Flitter

OUT OF THE BOX!

2011-02-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

A SPIRITUAL PATH TO HIGHER CREATIVITY

Gary Broughman

An eight-week course on "The Artist's Way," designed by noted screenwriter Julia Cameron, will be offered at Bamboo Arts in DeLeon Springs beginning at 7 PM on Thursday, February 17 through April 7. The course at Bamboo Arts will be led by creative writer and spiritual teacher Gary Broughman. According to Broughman, "The Artist's Way" is not only for artists and writers, but is helpful to anyone seeking greater spiritual presence and that magical sense that we are creating life, not being created by it."

Millions have benefited from the program since its inception more than a decade ago. For Ms. Cameron, creativity is a spiritual transaction, and those who discover their higher self live in a dimension of spiritual electricity. "While this is a way of being that most would wish for, many of us are left asking how we can get there," says Broughman.

The Artist's Way presents a tiered approach on which class participants can climb to higher creativity in their lives and work.

Registration for the eight-week course is $55 which includes the book. For more information and to reserve your space call (386) 956-1329. Several people associated with Bamboo Arts attend our Sunday Services and are familiar to us as great motivators and speakers.

INTERESTING FACTS THAT ASTOUND

Ferret at DeLand Dog Parade

A rat can last longer without water than a camel.
Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself.
That dot over the letter “i” is called a tittle.
A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.
A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate.
A duck’s quack doesn’t echo. No one knows why. (except in Salford, Manchester. The University of Salford conducted an experiment proving this much quoted internet fact to be a fallacy. So there you go, never believe anything you read on the internet http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/acoustics_info/duck

NAZCA LINES PLUS ANOTHER MYSTERY

http://www.matrifocus.com/BEL08/pilgrimage.htm Link to website dedicated to the goddess woman. Mummies on the Nazca plane

The link above takes you to a website called Matri Focus which is dedicated to the Goddess Woman. The feature page story is a pilgrimage to Nazca, which also has museums and sites for tourists to view that contain mummies in various stages of dress. Minute details are visible on these mummies as they rest in single and group burial settings. This is an interesting story by a novice who was impressed by the sites.

REFLECTIONS ON THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

This is an excerpt from an article that appeared in the Messenger magazine written by Ernest O. Martin.

"...to what extent are we responsible for making choices that will lead to eternity in heaven rather than hell?"

In much of Swedenborgian writing, it is assumed that this freedom is absolute. Near the end of Freedom & Evil George Dole writes,

The limits to our freedom, however, are obvious. I cannot do just anything I feel like doing. There are limits to my physical strength, limits to my knowledge, limits to my intelligence, limits to my determination. From one point of view, I am really a very small person in a very big universe. I cannot understand most of the languages of our planet, do not know most of its inhabitants, have not read most of its books, have not seen most of its cities, and have not tasted most of its food; and there is no possible way that I can. In fact, I am obliged to select, to choose ....

I am convinced that our freedom is extremely limited, and our rationality is even more so. Given the limitations imposed by heredity, environment, intelligence, addictions, poor education, social and economic factors, poor judgement, etc., to what extent are we responsible for making choices that will lead to eternity in heaven rather that hell? And how capable are we of making wise decisions, for Swedenborg said, "wisdom is the eye of love."

Referring to the work of scholar John Hick, Andrew Dole says in his essay "Freedom, Evil and the Problem of Hell"

...The existence of evil within the world is not the result of a misuse of an originally pristine agency, but a natural consequence of the fact that human beings are, in general, not yet competent to choose the good with any consistency

....Successful soul-making thus requires more than simply making good decisions: it also requires overcoming temptations, learning from mistakes, developing empathy for suffering, and in general grappling with the dark side of creaturehood.

...If God's deepest desire for human beings is that they freely develop themselves into virtuous and God-oriented creatures through a protracted process of overcoming spiritual obstacles, it is not clear why God permits the existence of evil so severe that they exceed the ability of persons to recover from them

ETERNITY of the HELLS

"Where is our freedom if God is in control and decides what is best for us" Do we suffer the consequences of our choices, or as George Dole declares, "an omnibenevolent providence makes sure that we are not overwhelmed." Were the six million Jews overwhelmed at the holocaust? Or the over one million suicides in the world each year, with ten to twenty million attempts--were they overwhelmed? Or the 140,000 children who dies each day? Or the millions addicted to tranquilizers, anti-depressants, and other drugs?

From the time I entered the ministry in 1952, I have challenged Swedenborg's statements that the possibility of regeneration ends with physical death, and an evil person will spend eternity in hell. Dr. John Swanton, eminent Swedenborgian scholar of the early twentieth century, undertook a mission to challenge the teaching of the eternity of the hell, but he didn't get much support. For most Swedenborgians, a clear quote from Swedenborg ends any discussion: "thus saith the Lord." It is encouraging, however, that present-day seminarians and younger ministers are questioning the traditional views.

I can't conceive of a loving God who would settle for any one of his creatures suffering eternally in hell. I like to think I love my six children unconditionally. If, whithe their limited freedom and rationality, they make poor choices and suffer therdy, I am not going to say: "Tough, you make your bed in hell. Now lie in it." I will do my utmost to lead them to the life of heaven. I thought that the parables of "the lost" were to this effect. If the Lord would leave the nenety-nine sheep, and seek after the one which was lost, would eh not use his ominpotence to save one of his human creatures? I don't recall that the father ever gave up on the Prodigal Son.

Comment from blogger:

The style and conceptuality of the foregoing excerpt offers a glimpse into the mindset of the established hierarchy of every religion. By naming the virtues and creatures they build a box around them. This makes them easier to separate and examine as issues and temporal beings. My own thought is that the "God" they refer to is unknowable and unnameable. There are no virtues or vices that are separate from the creator. All of creation is one thought at one time. The destination for all is the same, but the paths are many. As professor Vedder stated last week "Somewhere from the great void of eternity I arrived in this life and in this time. When my body falls away I will still be in eternity as I was before." This statement suggests to me that the one constant in existence is change and that it continues whether in the material or the ethereal.

"By study and meditation is the door opened to heaven. I must find my own path, but I need not walk alone." --Blogger

The numerology texts below are excerpts from multiple internet sites. My comments are in blue. I am continuing the brief conversation we started about numbers.

BASIC STUDY OF NUMEROLOGY

Numerology is any of many systems, traditions or beliefs in a mystical or esoteric relationship between numbers and physical objects or living things.

Numerology and numerological divination were popular among early mathematicians, such as Pythagoras, but are no longer considered part of mathematics and are regarded as pseudomathematics by most modern scientists. This is similar to the historical development of astronomy out of astrology, and chemistry from alchemy.

Today, numerology is often not associated with numbers, but with the occult, alongside astrology and similar divinatory arts.

Modern numerology often contains aspects of a variety of ancient cultures and teachers, including Babylonia, Pythagoras and his followers (Greece, 6th century B.C.), astrological philosophy from Hellenistic Alexandria, early Christian mysticism, the occultism of the early Gnostics, the Hebrew system of the Kabbalah, The Indian Vedas, the Chinese “Circle of the Dead”, and the Egyptian “Book of the Master of the Secret House” (Ritual of the Dead).

Pythagoras and other philosophers of the time believed that because mathematical concepts were more “practical” (easier to regulate and classify) than physical ones, they had greater actuality.

St. Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354–430) wrote “Numbers are the Universal language offered by the deity to humans as confirmation of the truth.” Similar to Pythagoras, he too believed that everything had numerical relationships and it was up to the mind to seek and investigate the secrets of these relationships or have them revealed by divine grace.

In 325 A.D., following the First Council of Nicaea, departures from the beliefs of the state Church were classified as civil violations within the Roman Empire. Numerology had not found favor with the Christian authority of the day and was assigned to the field of unapproved beliefs along with astrology and other forms of divination and “magic”. Despite this religious purging, the spiritual significance assigned to the heretofore “sacred” numbers had not disappeared; several numbers, such as the “Jesus number” have been commented and analyzed by Dorotheus of Gaza and numerology still is used at least in conservative Greek Orthodox circles.

An example of the influence of numerology in English literature is Sir Thomas Browne’s 1658 Discourse The Garden of Cyrus. In it the author illustrates that the number five and related Quincunx pattern throughout art, nature and mysticism.

Your Destiny Number - Do it Yourself Calculations

Just as with your date of birth, your name also holds keys to who you are and who you were meant to be. One of the most powerful keys derived from your name is your Destiny number.

As we mentioned before, different numerologists may use different names to refer to the same number...in this case the Destiny number is also sometimes known as the Expression number.

The Destiny number is calculated from the sum of all the letters in your name exactly as it was given at birth. While the Life Path number tells who you are when you were born, your Destiny number reveals what you are meant to become and accomplish with your life.

Many people who are struggling in life or unhappy find that they are working in opposition to their destiny and that by making simple changes, setting new goals and adjusting their outlook to be more in line with their Destiny number they are able to find the happiness that previously eluded them.

When you calculate your Destiny number it is important that you use your full name exactly as it appears on your birth certificate. For our example we will use a fictional character named Samantha Rae Jones.

We will be using the Pythagorean system of numerology for this calculation so we have included the Pythagorean table below for your reference. (IMPORTANT: if you have not already reviewed the sections on how to add in numerology and the Pythagorean number values, please do so now and return to this section when you are done.)

Ironically, while I was composing this sequence of information on Destiny Numbers a commercial came on TV advertising the Sleep Number bed. Maybe I need a new mattress? Numerology graph by eraserhead

Destiny Number Meanings in Numerology

Destiny Number 1

A destiny number of 1 in numerology indicates that you are destined to a position of leadership. You can live up to this destiny by using your ability to think and act for yourself. By relying on your determination, independence and strength you will be able to make your own path in the world. You shouldn't be afraid to stray from the safe path and try new things or new methods of approaching problems. If you rely on your creativity and strength of character you can have success in new endeavors while leading others to follow you there.

Destiny Number 2

People with a numerology Destiny number of 2 are meant for positions of diplomacy and peacemaking. To move toward your destiny you can use your tact, power of persuasion and diplomatic skills to help others resolve differences. You may find great satisfaction and fulfillment in helping to resolve problems, even though it may not always be something that you are eager to do.

Destiny Number 3

A Destiny number of 3 shows that you are meant to utilize creativity and optimism in life. Part of your job in life is to help other people realize the power of joy, laughter, and imagination. By helping others who may have lost the joy of living learn to appreciate life and live it to its fullest (and most joyful) you will find your own joy and fulfillment. Expressing yourself creatively is key to making this happen.

Destiny Number 4

With a Destiny number of 4 in numerology the key to finding happiness will be found in organization, good management, and practicality. Finding order in your life and personal affairs and building things to last will help you to find fulfillment in life. By taking responsibility and allowing others to depend on you to be practical and get things done you will be working toward your destiny.

Destiny Number 5

With a Destiny Number of 5 you must represent freedom to find fulfillment. To live up to your destiny you must work to embrace change and not fear it or cling to the familiar in your life. It doesn't mean rushing blindly into something new, however keeping yourself open to change and taking on new opportunities, challenges and adventures when they present themselves will lead to your ultimate happiness.

