what I'm talking about: "[MADAME DE GARDEROBE] Tale as old as time Tune as old as song Bittersweet and strange Finding you can change Learning you were wrong [MRS. POTTS] Winter turns to spring Famine turns to feast Nature points the way Nothing left to say Beauty and the Beast" I welcome this time in history. I welcome it with open arms because I see so many seeking and finding. I consider myself blessed to be here and blessed to experience all of it. If things were perfect people wouldn't change. Sometimes you've got to see the ugly side of people to realize something is missing in your own life. **This contains spoilers**
The movie is from 2009. This movie has one of the best ideas for a plot I've seen in a long time...unfortunately, the story telling, the acting and the characters are disgusting. The director had a brilliant idea and failed miserably at making it palatable. I recommend watching this movie only so you can see the potential he ruined so utterly. This movie should have been amazing and mind blowing on the level of The Matrix...instead, it left me with a sick stomach disgusted with humanity. I watched this movie because my husband tried explaining it to me and I found it very interesting. At first, I would have considered it good but as I contemplated the fact I did not want to watch it again it occurred to me why. I liked the non-linear style of the story. I liked the part where he was choosing his parents. I loved that they played with multiple time lines and their conclusions. I also liked the idea that the architect was the eight year old Nebo Nobody. I did not like the gratuitous sex scenes that were totally unnecessary for the story line and gross. I didn't like the part where he remembers the Angels before he was born that put the crease in the upper lips of kids to make them forget before they were born. That made no sense in light of the rest of the movie involving theoretical science. Jared Leto's acting is just creepy. You can't connect with Nemo or become emotionally involved because he seems like a mannequin throughout the entire movie. He doesn't appear to have any emotion...ever. Jared Leto used the same laugh that he uses for Old Man Nemo for the Joker in Sucide Squad. I'm not kidding...it's that forced and fake...and down right creepy. You kind of want to see him fall down and die mid cackle. The majority of the movie consists of love stories but they were gross. Nemo and Ana are step siblings, for one, although when they first met they weren't. Elise storyline's, which was most of the movie, just didn't make sense because she never loves him and their depiction of mental illness was way too extreme...so that's just twisted. The Jeanne story line, where he settles for Jeanne, sets a bunch of goals and achieves them including a huge house with a pool...feels unnecessary. At the end, because Nemo is such a creeper and the movie's love stories are super warped I really don't like it. The movie was on the edge of being good....but fails horribly at creating characters I can care about. I really wanted to see Nemo die at the end. I know not everything is sunshine, roses and unicorns...but this is just one of those movies where you can tell the author has a very sick view of relationships which is what really holds this film back from being palatable. I felt no compassion at all for the protagonist. Unfortunately, the movie is just not worth a second watch. I hope someone does a similar film where I can like the character's.
My first lesson that I'm really teaching has been published on YouTube.
With dedicating myself to publishing a video every Monday my blog post on that day is just not going to be possible. Between work, the ordinary maintaining of a home and work my Monday's are filled. So, I will try to post my YouTube videos here with behind the scenes information. The Reason For Perception I started off with Perception because it's something talked about it all religions and spiritual teachings. As I said at the end of the video...it's a bit of a mystery where perception comes from. In up coming weeks I will cover Beliefs...followed by Ideas. Perception, Beliefs and Ideas are the basic formula we use to interpret the data that our brain absorbs from our surroundings. It's the very core concept of why it's so important to examine the ideas and beliefs that we hold to be true to see if they are serving us...to bring them from the subconscious into our consciousness. This is not a mysterious process but it's one very few are brave enough to follow. I will go more into psychology's Fulfilling Prophecy concept, Subjective Reality and examine Intangible Ideas a bit more as well including a list of intangibles that people don't really think of too often. There is a lot we believe in without really seeing. I have a lot of material that I'm going to cover and I'm really covering the stuff that I think is the most important to get into the Collective Consciousness. Delirium Disorder If you've read the end credits of the video you might notice that I credit the music to Delirium Disorder. No, you can't find their information elsewhere. This is my husband's persona band with 100% only his writing. Every week he wants me to post a new song of his so that's an exciting bit of every weeks video. I'm note sure if it's a doable goal for him...because playing and recording music can be a long process and four a month is a lot...but we shall see. If there is enough demand I'll create a YouTube channel for that and create some Lyric Videos for his songs. Just leave comments on the videos if you want to see those songs in their entirety with lyrics. Thank you for your continued support of my blog and my YouTube channel as I learn how to balance both! Sometimes, I have dreams that give me pause or where I learn something. A dream that I had a couple of nights ago was very moving and really left an impression on me. Given that I launched my YouTube channel this week I think it's very representative of my goal for my channel. This was like a green light from Spirit saying, "Yes! This is it!"