Destiny Number 6

The key to a Destiny number of 6 is to live your life as a humanitarian. Helping those who are weak, down on their luck or unhappy will help you to find happiness in your own life. You also should strive to beautify the world around you with artistic endeavors. While you should not completely sacrifice yourself to the service of others, helping those in need will open the door to beauty, love and harmony in your own life.

Destiny Number 7

A Destiny number of 7 means you will find fulfillment through teaching others. By pursuing an ongoing quest for knowledge and then sharing your findings with your fellow man...be it through teaching, writing or some other means...you will bring joy inot your own life. By following your destiny your life should be an interesting one full of the exploration of science, mysteries, the occult or other fascinating fields.

Destiny Number 8

A Destiny number of 8 opens the door for you to strive for accomplishment and success in your work and life. Setting goals and working diligently toward them will reward you with many gains including authority, personal recognition and financial success. It is important that you do not set financial gain as your only goal in your endeavors in life, although you will likely find that with hard work that will be one of your rewards. Work instead for the sense of accomplishment of a job well done and for the simple love of doing what you do and happiness and success will likely follow.

Destiny Number 9

With a Destiny number of 9 you are meant to bring charity, beauty, art, romance and perfection into the world. By living a life filled with generosity, a kindness of spirit, compassion, forgiveness and understanding you will be rewarded with ultimate happiness and a wealth of gifts from life. You should live your life with the goal of making even the most ordinary things in life lovely and full of beauty.

Common Number Sequences

111 - This sign is used to indicate that your thoughts are related to the start of a new cycle in your life. What you are thinking about doing or changing is correct for the new phase of your life.

222 - This is a sign of confirmation that you are on the right path, doing the right thing and going in the right direction. Continue with this train of thought.

333 - This sign indicates that your Spirit Guides agree with your thoughts and feelings and could be interpreted as a Cosmic 'Yes!' to questions you have asked or ideas you may have.

444 - This sign from your Spirit Guides signifies their disagreement with your thoughts and feelings and can be interpreted as a Cosmic 'No!' to questions you have asked or ideas you may have.

555 - When you see this sign a life changing thought or event has just occurred. You may not like it, or you may. Whatever the case your Spirit Guides are notifying you that a change in your life path direction has just occurred and it is time for you to change too. Move with it, follow these thoughts.

666 - Your thoughts are out of balance right now, focused too much on the material world or due to mental or emotional imbalance. This sign indicates your thoughts are not clear and you should not continue with this train of thought. Let it pass.

777 - This sign indicates that a lesson has been learned. It is a sign of acknowledgment and achievement - you have learned a lesson that your Spirit Guides want you to learn about your life.

888 - A phase of your life is about to end and this is a sign to give you forewarning to prepare. This number sequence may mean you are winding up an emotional, career, or relationship phase.

999 - Completion. This is the end of a big phase in your personal or global life. Your thoughts at the time of seeing this sign indicate that these thoughts will bring about the completion or end of a phase in your life.

000 - Unity with the Universe. Your thoughts are in Unity with the Universe. This sign indicates that your thoughts are in Unity with the Divine Wish for your life.

Signs in Unity with Astrological Influences

Occasionally, you will see the following sets of number sequences. These are signs that relate to your thoughts and feelings, and the Astrological Influences acting on your life at present, i.e. your personal planetary influences. These signs differ from the Spirit Guide signs above, as the unity signs refer to a short period (hours and days) of Astrological Influence:

1010, 0101, 1001, 0011, 1100 - These signs indicate that your thoughts are in unity with your Spiritual Path and your Astrological Influences.

2020, 0202, 2002, 0022, 2200 - These signs indicate that your train of thought is in unity with your Astrological Influences.

3030, 0303, 3003, 0033, 3300 - These signs indicate a cosmic 'Yes'; that your thoughts are in unity with your Astrological Influences.

4040, 0404, 4004, 0044, 4400 - These signs indicate a cosmic 'No'; that your thoughts are not in unity with your Astrological Influences.

5050, 0505, 5005, 0055, 5500 - These signs indicate that a change in your thinking has occurred that is in unity with your Astrological Influences.

6060, 0606, 6006, 0066, 6600 - These signs indicate that your current thinking is out of balance with your Astrological Influences.

7070, 0707, 7007, 0077, 7700 - These signs indicate that you have learned a life lesson that is in unity with your Astrological Influences.

8080, 0808, 8008, 0088, 8800 - These signs indicate that a phase of your life is about to come to an end that is in unity with your Astrological Influences.

9090, 0909, 9009, 0099, 9900 - These signs indicate that a phase of your life has come to an end that is in unity with your Astrological Influences.

000, 0000 - These signs indicate that your thoughts are in unity with your Astrological Influences.

Signs on the Spiritual Path

The following signs are used by our Spirit Guides to guide us on our Spiritual Path. These signs let us know how we are doing and what we need to do next. These Spirit Guide signs refer to your life/spiritual path in terms of weeks, months and years:

1010, 0101, 1001, 0011, 1100 - These signs indicate that your thoughts are in unity with your Spiritual Path and your Astrological Influences.

111, 1111 - These signs indicate that your thoughts are correct for the new cycle of your life and they are on your Spiritual Path. Continue with and follow these, as these thoughts relate to a new cycle in your life that is on your Spiritual Path.

121, 1221, 2121, 2211, 1122 - These signs indicate that your current train of thought is correct for your Spiritual Path. These thoughts are your focus and following these will lead you along your Spiritual Path. This can be expressed simply as, 'You're following your path!'.

131, 1331, 1313, 3311, 1133 - These signs indicate a Cosmic 'Yes!' - these thoughts are on your path.

141, 1441, 1414, 4411, 1144 - These signs indicate a Cosmic 'No!' - these thoughts are not on your path.

151, 1551, 1515, 5511, 1155 - These signs indicate that a change on your path has just occurred. Whether you like it or not, it is correct for you and is on your Spiritual Path. Proceed in the new direction.

161, 1661, 1616, 6611, 1166 - These signs indicate that your thoughts are out of balance with your Spiritual Path. These signs are like road markings Spirit Guides use to keep us on the right path and prevent us straying down the wrong one. This sign is the opposite of 121, 1221, etc. and advises that your focus has strayed off your Spiritual Path. This can be expressed simply as, 'You're not following your path!'.

171, 1771, 1717, 7711, 1177 - These signs indicate that a lesson had been learned on your Spiritual Path. You have learned a lesson that your Spirit Guides want you to learn, one that is important and is necessary for you to progress on your path.

181, 1881, 1818, 8811, 1188 - These signs indicate that a phase of your life is about to come to an end. These signs indicate that your thoughts regarding some part of your life are in line with your Spiritual Path and, by following these thoughts, the phase you are thinking about will eventually come to end.

191, 1991, 1919, 9911, 1199 - These signs indicate the completion or ending of a phase on your Spiritual Path. The phase may or may not have come to an actual end at the time of seeing these signs, but, if you follow the thoughts you have at the time of seeing this sign, this phase will come to a complete end.

Other Number Sequences

2323, 2332, 2233 - These signs indicate your Spirit Guides agreement and support with your train of thought, plans or intended actions. This sign is most often seen after you have established a relationship with your Spirit Guides and are open to their guidance via number sequences.

1234, 234, 456 - If you are repeatedly seeing ascending number sequences such as 1234, this is a sign from your Spirit Guides that these are progressive thoughts. You will see this sign when thinking about an area of your life that you are concerned about and want to change, or thinking about a particular subject. Seeing this number sequence immediately after these thoughts is a sign that your thoughts are progressive; your life will progress by following these thoughts and you will have your Spirit Guides support in its pursuit.

321, 432, 543 - If you are repeatedly seeing descending number sequences such as 321, this is a sign from your Spirit Guides that your thoughts are regressive. You will see this sign when you are thinking about an area of you life, course of action or subject. Seeing this number sequence immediately after such thoughts is an indication that your life will take a step backwards if you follow the course of action you are considering or continuing with such a train of thought.

Blogger: I personally usually see sequences of numbers in repetition: 8888.8.88 is one. Most recently I have been seeing 23's and 5's. I never notice numbers in regression. Some number sequences not mentioned here, but common are 711, 64, 40, and 2's.

I recently sent a dream sequence to my sister who emailed back with the analysis that it was filled with 2's. I hadn't even noticed! There was a bicycle, 2 girls, walking, 2 coins, two skate boards, 2 of diamonds playing cards, and many other pairs of players. She interpreted it for me in a way that helped me understand the underlying meaning. My sister is a minister of Religious Science in California.

A couple of friends have mentioned journaling to me recently. Perhaps this would be a good way to illuminate the infiltration of numbers that may hold meaning and messages for us?
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WHAT IS TANTRIC NUMEROLOGY?

Tantric Numerology* is an ancient technology with roots in yogic and tantric wisdom. This science was brought to the west recently, in 1969 by the Master of Kundalini Yoga and Mahan Tantric*: Yogi Bhajan, and is a branch of Kundalini Yoga technology.

Numerology is NOT a sort of “divination”, nor is the answer to all questions, and is not philosophy. It is a simple tool, yet very useful for understanding ones strengths and weaknesses. It gives you the awareness of the higher and lower points of your psyche, allows you to work on your weaknesses, developing and utilizing your strengths to the fullest.

This system teaches about the Ten Bodies of the human psyche, which are as follows:

Soul Body
Negative Mind
Positive Mind
Neutral Mind
Physical Body
Arc Line
Aura
Pranic Body
Subtle Body
Radiant Body

In Western society is not often understood we have ten bodies, but we actually do have them. We know our Physical body that we can see and touch, which is the fifth body out of ten. Tantric Numerology helps us to understand the relationship between the ten bodies and how we can balance them. In order to experience wholeness as a human being we must learn and master each part of ourselves to fully integrate its functions.

With the science of Tantric Numerology it becomes easy to realize any unbalance and restore it. It gives you the tools, the technology to achieve harmony by understanding and working on your own psyche. It is simple, quick and effective. But to really make a profound change in your life it requires that you commit to do what it takes to master each body.

No magic solutions through Tantric Numerology, although the insights you gain from, plus the certainty of having the right technology to practice, it saves a lot of years of searching after the more effective practice in order to get the best results in the shortest time.

This is the beauty of the art and science of Tantric Numerology, you know what to do and only you can do it for yourself.

The Five Positons in your Numerology Chart

Everyone was born with five numbers that represents the aspects or positions of: Soul- Karma- Gift- Destiny and Path. Understanding your numbers and its interpretation will give you a place to begin working with your ten bodies.

1-SOUL-needs to be accessed by becoming cozy with your own inner guidance.

2-KARMA-needs to be neutralized by Dharma*, by engaging in a pratice the harmonizes both your internal and external world. "When there's Dharma, there's no karma". Yogi Bhajan

3-GIFT-needs to be accepted and strengthened trough engaging in a conscious practice.

4-DESTINY-is what you have developed trough many life times and how other people see you. In order to manifest your destiny in full, you need to develop a strong conscious relationship whit that body.

5-PATH- is how you use all your fulfilled potential in order to serve others on the path to consciousness.

The Ten Bodies

The ten bodies of the human psyche are the yogic descriptions of what the perfected human being looks like and acts like. In order to be whole you must get to know all these parts of yourself and learn how to integrate and coordinate them. You can’t control the events around you, but you can control how you relate to those events.

Instead of being reactive, you can use your ten bodies so that your inner peace remains unspoiled.

You know where you have negative, limiting programs about life and about yourself, you’re too fat, too thin, nobody appreciates you, I cannot do this or that , etc.

Its time to change what you pay attention to and focus on your greatness, your subtlety, your grace, your majesty.

The psychic heat you generate by focusing on your greatness will just burn up all that old pain!

1. Soul Body. The part in us connected to the Infinite; unchanging, non-reactive, never dies. To experience and identify with this Body is ideal.

The Three Mental Bodies:

2. Negative Mind. (or protective mind)
Identifies possible dangers or shortcomings in a situation; necessary for protection.

3. Positive Mind.(or projective mind)
Inspires us by showing the best possible results in any situation.

4. Neutral Mind. (or meditative mind)
Takes the information from both negative and positive mind and decides on the best course of action using unbiased, intuitive knowledge, the ultimate state of mind for success.

5. Physical Body. The vehicle through which we participate fully on earth. It is perfected by balance in all the physical aspectsdiet, work, play, and essentially avoiding extremes like laziness or fanaticism.

6. Arcline.
Historically depicted as the halo. The arcline arches from ear to ear and is the seat of the akash, the ether, in the body. Its color varies with a person’s health and mental or psychic condition. Women have a second arcline reaching across the chest from nipple to nipple which Yogi Bhajan says gets imprinted with the sexual experiences she has had in her life.

7. Auric Body. The eighth chakra of the body, the aura, is the electromagnetic field of energy which surrounds every living creature. Kundalini Yoga kriyas and pranayama increase the auric field, thus increasing awareness. In yogic teachings, a woman is receptive to the penetrating quality of men. Even flirting can open holes in the aura, making a woman extremely vulnerable. A strong, radiant aura can protect from many misfortunes and strengthen our mental, physical and spiritual bodies.

8. Pranic Body.
Controls the breath and takes in life force energy of the universe. Energy, control over the mind, gives courage and healing power. Pranayam feeds the Pranic Body.

9. Subtle Body. This carries the Soul to the Infinite at the time of death. It is the other Body with the Soul Body which exists after all the others have disappeared. The Mother makes all the other bodies. Often, we can project our subtle bodies beyond time and space to be at two places at once. The visions of saints and angels are their subtle bodies. It is that which although we are merged with the Infinite still exists uniquely through eternity.

10. Radiant Body. Gives spiritual royalty and radiance. A strong radiant body manifests as charisma. Their very presence works before a word is spoken. (To those who are in their negative minds it can be perceived as arrogance.)

ELEVENTH EMBODIMENT
Command Center

Your eleventh embodiment is the command center from where you orchestrate the play of the ten bodies. The eleventh is a function of numerology. It means the sum of the ten bodies. Whenever we talk about 11's in any of the positions, you have to consider all the 10 bodies.

"Of course there is a natural aversion against being defined by for example your birth day, your name, the stars, your gender, your function in society or any other thing. Actually we know deep inside that nothing can define us. That is because we are pure consciousness, in which all phenomena rise and disappear again. That's why we are absolutely not defined, by anything. We have neither form nor any quality. Neither word nor number can define us. One can not make an image of us. We can use numerology for the phenomenon body-mind complex, because we can roughly describe that. Because everything is connected to everything, the whole manifestation has an impact on the body-mind complex. We can do something about the body-mind complex, to relax it, to purify it. In this field the Kundalini Yoga Numerology is very practical, because you can determine yourself on what area (one or more of the ten bodies) exercise and meditation can be useful." --Wouter

· Also known as Akahara Numerology

· Mahan Tantric is the Master of White Tantric Yoga, and can only be one at the time on the planet. "Tantric" means the intersection of the warp and the woof. It is the cross point of the diagonal energy between the negative and positive polarities. The earliest form of tantric practice is what we know today as "white tantric". White tantric refers to the pure meditative experience of these intersecting energies. It is performed in a group under the guidance of the Mahan Tantric and it allows us to raise our frequency much more quickly than by meditating alone. Three minutes in the blue aura produced by a white tantric meditation is equal to 90 years of meditating alone. Most people today associate "tantric" with the lower form called "red tantric".

This is the sexual tantric to which you refer. It's much less powerful and much more difficult to do. There's also a debased form of tantric called "black tantric" which is essentially using the tantric energy to manipulate other people. Not recommended.

http://www.akalsukhsingh.com/Tantric_Numerology.php

Not for the faint of heart! My suggestion for those who are interested in numerology would be to go on a quest of your own and accept or reject the different methods and schools. What works for me, may not work for you. I am often distressed with a feeling that I am not in control of my mystic episodes. They either have no application to my reality or skip from dynamic to absurd. Looking for, or becoming aware of number sequences around me gives me comfort and confidence that a higher power is working through the mind and laws of the universe.

Send your articles and notices to us for publication in this newsletter. We are happy to include all your information. Until next month ...think out of the box!

BARRY COLLEY IN ONE MAN SHOW

2011-01-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

Barry Colley, the bead and jewelry artist, is being featured in a one man show coming soon. Look for details here and on Facebook.

SOME GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR

2010-12-29T08:56:00.000-08:00

I don't think about death much, unless I'm specifically invited to, which is the case today. I have an actor friend who thinks about death a lot, because that is how he makes himself project mournfulness to an audience when mournfulness is called for onstage. He remembers a death. I don't console myself with the idea that my descendants and my books and all that will live on. Anybody with any sense knows that the whole Solar System will go up like a celluloid collar by-and-by. I honestly believe, though, that we are wrong to think that moments go away, never to be see again. This moment, and every moment, lasts forever.

May 1972

Kurt Vonnegut novelist and playwright

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

Reading tips from the Internet, I got this useful list where I personally follow some of it to help me sort of improve my day to day life. Read through it and just follow the things you want to believe. Remember, each person has his/her own needs/wants/beliefs.

Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, ‘My purpose is to __________ today.’
Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
Play more games and read more books than you did last year.
Make time to practice meditation, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
Dream more while you are awake.
Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured industrially.
Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds and walnuts.
Try to make at least three people smile each day.
Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, OR issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
Smile and laugh more. It will keep the negative blues away.
Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?’
Forgive everyone for everything.
What other people think of you is none of your business.
Remember God heals everything.
However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
The best is yet to come.
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
Do the right thing!
Call your family often.
Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for _______. Today I accomplished ____.
Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed. Enjoy the ride.
Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can’t change.

A NEW POOH

“Say, Pooh, why aren’t you busy?” I said.
“Because it’s a nice day,” said Pooh.
“But you could be doing something Important,” I said.
“I am,” said Pooh.
“Oh? Doing what?”
“Listening,”he said.
“Listening to what?”
“To the birds. And that squirrel over there.”
“What are they saying?” I asked.
“That it’s a nice day,” said Pooh.
“But you know that already,” I said.
“Yes, but it’s always good to hear that somebody else thinks so, too,” he said.

From The Tao of Pooh

The 10 Most Puzzling Ancient Artifacts

The Bible tells us that God created Adam and Eve just a few thousand years ago, by some fundamentalist interpretations. Science informs us that this is mere fiction and that man is a few million years old, and that civilization just tens of thousands of years old. Could it be, however, that conventional science is just as mistaken as the Bible stories? There is a great deal of archaeological evidence that the history of life on earth might be far different than what current geological and anthropological texts tell us. Consider these astonishing finds:

The Grooved Spheres

The Dropa Stones
In 1938, an archaeological expedition led by Dr. Chi Pu Tei into the Baian-Kara-Ula mountains of China made an astonishing discovery in some caves that had apparently been occupied by some ancient culture. Buried in the dust of ages on the cave floor were hundreds of stone disks. Measuring about nine inches in diameter, each had a circle cut into the center and was etched with a spiral groove, making it look for all the world like some ancient phonograph record some 10,000 to 12,000 years old. The spiral groove, it turns out, is actually composed of tiny hieroglyphics that tell the incredible story of spaceships from some distant world that crash-landed in the mountains. The ships were piloted by people who called themselves the Dropa, and the remains of whose descendants, possibly, were found in the cave.

The Ica Stones
Beginning in the 1930s, the father of Dr. Javier Cabrera, Cultural Anthropologist for Ica, Peru, discovered many hundreds of ceremonial burial stones in the tombs of the ancient Incas. Dr. Cabrera, carrying on his father’s work, has collected more than 1,100 of these andesite stones, which are estimated to be between 500 and 1,500 years old and have become known collectively as the Ica Stones. The stones bear etchings, many of which are sexually graphic (which was common to the culture), some picture idols and others depict such practices as open-heart surgery and brain transplants. The most astonishing etchings, however, clearly represent dinosaurs - brontosaurs, triceratops (see photo), stegosaurus and pterosaurs. While skeptics consider the Ica Stones a hoax, their authenticity has neither been proved or disproved.

The Antikythera Mechanism
A perplexing artifact was recovered by sponge-divers from a shipwreck in 1900 off the coast of Antikythera, a small island that lies northwest of Crete. The divers brought up from the wreck a great many marble and and bronze statues that had apparently been the ship’s cargo. Among the findings was a hunk of corroded bronze that contained some kind of mechanism composed of many gears and wheels. Writing on the case indicated that it was made in 80 B.C., and many experts at first thought it was an astrolabe, an astronomer’s tool. An x-ray of the mechanism, however, revealed it to be far more complex, containing a sophisticated system of differential gears. Gearing of this complexity was not known to exist until 1575! It is still unknown who constructed this amazing instrument 2,000 years ago or how the technology was lost.

The Baghdad Battery
Today batteries can be found in any grocery, drug, convenience and department store you come across. Well, here’s a battery that’s 2,000 years old! Known as the Baghdad Battery, this curiosity was found in the ruins of a Parthian village believed to date back to between 248 B.C. and 226 A.D. The device consists of a 5-1/2-inch high clay vessel inside of which was a copper cylinder held in place by asphalt, and inside of that was an oxidized iron rod. Experts who examined it concluded that the device needed only to be filled with an acid or alkaline liquid to produce an electric charge. It is believed that this ancient battery might have been used for electroplating objects with gold. If so, how was this technology lost... and the battery not rediscovered for another 1,800 years?

The Coso Artifact
While mineral hunting in the mountains of California near Olancha during the winter of 1961, Wallace Lane, Virginia Maxey and Mike Mikesell found a rock, among many others, that they thought was a geode - a good addition for their gem shop. Upon cutting it open, however, Mikesell found an object inside that seemed to be made of white porcelain. In the center was a shaft of shiny metal. Experts estimated that it should have taken about 500,000 years for this fossil-encrusted nodule to form, yet the object inside was obviously of sophisticated human manufacture. Further investigation revealed that the porcelain was surround by a hexagonal casing, and an x-ray revealed a tiny spring at one end. Some who have examined the evidence say it looks very much like a modern-day spark plug. How did it get inside a 500,000-year-old rock?