In fact, given those dreams I'd say it's something I made a 'pact' with Spirit to do...like it or not! Let's examine this dream together. The Dream In the dream I was in a fun house. In that fun house your thoughts created what you saw...so the walls would shift to whatever you were thinking. If you were thinking of pearls you would you would be standing in front of a wall of pearls. However, I realized, because I wasn't completely aware of my thoughts what I was experiencing was out of my control. I kept creating walls in front of myself preventing my progress...because I was afraid of what I might create subconsciously. Then I realized how to create doors...they were always there, it's just now I saw them worked into the decor. I created a tiny little white door in a white room filled with angular edges. I promptly escaped. That made my female teacher a bit angry. The point wasn't to create a way to escape from this fun house, she told me. "Instead," she explained, "You need to show them how to see it for what it really is...to see through the illusion to what the illusion is made of!" I looked more closely when I was back in the Fun House. The illusion of all the beautiful things I had created were gone. I saw bare beams for walls with fiberglass inserted into the walls...the ground was spongy under my feet as though the carpet pad had been put in but not the carpet. I realized, whatever this was...it was incomplete and shoddy construction. There was a girl in a hallway that I encountered. She was fighting with the illusions. I took her by the hand and told her, "It's all an illusion." She sort of saw what I was talking about and began to follow me out of the hall. Yet, she was still jumpy as she continued to see the illusions. Then I came across a room to the side. There another girl was creating a cage for herself...she seemed to be sinking into it like the ocean. I see this as a mental prison she was building and that she was drowning in her own emotions- a very important lesson to learn is how to work with emotions so they don't control us. I was telling her that it's all an illusion that she's created and what the fun house really looked like... But then she sunk from my view beyond my reach. Analysis A lot of the ideas that I'm going to be conveying in my YouTube channel reveals the fundamental building blocks of how we interpret our life. By examining our ideas and seeing what is compatible with a fruitful life is super important to having a fruitful and happy life. With my channel, I will be showing people how ideas and belief directly effect behavior impacting how they view the world and how the world responds to them. That which was previously a subconscious process can become a conscious process so that they have clarity and not so much control...but an agreeable agent for the energy of the universe/cosmos/creator to pass through them. My hope is to empower people to change for the better...to let go of the fear...not to be controlled by their subconscious. Once you're exposed to and accept that you are an eternal spiritual being that will never cease to exist and whose essence cannot be harmed or changed... living a temporary physical life...the world becomes a playground. Too often, people grasp only part of the picture such as the girl in the hallway who followed me even though she didn't completely see what I saw. Or, sadly, sometimes there are those who are too stuck in the illusion to hear and so they create their own cages in which they drown like the third girl. I've been all three states..the one seeing through the illusion, the one somewhat stuck in the illusion and the one trapped in the illusion drowning in a sea of fear. Conclusion I'm really excited about my YouTube channel. I can really change peoples lives for the better. However, one of things I've come across is that this ability to see through the illusion can make monsters or spiritual masters out of people. In fact, it might drive some people insane. So it's really a doubled edged sword...some might turn themselves into monsters once they know the information. As Bashar said, "Once you had this ability before you destroyed yourselves." The individual receiving it is the one to decide. This is one of the reasons secret societies tend to be selective, secret, and veil their teachings in obscure symbolic language. None of which I intend to do because I want it to be a catalyst for people who don't have access to those groups. Creating an elite group who might know this information is an error. This should be common accessible knowledge if someone desires it...because not all of us know these elite people. Everyone should have access to this information and this point of view on the world. I'm presenting it in a very basic down to earth non-controversial and non-judgmental way. The potential is so huge it is worth the risk of "monsters." We already have plenty of monsters out there. |
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Brave Soul! May Your Journey On The Path Of The Seeker Bring You Joy and Peace! I'm currently posting every Saturday. With a new addition the family I have pre-scheduled most posts through December 2022. Full Moon Posts will contain up-to-date content when I can get to them. Thank you so much for your support and understanding! This is a place where you can encounter new spiritual ideas that have helped me develop as an Individual On The Path of the Seeker. Take or Leave this information as you see fit. Archives
April 2024
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