Ancient Model Aircraft
There are artifacts belonging to ancient Egyptian and Central American cultures that look amazingly like modern-day aircraft. The Egyptian artifact, found in a tomb at Saqquara, Egypt in 1898, is a six-inch wooden object that strongly resembles a model airplane, with fuselage, wings and tail. Experts believe the object is so aerodynamic that it is actually able to glide. The small object discovered in Central America (shown at right), and estimated to be 1,000 years old, is made of gold and could easily be mistaken for a model of a delta-wing aircraft - or even the Space Shuttle. It even features what looks like a pilot’s seat.

Giant Stone Balls of Costa Rica
Workmen hacking and burning their way through the dense jungle of Costa Rica to clear an area for banana plantations in the 1930s stumbled upon some incredible objects: dozens of stone balls, many of which were perfectly spherical. They varied in size from as small as a tennis ball to an astonishing 8 feet in diameter and weighing 16 tons! Although the great stone balls are clearly man-made, it is unknown who made them, for what purpose and, most puzzling, how they achieved such spherical precision.

Impossible Fossils
Fossils, as we learned in grade school, appear in rocks that were formed many thousands of years ago. Yet there are a number of fossils that just don’t make geological or historical sense. A fossil of a human hand print, for example, was found in limestone estimated to be 110 million years old. What appears to be a fossilized human finger found in the Canadian Arctic also dates back 100 to 110 million years ago. And what appears to be the fossil of a human footprint, possibly wearing a sandal, was found near Delta, Utah in a shale deposit estimated to be 300 million to 600 million years old.

Out-of-Place Metal Objects
Humans were not even around 65 million years ago, never mind people who could work metal. So then how does science explain semi-ovoid metallic tubes dug out of 65-million-year-old Cretaceous chalk in France? In 1885, a block of coal was broken open to find a metal cube obviously worked by intelligent hands. In 1912, employees at an electric plant broke apart a large chunk of coal out of which fell an iron pot! A nail was found embedded in a sandstone block from the Mesozoic Era. And there are many, many more such anomalies.

What are we to make of these finds? There are several possibilities:
Intelligent humans date back much, much further than we realize.
Other intelligent beings and civilizations existed on earth far beyond our recorded history.
Our dating methods are completely inaccurate, and that stone, coal and fossils form much more rapidly than we now estimate.

In any case, these examples - and there are many more - should prompt any curious and open-minded scientist to reexamine and rethink the true history of life on earth.

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO WALTER LAST

Walter Last is a well-known writer and researcher of health issues. The "Heal Yourself" books are based on sound procedure aimed towards achieving better general health and overcoming disease. They are the culmination of many years of research into natural methods of healing.

Walter Last combines the training and work experience of Research Chemist Biochemist and Toxicologist with that of Practicing Nutritionist and Natural Therapist.

He was born and grew up in Germany and has held positions in medical institutions at the Universities of Greifswald, Cologne and Munich, working in research and toxicological investigations. He was Chief Forensic Chemist at Cologne and worked at Bio-Science Laboratories in Los Angeles.

In 1970 he settled in New Zealand and dissatisfied with drug-based medicine practiced as a Natural Therapist. He has lived in Queensland since 1981 and has investigated and experimented with a wide range of natural therapies to improve the effectiveness of natural medicine in treating serious and medically incurable diseases.

Walter Last is the author of “Heal Yourself”, “Healing Foods” and “The Natural Way To Heal - 65 Ways to Create Superior Health”, and is the main contributor to the “Self Help Cancer Cure” book. He is a regular contributor to “Nexus” magazine and his latest books are the “Heal Yourself” Series. His website is at http://www.health-science-spirit.com/

Walter Last has spent almost 40 years researching health issues.

His knowledge is based on sound scientific principals and up-to-date information on the causes and ‘cures’ of diseases, especially the number of metabolic illnesses which beset society today. Walter Last is constantly updating his articles and books as new research is carried out and new discoveries are made. His articles are regularly featured in NEXUS magazine worldwide as well as in various other publications.

The main objective of these books is to increase each individual’s knowledge of the functioning of their own bodies and the gradual transition to a more healthy state with the use of natural therapies. This is of benefit in helping to avoid various drugs, many of which merely ‘mask’ the illness. These methods have been proven to be extremely effective for a great many people. Perseverance is the key. Of course, this is not the path for everyone, as it takes dedication and patience. This is different to normal drugs which work almost instantly to relieve symptoms, but which do not necessarily cure. The aim is to bring the body and the immune system back to a state where a ‘cure’ follows as a natural consequence.

Naturally, for any serious disease, or if you are unsure of a particular course of action, seek the help of a competent health professional. Good luck with your efforts!

If you are interested in supplements and natural cures you might want to visit the website that offers the products listed here.http://www.strideintohealth.com/

Our products can be part of your search for a healthier life.

Lugol’s Solution: an Iodine solution in a perfect combination of iodine and potassium iodide helps with fungal infections like Candida and other microorganisms and the health of the thyroid gland
MMS (Miracle Mineral Solution): is great for killing off parasites, viruses bacteria and other microorganisms, especially in the blood stream.
Magnesium oil: is fast becoming the greatest magnesium supplement on the market. It doesn’t need the digestive tract to be absorbed into the body, making it 100% bio-available to tissue.
Olive leaf: is one of the best parasite and other microorganism killers and best used after Lugol’s and either by itself or together with MMS. Also excellent for colds and other immune conditions, and strengthening of the heart.
Colostrum (20% IgG): has long been known to be the greatest supporter and enhancer of the immune system. This is the stuff babies strive on right after birth.
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane): a sulphur compound found in abundance in nature, however, processing, storing and cooking food destroys the essential MSM sulphur. Without MSM varying illnesses may develop.
N-Acetyl Glucosamine (NAG): is vital for the strength and health of connective tissue. In the N-Acetyl form it is easier absorbed and stays in the blood stream longer.
N-Acetyl Carnitine: is more bioavailable and brain active than L Caritine. This makes it superior for neurological tissue, memory, concentration and enhances fat utilization and energy production.
Fungal Lipase: a fat splitting enzyme is often missing in our diet. Heating food destroys lipase and inhibits fat metabolism. Our Lipase is one of the strongest on the market.
Gorgeous Greens: A combination of Wheat and Barley grass, Spirulina, Alfalfa and Chlorella
Copper Salicylate: is the strongest copper combination for inflammation. In combination with either MSM or Magnesium oil it is easily absorbed through the skin.
Magnet Pack: Effective in relieving pain and inflammation.
Organic Plant Minerals: are the natural way to improve your mineral balance. Extracted from ancient earth they have all the needed mineral and trace minerals for health and wellbeing. Minerals are the spark of life.
Potassium Citrate: Nature’s alkalizer. Helping to restore the acid/alkaline balance.
Liver Detox Mix: For Liver detox and support

God I Am: A book by Peter O. Erbe

How to get into the Wellness Zone: By Barbara Bourke

HEALING ENVIRONMENTS -- THE LABYRINTH

The Evolution of the Labyrinth into A Spiritual Healing Tool

Victoria Stone, StoneCircle Principle Victoria Stone, M.P.H., Allied A.S.I.D.

The labyrinth is an ancient circular mandala pattern found in cultures throughout the world. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has only one path that leads to a center and out again. The oldest labyrinth pattern was discovered on stone tablets in Greece and traced back to 1200 BC. The labyrinth is associated with the ancient Greek myth of the Minotaur, a beast that was half man and half bull, imprisoned at the center of a labyrinth by King Minos of Crete.

The labyrinth is a pattern whose meaning is expressed on both conscious and unconscious levels. Its shape, the circle, is a universal symbol of wholeness and unity. Its meandering path is a metaphor for the path of life. According to the psychologist Carl Jung, the labyrinth pattern is an archetypal image of the psyche. Walking the labyrinth path leads each of us to our own center.

The labyrinth’s use as a spiritual tool dates back to the 13th century when it was placed in the floors of Gothic cathedrals in Europe. There it was walked by Christian pilgrims as a symbolic pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This is where the roots of the labyrinth as a walking meditation are found. The most famous labyrinth in Europe is in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France.

In 1991 Reverend Lauren Artress, Ph.D., Canon Pastor of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, introduced the labyrinth to her congregation for the purpose of creating a bridge of understanding between the traditional church and nontraditional forms of spirituality. The labyrinth walk became a popular event with members and non-members alike. Over the years Dr. Artress has taken her portable labyrinth to churches and conferences throughout the country. She has presented it as a spiritual tool that can help heal the split between reason and imagination, thought and feeling, psyche and spirit.

Grace Cathedral now has two permanent labyrinth walks available to the public. The cathedral has found that many of the people who come to walk the labyrinth do so as a result of a health crisis, either their own or a loved one’s. The labyrinth has begun to be used as a tool to support the inner healing journey.

Medical science is beginning to acknowledge, and conduct research on, the role spiritual faith and practice plays in the health and healing process. While the spiritual component of healing is becoming recognized, there are few tools currently available that provide this type of support for patients, families, medical staff and the community. The experience at Grace Cathedral has demonstrated the labyrinth’s potential to meet this need. By taking the labyrinth out of a religious setting, and placing it in a non-denominational healing environment, people of all faiths and religious traditions will have an opportunity to experience the spiritual support it provides when facing a serious health problem.

In June 1997 StoneCircle installed a labyrinth walk at the entrance to California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. This is the first labyrinth to be placed in a health care institution. Since that time there has been a very positive response on the part of patients, medical center staff and the surrounding community. In the medical center setting the labyrinth walk becomes as a holistic healing tool, a mind, body, prayer path. It is an experience that honors the whole person. With its holistic nature and simplicity of use, the labyrinth is an excellent tool for integrating spiritual self-care into a health care setting.

StoneCircle is currently consulting with medical centers, health care providers and community organizations across the country in response to their interest in the labyrinth as a spiritual healing tool. Our goal is to create a bridge between the spiritual and health care communities and to use the labyrinth to help reunite body and spirit in the health and healing process.

DESIGNING A SACRED SPACE FOR HEALING

What comes to mind when we consider the idea of designing sacred space? For many it is associated with the religious realm. A soaring cathedral ceiling, an exquisitely lit altar and beautifully designed stained glass windows. An interesting and perhaps limited specialty for an interior designer you might say. But what if we expand our definition of sacred space? As our lives become increasingly busy and over scheduled with various activities and obligations, having environments that nurture and support our emotional and spiritual well being is becoming something more of us, and our clients, are wanting and needing. Rather than being a limited niche, designing sacred space is something that is a possibility for all interior designers. It is also an opportunity for us to make a significant contribution to the health and healing of our community.

ADAM AND EVE -- MARC CHAGALL

Thinking about the home or workplace as an appropriate environment for contemplation of the sacred is not necessarily a new idea. The belief that we can experience the sacred in the most ordinary places is something many of us hold to be true. And yet Most Of us don’t experience a sense of sacredness as we go about our daily lives. We need to re-think how we design our interior environments if we are to experience the sacred there. As interior designers we have the ability to transform people’s lives through the changes we make in their environments. By designing spaces which recognize, support, enhance and perhaps even liberate the sacred from our modern day existence we can create a sense of harmony and balance in homes, workplaces and health care environments that inspires a connection with the sacred and contributes to our health and healing.

So how can we all create sacred space and contribute to the health and healing of our clients and the community? The philosopher Mircea Eliade said, “A manifestation of the sacred is always a revelation of being.” Designing sacred space involves creating opportunities in Our environment to pause and reflect on our lives in the context of something greater than ourselves be it family, community, nature or even our connection to the universe.

One of the ways we have been removed from a sense of sacredness in our everyday lives is through our isolation from nature and its natural cycles. We have lost touch with the basis from which our sense of the sacred is derived. We have air conditioning to cool our homes on hot summer days and heaters to warm us on cold winter nights. While few would dispute the necessity of this technology and the many benefits derived from it, it does take a toll in terms of distancing us from our relationship to nature and its cycles which support and nurture our spirit. The same holds true for man-made materials. While we would all agree that synthetic fibers and materials have enabled us to manufacture durable and functional furnishings, it is natural materials such as wood, stone and wool that bring us back in touch with nature and the contribution it makes in our lives.

We can enhance our relationship with nature and bring the sacred into our environments by creating a special place to recognize and honor the seasons and life cycles. In the Japanese home it is common to find an alcove called a tokanoma where a scroll and seasonal flower arrangement is displayed. This is not a stagnant display, but is changed with the seasons or family celebration. It serves as a reminder that change is a natural and positive process of life.

Surrounding ourselves with images and objects that have personal meaning can also reinforce the sacredness of everyday life. Symbolic images and objects transform the ordinary into the sacred by reminding us of our past and reaffirming our place in the world. By incorporating into a kitchen or bath design the tile a client purchased on a memorable trip to Spain, we can create an opportunity for them to pause during the day and reflect on their life experiences and relationships.

The shapes of the rooms and other objects that have personal meaning for us brings a sense of the sacred. The circle is a universal symbol of unity and wholeness and has been representative of heaven and the universe. The circle is therefore an important image of the sacred which resonates with us on a very deep level. Most of us spend all our time living and working in square spaces. The square is symbolic of the physical/ material world. Designs that allow some time outside of our traditional square spaces could be good for the soul.

A quiet retreat and place for renewal is another kind of sacred space. We are so busy meeting other’s needs (boss, spouse, children, family) that most of us forget to create a time in our day to spend with ourselves and regenerate. We need some time to not do anything and just let ourselves be. This retreat is a true healing environment, a place that physically supports being quiet and reconnecting with ourselves. This space should nurture all the senses for it is through the stimulation of our sense of vision, touch, sound and smell that our inner most feeling emerge and can be healed.

Designing sacred space does not require a designer to have any special skills, only a special intention. That intention is to design spaces that support and nurture our connection to something greater than ourselves be it our family, community or the universe. In designing sacred spaces we contribute to recovering a memory of our most basic connection to the environment and help cultivate a sense of harmony and balance with all of our surroundings which is the foundation for healing not only ourselves but the planet.

ARE YOU BUYING THIS?

Repetition is used everywhere—advertising, politics and the media—but does it really persuade us?

This little article opens up the idea that we may be programmed mentally by incorrect beliefs, ideas, thoughts and data. A good 'mindwipe' through the magic of corrected consciousness may be your next move. Consider the benefits of prayer, meditation, reprogramming with true conclusions and refusing to react to negative programming. You can do it!

Psychology studies reveal all...

We see ads for the same products over and over again. Politicians repeat the same messages endlessly (even when it has nothing to do with the question they’ve been asked). Journalists repeat the same opinions day after day.

Can all this repetition really be persuasive?

It seems too simplistic that just repeating a persuasive message should increase its effect, but that’s exactly what psychological research finds (again and again). Repetition is one of the easiest and most widespread methods of persuasion. In fact it’s so obvious that we sometimes forget how powerful it is.

People rate statements that have been repeated just once as more valid or true than things they’ve heard for the first time. They even rate statements as truer when the person saying them has been repeatedly lying. (Begg et al., 1992).

And when we think something is more true, we also tend to be more persuaded by it. Several studies have shown that people are more swayed when they hear statements of opinion and persuasive messages more than once.

Easy to understand = true

This is what psychologists call the illusion of truth effect and it arises at least partly because familiarity breeds liking. As we are exposed to a message again and again, it becomes more familiar. Because of the way our minds work, what is familiar is also true. Familiar things require less effort to process and that feeling of ease unconsciously signals truth (this is called cognitive fluency).

As every politician knows, there’s not much difference between actual truth and the illusion of truth. Since illusions are often easier to produce, why bother with the truth?

The exact opposite is also true. If something is hard to think about then people tend to believe it less. Naturally this is very bad news for people trying to persuade others of complicated ideas in what is a very complicated world.

Some studies have even tested how many times a message should be repeated for maximum effect. These suggest that people have the maximum confidence in an idea after it has been repeated between 3 and 5 times (Brinol et al., 2008). After that, repetition ceases to have the same effect and may even reverse.

Because TV adverts are repeated many more times than this, advertisers now use subtle variations in the ads to recapture our attention. This is an attempt to avoid the fact that while familiarity can breed liking, over-familiarity tends to breed contempt.

When repetition fails

Repetition is effective almost across the board when people are paying little attention, but when they are concentrating and the argument is weak, the effect disappears (Moons et al., 2008).

In other words, it’s no good repeating a weak argument to people who are listening carefully. But if people aren’t motivated to scrutinise your arguments carefully then repeat away with abandon—the audience will find the argument more familiar and, therefore, more persuasive.

This suggests we should remain critical while watching TV adverts or the message will creep in under our defenses. You might think it’s better to let the ads wash over you, without thinking too much, but just the reverse is true. Really we should be highly critical otherwise, before we know it, we’re singing the jingle, quoting the tag-line and buying the product.

When the argument is strong, though, it doesn’t matter whether or not the audience is concentrating hard, repetition will increase persuasion. Unfortunately I find it’s often people with the best arguments who don’t repeat them enough.

Persuading groups

When people are debating an issue together in a meeting, you can see a parallel effect. When one person in a group repeats their opinion a few times, the other people think that person’s opinion is more representative of the whole group (see my previous article: loudest voice = majority opinion).

The same psychology is at work again: to the human mind there is little difference between appearances and truth. What appears to be true might as well actually be true, because we tend to process the illusion as though it were the truth.

It’s a depressing enough finding about the human ability to process rational arguments but recent research has shown an even more worrying effect. We can effectively persuade ourselves through repetition. A study has shown that when an idea is retrieved from memory, this has just as powerful a persuasive effect on us as if it had been repeated twice (Ozubki et al., 2010).

The aspiring sceptic, therefore, should be especially alert to thoughts that come quickly and easily to mind—we can easily persuade ourselves with a single recall of a half-remembered thought

Kalama Sutta

The people of Kalama asked the Buddha who to believe out of all the ascetics, sages, venerables, and holy ones who, like himself, passed through their town. They complained that they were confused by the many contradictions they discovered in what they heard. The Kalama Sutta is the Buddha's reply. The same text, said the Buddha, must be applied to his own teachings.

–	Do not believe anything on mere hearsay.
–	Do not believe in traditions merely because they are old and have been handed down for many generations and in many places.
–	Do not believe anything on account of rumors or because people talk a a great deal about it.
–	Do not believe anything because you are shown the written testimony of some ancient sage.
–	Do not believe in what you have fancied, thinking that, because it is extraordinary, it must have been inspired by a god or other wonderful being.
–	Do not believe anything merely because presumption is in its favor, or because the custom of many years inclines you to take it as true.
–	Do not believe anything merely on the authority of your teachers and priests.
–	But, whatever, after thorough investigation and reflection, you find to agree with reason and experience, as conducive to the good and benefit of one and all and of the world at large, accept only that as true, and shape your life in accordance with it.

The same text, said the Buddha, must be applied to his own teachings.

–	Do not accept any doctrine from reverence, but first try it as gold is tried by fire.

THE DISCOVERY OF ETERNITY IN THE PRESENT

2010-12-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

No one sees other ways
Than the way of his love.
--E. Swedenborg, Divine Providence (12,800)

Poem
The stillness of her shades is stirred by the woodland whisper;
her amlaki groves are aquiver with the rapture of leaves.
She dwells in us and around us, however far away we may wander.
She weaves our hearts in a song, making us one in music,
turning our strings of love with her own fingers;
and we ever remember that she is our own, the darling of our hearts.
--R. Tagore, Santiniketan Song (9-368)

Very few of us at this stage of our path aspire to become a master. However; it is generally accepted that this is the ultimate goal of spiritual enlightenment before being absorbed into the ALL. The article below was written by Walter Last. We do not know the background, biography or qualifications of Mr. Last to have presented the following essay, and we do not claim agreement with every aspect of the article, but we do recommend reading it for your own soul to understand from your level of perspective.

This is a follow up to the lesson we discussed last week on Paths. The links offered in this article have been left activated because they were recommended by Mr. Last. Most, if not all, of them link to his website.

There was no copyright notice on the website. That is why we are able to bring this copy to you in an unedited (except for spelling) form. Most illustrations in this section relate to Buddhist teachings. This is an occurrence caused by the western lack of acknowledgement of spiritual paths and realization.

You cannot become a master by remaining a follower

THE SPIRITUAL PATH

By Walter Last

The purpose of life, including our human life, is the evolution of consciousness. The aim of our human existence is to become as fully human as possible, to realize or make real the full potential inherent in the human condition. This applies to all levels of being human, to the biological, the emotional as well as the mental level.

Instead of seeing yourself as just a personality with a mind and a body, imagine yourself as part of an individualized life-stream that flows eternally towards increasingly higher levels of consciousness. This life-stream builds itself different personalities as vehicles for its flow of consciousness. You are one of these temporary vehicles. Your personality is temporary, the present cutting edge of your life-stream as perceived in our space-time.

The aim of your life-stream at this level is to develop a vehicle that allows the full expression of your soul suitable for travel beyond the human condition. When this is accomplished, no further personalities are needed. As an ascended being the life-stream can now traverse the trans-human conditions of consciousness.

SPIRITUAL AWAKENING

This evolution of consciousness normally is a slow process and most personalities are not aware that they are part of an evolutionary growth. However, as the personality comes closer to perfection, it does become aware of its purpose and it begins to long for spiritual unfoldment. Before this spiritual awakening, the personality may already have believed in God and followed a religious faith in the traditional way. But there is a difference. In the traditional religious life the believer may try to follow the doctrines of his faith the best he can, but he basically remains on the same slow evolutionary path of consciousness.

With the spiritual awakening, spiritual growth becomes the main focus of this personality. The slow evolutionary process now becomes a spiritual revolution, not only in regard to the speed of the growth of consciousness but also in regard to the overthrow of established values. This spiritual revolution may take place within the confines of an established religion or it may happen outside a religious faith. Within a religion, these awakening spirits will sooner or later come in conflict with established doctrines. They may try to revolutionise or restore their church to its highest ideals and eventually become mystics or saints or martyrs or just start their own church or sect. Most established religions had at best an uneasy relationship with their mystics and (later) saints.

In any way, whether the awakening and subsequent spiritual growth takes place within or without an established religion, the awakening personality will begin to follow the spiritual guidance that comes from within rather than the established rules and doctrines of church and society. Spirituality is no longer something that one does on Sunday mornings or other established times and according to established rules, but rather it becomes the central purpose and focus of life. With this, we may say that the personality is now on the spiritual path.

VARIETIES OF SPIRITUAL PATHS

While the real goal of the spiritual path is the same for all, there are many different roads that one can travel and one may even travel without a road. Also the goal may be described in different terms without always recognising that it is the same goal. This is so because we all have different starting points and different preferences and opportunities. Many spiritual travellers will not expect to reach their goal in their present lifetime, while others may realise that they do not really need to travel anywhere.

Some of the better-defined roads are the different forms of Yoga, the Tao, the Gnostic teachings, the Rosicrucians and various ancient and modern Mystery Schools. While the Mystics are generally regarded as a distinct group, they really travelled each on his or her own individual path. At present Ascension teachings through books and channelled guidance attract many followers. These teachings are largely individualised outgrowths from the writings of the Theosophical Society since the end of the nineteenth century.

Knower or the Mystic. The Doer mainly works in the world as a healer, alchemist or white magician, trying to master the non-physical energies and forces. The Mystic, on the other hand, follows mainly the inner path, seeking Union with the Divine Self and in the process becomes a Knower and a teacher. However, ultimately Knower and Doer both become one.

THE PATH OF THE MYSTICS

The recorded experiences of the many mystics in all religions is of particular interest because we can learn from these what the spiritual path looks like when it is not guided by specific verbal or written teachings. Most of these individuals in past centuries did not know that there was such a thing as a spiritual path and that others had travelled the same or a similar route. They just felt a longing to come closer to God and to feel at one with Him, to melt into Divinity like a drop of water becomes one with the ocean.

Each of them had different experiences and many of them walked only part of the way, but by constructing a composite picture from a large number of their writings we can discern a distinct pattern of the typical mystical path. Few mystics seem to have traveled all of this 'typical' path, but this may be because we can see only one life-time of a multiple-life-time journey. This typical mystical path may best be described as a five-stage journey and we may easily see its relationship to contemporary spiritual practices.

1. The Awakening
The spiritual awakening is the beginning of the mystical path and also of the spiritual path in general. It may be sudden or gradual. Often it comes as an emotionally overwhelming 'mystical experience', possibly ending a period of great emotional torment and suffering. Another frequent setting is during a spiritual initiation ceremony, such as presently during water baptism for 'Born-Again Christians'.

Others may have this awakening experience during an especially intense prayer or meditation or drift gradually onto the path by attending workshops or reading spiritual books. The latter as well as others coming to the path because of philosophical considerations turn out to become like the 'mental mystics' as compared to the 'emotional mystics' who had their mystical experiences mainly at the emotional level.

This initial peak experience may last for hours or days with gradually declining intensity. Commonly it is a combination of deep feelings, such as universal love, with profound spiritual intuition or insight, although depending on the personality traits the emotional or the mental component may dominate. Also psychic phenomena are frequently involved in the form of visions and voices.

2. Purification
After the awakening the individual does not only want to repeat the mystical experience but really wants to live in a permanent state of grace close to God. However, the aspiring mystic realises that he is not yet worthy, he becomes acutely aware of his imperfections, of the impurity of his thoughts and feelings. He starts to cleanse himself of all selfish or impure desires. Commonly this is combined with periods of fasting or food denial. Medieval mystics tended to be very severe with themselves in order to 'mortify' the body and with it the unruly senses and the desires of the flesh. Worldly pursuits no longer hold any interest. Periods of prayer and meditation are greatly extended.

While this process of purification requires strong willpower and causes much self-inflicted pain, it is also increasingly interspersed with beautiful and uplifting mystical experiences that spur the seeker on to greater sacrifices for the sake of more rapturous experiences. This purification process continues for many years. Instead of turning the spiritual energies released by the awakening experience inward to purify, it may also be directed outwards. These individuals then become religious fanatics and may remain at this level for the rest of their lives.

3. Illumination
After the Self has been sufficiently cleansed or purified and the mind remains fully focused on the presence and the qualities of the Divine, a state of illumination may unexpectedly arise. This will be similar to the experience of awakening but even more intense and longer lasting. Again, it may be predominantly emotional with feelings of indescribable Divine love, being at one with 'All That Is' and combined with visions and voices, or it may be predominantly mental with profound insights and states of pure knowing. Commonly the initial peak experience is combined with perceiving an intense or blinding inner white light.

For many months these deep feelings and insights will keep flowing in, but gradually settle into a state of a permanently raised and more intuitive consciousness. The illuminated mystic will now always remain aware of the Divine presence in everyone and everything and radiate a presence of love and goodwill. Intuitive abilities will be greatly increased. Commonly, one will receive a spiritual gift with the illumination. This may be the ability to heal or to see or to know. By developing this ability one will become a great healer, seer or spiritual teacher.

The perception of mysticism as being incomprehensible to normal, unenlightened humans is due to the fact that most mystical writings were composed by the emotional type of mystics. They focused on emotional states of being and perceived and described their visions and experiences with emotional metaphors that remained incomprehensible to the uninitiated. This is similar to the present descriptions of reality given by quantum physicists.

Life in this state of illumination is easy and full of joy, a permanent state of great happiness and contentment. It is like living in a state of grace that can never be lost again. But sometimes it is being lost.

4. The Dark Night of the Soul
There is a saying that he whom God loves most, will be given the severest tests. This certainly seems to be true of the few mystics who continue to travel further along the spiritual path even after illumination. During the long and difficult purification process the aspiring mystic gave up most of his sense attachments, the pleasure of eating, of sexual union, of bodily comfort and of pleasant company. Instead all the energies were focused only on what was perceived to be transcendental and divine.

But there was still one thing left that had not been surrendered, that is the will, the central part of the Self. To give up the will, the innate instinct for personal happiness had to be surrendered. This is called the 'mystical death' or the spiritual crucifixion. During illumination the mystic seemed to walk hand in hand with God and sunned himself in eternal Divine bliss. This makes the contrast even greater to the feeling of having lost all the former grace and glory and being totally abandoned by God to a life in abject misery.

However, gradually the Self begins to accept total surrender. It gives up itself, its personality and individuality, asks for nothing and desires nothing. Now there is total passivity and acceptance of whatever God has ordained or whatever comes. Now the mystic is finally ready for the last stage of his earthly journey.

5. The Unitive Life
Finally, by giving up everything, the mystic has gained everything. By being completely passive, he is able to be filled with the Divine Spirit. No longer does he experience the strong mood swings between divine bliss and utter desolation, he has now settled into a feeling of constant peaceful and love-filled union with the Divine. However, this is not the goal of his long journey, just a by-product. The real achievement is that the mystic is now an ideal tool or instrument of the Divine Will to be used for manifesting the Great Plan on earth.
While now the mystic still lives in the world, he is no longer of the world. He may be a great reformer, healer, inventor, statesman, educator or spiritual teacher but whatever he does is never for any small or selfish interests, instead it is always for the greater good of All That Is. He now lives a life of service. Whatever he does, he is now a spiritual master, even if that is not always apparent to the outside world. After his passing, he will be an ascended being, not needing to return to earth.

Comments on the Mystical Path

In this description it is easy to draw comparisons to the life of Jesus of Nazareth and see in it a symbolic enactment of the mystical path. The baptism symbolizes the spiritual awakening, the 40 days in the desert correspond to the period of purification, followed by illumination (the transfiguration on the mountain) and selfless service in the form of a healing and teaching ministry. The experience on the cross and the events leading up to it are his dark night. While the unitive life is cut short, it is signified by the ascension and the following teaching period in ascended form.

It may also be mentioned that the described states of the mystical path do not necessarily follow one after the other but some may occur simultaneously, such as enlightenment and the dark night of the soul or purification, enlightenment and selfless work. These may coexist or alternate, causing emotional extremes over short periods. Coexistence is possible because we do not need to be perfect to reach illumination and, therefore, continue with our purification on deeper levels.

Furthermore, these extremes and the perceived sufferings are mainly the lot of the emotional type of mystics while the mental type follows a much smoother path. Both have the difficult task of giving up their attachments to gratifying the senses and surrendering their will, it is just that the emotional mystics are so much more sensitive and take things very much to heart. It also must be understood that it is not necessary to give up things, only the attachment to things but that was not always understood by those leading a life of extreme asceticism.

ASCENSION TEACHINGS

The ascension teachings are a New Age phenomenon and largely based on channeled teachings. These started with Madame Blavatsky and led to the foundation of the Theosophical Society late in the nineteenth century. The aim of these teachings is to present a greatly accelerated path to ascension.

Ascension is highlighted as the main aim and achievement of the spiritual path. Ascension means that we are no longer in need of experiences at the human level. For our continuing progress towards higher levels of consciousness we develop a spiritual light body through our ascension work. Presently ascension teachings focus mainly on guided imagery to open, balance and extend the chakra system and build a light body.

A key feature is a system of initiations as a measure of progress on the spiritual path. These initiations are to take place in our higher energy bodies and may or may not be remembered with our normal body consciousness. While there are some variations in the way of counting, the basic requirements for passing the five initiations before ascension may be described as follows.

Spiritual Awakening.
Purifying the body, learning to work with the energies and controlling the etheric body.
Purifying and controlling the emotions as well as developing a higher emotional body.
Purifying and controlling the mind as well as developing a higher mental body.
Submitting the will to Divine Guidance.
Selfless work for the greater good of humanity.
Ascension.

While formerly initiations in the physical body took place in the form of tests and rituals within secret societies, presently they appear to be incorporated as special situations in our normal life. As an example the third initiation requires us to have good control of the mental, emotional and etheric forces. In ancient Egypt an appropriate test might have been for the disciple to demonstrate that he can control an untamed lion with his mind and the lion obeying him. At the slightest sign of fear the lion would kill him.

A modern equivalent might be a diagnosis of advanced and incurable cancer. To overcome this without much outside help, one needs to use the mind constructively to guide the emotions in a positive way, release all negativity, especially be free of the fear of death and also learn to direct the life-force energies as in guided imagery. While only a small percentage of sufferers of advanced incurable diseases may have been given their disease as an initiation test, most of those who did recover from near-terminal conditions reportedly had profound spiritual experiences.

Ascension and the Mystical Path

The relationship of the ascension initiations as portrayed above to the divisions of the mystical path are quite obvious. Starting with the spiritual awakening in both, the first three initiations are related to the mystical period of purification. In contrast to the yoga system of purification, which concentrates strongly on controlling the etheric energies, the mystical path does not address the etheric or life-force body directly. However, this level is purified indirectly by removing emotional energy blockages and by learning to control the emotional energies, which in turn direct the etheric life-force energies.

Illumination is the first major initiation and is the result of purifying and learning to control the mind and developing a higher mental body as the requirement for the third initiation. The fourth initiation will be passed after waking from the dark night of the soul and the fifth initiation is the result of the unitive life.

The ascension teachings portray largely a magical or doer path in contrast to the knower-based mystical path. A combination of both may in some ways be easier to follow than either one of them on its own. The severity of the mystical path can be greatly eased and progress sped up by suitable guided imagery, while the present ascension teachings seem to neglect the purification and control of the emotional and mental bodies that feature so prominently in the mystical path.

AN INTEGRATED SPIRITUAL PATH

Presently travelers on the spiritual path have two important advantages as compared to those in former centuries. We now have published information on the nature and variety of spiritual pathways so that we no longer need to find our way alone in the darkness of ignorance.

Furthermore, with the information explosion in recent decades and the learning of technical skills, our capacity to understand and communicate has greatly increased. What formerly could only be expressed as incomprehensible mysticism, can now be understood and presented in rational and scientific terms. This makes it much easier for us to come to the stage of illumination instead of being bogged down for long time spans in emotional misery, which formerly was the lot of most mystics.

In the following, I want to give some helpful information on the various stages of a modern spiritual path and on the different components and tools that you may incorporate into your individualised approach. There is now so much information available on ascension, the path of yoga, working with energies, healing the emotions and the mind and so forth that your problem is not to find information, but to develop the ability to discern and know what is right for you. You can do this by keeping your highest goal in mind and asking your inner or higher guidance for help.

Beware of getting sidetracked by psychic abilities or happenings. Developing psychic abilities can be fascinating, but is no more spiritual than material, emotional or mental activities. However, psychic activities can be more deceptive than other activities. Most psychic happenings take place on the astral level or open us to astral influences. Spirit entities operating on this level commonly are less spiritually developed than someone on the spiritual path and often give misleading or mischievous information. They also love to imitate or pretend being a high spiritual entity or even God.

Churches, sects and cults commonly have astral counterparts that feed on the devotion of their followers and try to lure potential recruits just as much as commercial advertisers. But these astral entities are more dangerous because they are usually hidden from our awareness and their intentions and methods may not be clean. Already St. John of the Cross, a highly respected mystic of the sixteenth century, advised his followers to be wary of visions and voices as these commonly come from a lower level and tend to lead the spiritual seeker astray. They will disappear when moving the consciousness higher into more spiritual regions. The only thing that protects us from being used or misled by lower spirits but at the same time remaining open to contact with truly high spirit beings is the purity of our consciousness.

AWAKENINGS

Do not worry wondering whether you had already a spiritual awakening and are now on the spiritual path or not. Just start or continue searching for spiritual information, reading interesting books and visiting spiritual web sites. You will be doing the right thing. By always keeping your goal in mind, you will quite naturally be attracted to what is important and right for you.

While in the beginning it is helpful and necessary to read quite a bit from different sources to get a good overview, later it is better to read as little as possible. By continuing to read a lot you remain at the intellectual level and that hinders the development of intuitive abilities. Instead keep the subject in mind about which you want more information, ask your guidance for help and trust that the right book will fall into your hands when needed. Even then, often you may not need to read the whole book but quickly find what is important for you.

One of the early sidetracks on the spiritual path are the many interesting books now available. If you do not control yourself, you can easily become addicted to reading and spend the rest of your life reading interesting books on spiritual and related matters instead of really doing what needs to be done. Therefore, move quickly through the information phase and start the real work. Whenever you really need additional information, your spiritual guidance is likely to let you unexpectedly find it.

If you are a practicing member of a religious denomination, you do not need to be concerned that the spiritual path may be incompatible with your religious beliefs. Instead, you may expect that it will increase your faith. If you discover a contradiction or incompatibility here or there, put it on the shelf for the time being. Remember, the spiritual path does not have any doctrines. Any writings about it are personal opinions that you do not need to accept. On the contrary, walking the spiritual path means finding your own insights and personal relationship with your God.

PURIFICATION OR CLEANSING

The purification period does not need to be a time of misery and suffering as it was for the mystics. Instead, it can be a time of adventure and discovery. The greatest adventure is to discover yourself. By removing biological, emotional and mental blockages, you will become healthier and happier. Life will become emotionally as well as mentally more satisfying. What could be better? The main fun of the spiritual path is not the arrival at the end, but the whole long and interesting journey of getting there.

You do not need to make a sharp distinction between working on the biological, the etheric, the emotional and the mental level. They are all closely related. It is just easier to write about one level at a time. You may concentrate on one level, say the emotional, which also affects all the other levels at the same time, although the greatest impact will be directly on the emotional level. It is also easier to start with concentrating on the body or biological level and then proceed to the etheric, emotional and mental level in turn.

In addition to purifying, we also aim to strengthen and balance each level to achieve an overall inner as well as outer harmony. We may say that we move to sanitise and spiritualise all aspects of our Self.

THE BIOLOGICAL LEVEL

While many great spiritual teachers have not placed much emphasis on the body, they nevertheless purified it just as a side effect of their spiritual quest. See for instance the 40-day fast of Jesus of Nazareth in the desert, or the Buddha fasting until the imprint in the sand where he was sitting in meditation looked like the hoof print of a camel. The Buddha is also quoted as telling his monks: "if you want to be healthy, eat only one meal a day". Of course, that was in India, in colder climates more food is required.

Furthermore, in previous centuries all food was organic, and air and water were still unpolluted. We have to work hard on purifying our bodies to get to the point where previous spiritual seekers started. Therefore, it has advantages for the later work on the higher levels if we start with the biological level. For this I recommend:

The Basic Cleanse. This may be repeated from time to time, especially if you want to lose weight, also any other cleanse that you may prefer.
Test for food allergies and chemical sensitivities at the end of the Basic Cleanse, see Allergy Testing in Healing Foods.
Adopt a predominantly raw-food diet with plenty of fresh green and purple juices, see the High-Quality Diet in Healing Foods.
Select your food according to your metabolic and blood type as explained in Healing Foods.
Regular physical exercises and outdoors activity, yoga, stretching, shaking, walking and swimming.
Sanitize your teeth, bedroom and workplace.

THE ETHERIC LEVEL

The main features of the etheric level are the etheric body, the etheric part of the chakra system and the acupuncture system. For a basic understanding of this level see the articles in the section on 'Energies' at my web site. This level determines directly the basic health of our body and how energetic we are. This is not only the energy of life and of the etheric blueprint of our body, but also the energy of healing and manifestation.

In order to manifest something, be it our own health or healing someone else or manifesting a physical or social condition, we need to do energy imagery: hold a clear visualisation or other form of guided imagery of the desired situation, fill it with etheric energy and expect it to manifest in your reality. This is the basis and the principle of all genuine magic. An important part of our work at the etheric level is learning how to accumulate and direct etheric energy.

The most important principal to understand is that energy follows thought. However, mental and etheric energies exist on vastly different density levels and do not affect each other directly. Therefore, they require the assistance of the emotional or feeling level, which is sandwiched between the two. For learning to accumulate and direct etheric energies I recommend that you practice the exercises described in Cultivating the Energy and also in The Love Cure. When you are able to feel the energy flows, you may also try using them in guided imagery for healing and other manifestations.

Furthermore, by practising The Love Cure you automatically improve any weaknesses and imbalances in your chakra system. This, in turn, will have favourable effects on your health, on healing your emotional level and building your light body. If you are so inclined, you may in addition also acquire and use any of the various guided ascension and chakra meditations available on tape or CD from New Age outlets.

For improving your acupuncture system see the article on Meridian Therapy, and use mainly mental tracing after you have learned to feel the energy flows. For more practical information on working at the etheric level you may see the various books on Kahuna Magic such as the pioneering books by Max Freedom Long ('The Secret Science Behind Miracles' and 'The Secret Science at Work') and the more recent 'Kahuna Healing' by Serge King and 'HUNA - A Beginner's Guide' by Enid Hoffman.

THE EMOTIONAL LEVEL

For most travellers this will be the most difficult and possibly painful level to sanitise but it will also be the most rewarding. To start with, I suggest that you read the articles in the section on HEALING OUR EMOTIONS, and especially the main article 'The World of Feelings and Emotions'.
The important steps in healing our emotions are:

Removing emotional blockages and traumatic body memories.
Overcoming addictions and cravings.
Learning to freely feel and express our emotions without hurting others.
Using meditation and guided imagery to develop a higher emotional body by surrounding ourselves with positive and uplifting feelings and emotions.
Using appropriate beliefs and mental awareness to react positively to daily events.

1. Emotional Cleansing
Experiment with the methods described in Mind Tools, especially emotional release, regression and the Emotional Freedom Technique. These are best practised in Healing Groups as described in the article on 'Healing Social Relationships'. Also rebirthing may be used if you have the opportunity.

A relatively simple way to contact and release past emotional traumas is by using present emotional upsets. If something strongly affects you emotionally, try to feel into yourself, possibly combined with a relaxation or meditation exercise, to discover why it upsets you. Most likely some old forgotten memories come up about a similar incident in your younger years. Whatever the method, when an emotional event from the past is made conscious, it either ceases its detrimental effects on its own or can now be dealt with in a rational way.

Some of the main hidden emotions that we need to uncover and release are fear, guilt and resentments. These block the flow of life-force energies and make us susceptible to lack of energy, diseases and aging. The main remedies, after making a suppressed emotional memory conscious, are unconditional love, understanding and forgiving ourselves and all others.

On this level you do not need to clean out all hidden negative emotional memories that would probably be impossible. However, you should aim to uncover and remove all those factors that interfere strongly with the flow of life-force energies in your body, with your emotional health and enjoyment of life and also with your ability to make clear and impartial decisions.

The most important emotional event to discover and release is commonly our last death experience. This often is at the root of our present health or social problems. To discover and overcome this try regression therapy as described in Mind Tools.

2. Overcoming Addictions and Cravings
For many, overcoming their addictions and cravings may seem to be the hardest task of the spiritual path. Addictions to certain foods, drugs and stimulants are best overcome with a combination of Emotional Freedom Technique, guided imagery, prayer, affirmation and cleansing periods with a very high fluid intake. Also homoeopathic doses of the addictive agent can be helpful.

In addition, we may also be addicted to or have cravings for certain activities or objects, such as sex, gambling, entertainment, expensive dresses, jewellery or antiques. Again, the activity or object is not the problem, but rather the attachment to it, the desire for it that controls us rather than we controlling it. The most important step is in acknowledging that we have a problem in this area. Apart from prayer, meditation, guided imagery and affirmations, the most helpful approach would be to live for a sufficiently long period in a simple way in natural surroundings.

3. Free-flowing Emotions

Freely expressing our emotions for most of us is contrary to our upbringing and social conditioning. A first step is in learning to feel our emotions when they arise instead of suppressing them because the time or situation is not appropriate. Then we may decide to express them immediately in a harmless way or re-enact the situation at a later time. We can then in our imagination relive the situation and may kick or punch a pillow or do or say, possibly in front of a mirror, what we felt like doing at the earlier time. Nevertheless, it is preferable to develop the skills to react appropriately whenever the situation arises because then we can also be an example to others.

Marriages and other close relationships are ideal opportunities to learn communicating. If free expression is not always possible, then arrange a fixed time at the end of the day or once a week when you each can freely express your thoughts and feelings. It is important that only one speaks without interruption until he has said everything he wants to say and then the other replies also without interruption. See the article on Healing Social Relationships.

4. Generating Positive Feelings
After emptying ourselves of negativity and learning to acknowledge and express our feelings and emotions, it is equally important to fill and surround ourselves with positive and uplifting feelings. Ideally this will come as a naturally by-product of habitual meditation and through focusing on spiritual feelings during our daily activities. In this way we develop a higher emotional body as a precondition for the second initiation.

In addition, it will be beneficial to practise feeling exercises as explained in the article on The Love Cure or in the Love Meditation. Another possibility is to look at a beautiful or impressive object, such as a tree, a flower, a cloud or a landscape and send feelings of appreciation, admiration, joy and love to it. You can do the same by thinking of an individual whom you like or love. After sufficient practise also send feelings of forgiveness, appreciation and love to anyone whom you may have hurt or who may have hurt you in the past.

Finally, learn to carry the loving feeling that you can now generate in special situations over into your normal daily activities. You can do this by training yourself to carry this loving or joyful feeling in your heart wherever you go or whatever you do. Whenever you see or meet someone, you can embrace that individual with the warm feeling in your heart. This is especially important and effective for improving relationships with people who do not seem to like or appreciate you.

As another useful exercise you may try learning to change one feeling into another. You can start with any emotional feeling that you may experience at the time or you may just generate a warm feeling by breathing into the abdomen or you may generate an emotional feeling by imagining an appropriate situation. Intensify the feeling as much as possible, but then imagine how another emotion might feel. In this way you may experimentally convert love into anger and then back into love. This will show you that you do not need to be at the mercy of emotions arising as a reaction to outside events but that you can make a mental decision how you really want to feel.

5. Reacting Positively
After learning to remain centred in the self-generated positive feelings of our heart, we still need to learn to react positively and appropriately to the many frustrations of our daily lives. This can come only by letting ourselves be guided by a spiritual belief system. After adopting a spiritual philosophy of life it will be much easier to see everything that happens to us as a test of our progress on the spiritual path.

Every day we have many little tests. It is alright to feel a burst of anger if we break a valuable item, but we may also just laugh about our clumsiness or look for an inner or outer reason why it happened. It does not matter too much how we react, as long as it is appropriate. If we do feel a burst of anger, then it is appropriate to feel it and not try to rationalise it away. But after having felt the anger, we should not remain stuck in it but use our mind to get out of it, either by seeing the funny side of it if that is possible, or by trying to learn from it. However, it would not be appropriate to suppress any stirring of anger by quickly switching to one of the other modalities.

It is similar with our reactions in relationship to others. The basic rule is to feel and express whatever emotion comes up, but then to modify it according to our understanding of the situation from a spiritual point of view. Our emotional reactions are a reflection of our beliefs and the more spiritual these become, the more positive will be our reactions. The ideal is that we can express our feelings naturally in a way that is a positive example.

THE MENTAL LEVEL

Our mind is the most important level to heal because here we make the conscious decisions that affect all other levels. For an overview see the article ‘Healing the Mind’. As with the other levels, our aim is to free ourselves of negativity and developing positive aspects instead. A well developed higher mental body is a precondition for the third initiation. We build this higher mental body by practising abstract creative and intuitive thinking such as by thinking about the purpose of life or existence or the nature of God.

In order to free yourself of negative beliefs and thoughts, you must first recognise them when they occur. A recommended way is to develop the habit of having a small part of your awareness in the background as an observer. Whenever you have a negative thought, your observer will ring an alarm bell and you realise what you have done. Then, as a mental exercise, find the corresponding positive thought.

As an example, you may watch someone passing by and observe that she is rather overweight. If you notice having a critical thought about her weight, mentally apologise to her and either send her a mental compliment about some other aspect of her appearance or just wish her well. It is alright to observe, just refrain from uninvited judgments, especially of a negative kind. However, the habit of critically evaluating others is the opposite to an invited critical and constructive assessment in order to help someone.

Another important aspect in controlling our mind is to refrain from talking about other people, especially about common friends, relatives or acquaintances, except when exchanging some relevant factual information. Anything more is gossiping, judging or criticising and would delay progress on the spiritual path.

The Law of Manifestation

Any kind of worry is negative, whether you worry about your finances or your health or about a child or someone else. Worry or concern is a form of fear and that is the opposite of positive expectations and faith. To a large degree we shape our own future by what we expect. Our inner self tries to manifest what we expect. Our expectation acts like a magnet to attract and draw the expected event into our outer reality. If we worry about anything, we expect a negative outcome and help to make it come true.

Therefore, our key lesson to learn at the mental level is to know what we want and then without wavering expect it to manifest sometime in the future. Except where timing is essential, it is best not set a definite time limit. If we want to use magic to help our expectation to manifest, we can use energy imagery as mentioned earlier: visualise or imagine the desired result and fill it with emotional and etheric energy. The critical factor then is our unwavering faith until the expected event appears.

This brings us to the next important step, to know what to manifest. It is said that we should be very careful with our wishes because they might come true. That means that we are usually ignorant about the hidden implications of a fulfilled desire. Often there is a spiritual or karmic price to pay. We may delay our spiritual progress or even take on a karmic burden of another individual whom we try to help. We may still have certain karmic obligations to fulfil in this lifetime and it would be detrimental to our spiritual progress trying to delay or avoid their consequences.

Often an incarnation with the specific purpose to reach ascension in this lifetime starts already with a severe handicap and is intentionally filled with difficult and possibly tragic karmic events. These tests need to be passed before reaching the high goal. The greater the handicaps, the greater the victory if we are able to overcome them. When we are progressing on the spiritual path bad things do not just happen to us by accident. Therefore, we really do not need to worry; whatever happens to us is good in that it helps us to reach our goal.

Every adverse event, whether karmic or not, gives us a chance to proof ourselves. We need to pass tests on every step of the way to make sure that we have learned our lesson; otherwise the lesson has to be repeated over and over again. To come close to such a worthy goal as illumination or ascension, we must be able to pass the lion test in one form or another.

What all this means is that it is not advisable on the spiritual path to use magic that is our mind power, lightly to avoid obstacles and make ourselves an easy life. If we are successful, we may just have evaded a test and will have to wait for another test to be arranged. Another way of saying this is to go with the flow of your life and do the best you can, rather than always trying to make things happen according to a preconceived plan.

Pure Motive

Another thing to watch out for is the motive for our actions. While it is important that we try to do the right thing, it is even more important that we have a pure motive. Being pure at heart means having pure motives. Therefore, another job for our inner observer is to watch over our motives and warn us if there is any doubt. In case of important decisions we may meditate and contemplate about our motive and make sure that it is sufficiently pure.

A method that helps us to be fair in all situations is to see a problem from all sides, especially from the side of someone who disagrees with us. Usually everyone in a disagreement has a valid point and we have to learn to understand all these opposing views and find the common ground that is fair to all.

With all this focus on purity and doing the right thing, it is easy to fall into the old habit of suppressing what we perceive to be negative within us rather than transmuting and overcoming it. Suppressing creates new blockages and brings us back where we started. Rather we have to acknowledge and integrate all parts of our personality into a single conscious unit. Only when we are fully conscious of our negative parts can we successfully transform them.

Acting like a Master

A good way of overcoming our weaknesses and reaching spiritual mastership is by acting as if we have already reached it. With every doubtful or important decision we may ask ourselves what a spiritual master would do in this situation and then just do it.

Remember the advice given to Jonathan Livingston Seagull by his teacher? In order to be instantly in another place just imagine that you are already in that place! If you habitually act like a spiritual master, then you are a spiritual master. Never mind a few mistakes or wrong decisions. Nothing better then our own mistakes to learn from. You still have many years ahead of you to learn doing the right thing most of the time.

Actually, when you have reached a level where your motives are basically unselfish, then you do not need to be too concerned about making the right decision. Just trust your intuition or inner guidance. Whatever you choose will usually be right. It will be like going on a camping trip or bush walk and you have four choices of getting to the selected camp site: a high track over the top of the hill, a much longer level path, a shortcut across a stream through an overgrown valley or you can simply sit in a bus or car to get there. Each of these choices will give you a different experience. Depending on your preference at the time you may choose the high road or the low road, adventure or comfort, it does not matter, there is no wrong choice, only different experiences.

If, the concept of right and wrong still exists in relationship to our intentions or goals. If it is your intention to reach the camp site in the most comfortable way, then obviously the bus or car is the right choice and the other choices are wrong. Right and wrong only disappear if you look at life or your path as a fascinating adventure and do not mind what it brings you, if you are not attached to outcomes.

MIND TOOLS

Prayer, meditation and studying holy Scriptures were the basic original mind tools on the spiritual path, especially in the West, while in the East visualisation or guided imagery and mantras were commonly used in addition. All of these are still very useful now. For an introduction to some of these methods see Mind Tools. In addition you will find some of the more modern techniques very helpful, especially regression therapy, relaxation, affirmations and centering.

You may gradually develop a routine where you combine several of these methods in a daily program. This may, for instance start with prayer and/or affirmations, followed by relaxation, then guided imagery and finally meditation. During the day practise centring. A good way to remain centred is to use a silent mantra. A Hare Krishna devotee might use "Hare Krishna" as mantra while someone raised in the Christian tradition may mentally repeat "Jesus Christus" or "Your Will Be Done".

At the same time we may focus part of our consciousness on the heart or forehead chakra. We can do this whenever our mind is reasonably idle without the need for concentrated thinking. When we have to focus our attention we temporarily interrupt and afterwards start again with the mantra. After some time of practise it will be easy to do this automatically whenever the mind is idle.

In addition, you may make an effort to become and remain more and more aware of your God Presence, at first in meditation and as guided imagery, but gradually also in your daily life. Imagine your God Presence as shown in the picture of The Magic Presence in the introduction to the Spirituality Section. Instead of a figure, you may just visualise an intense white light over your head or feel or sense a protective and loving presence.
Initially imagine sending an offering of love or devotion through the top of your head straight up to your God Presence or if lying down send it up through the forehead or from the heart centre. Then imagine a strong beam of white light together with an intensified feeling of love and protection entering your top centre and proceeding through the forehead and throat centres to the heart centre. At the same time feel and possibly see your whole body surrounded by intense white or yellow, rose and purple light as depicted in The Magic Presence. Connect with your God Presence in this way especially before any prayer or healing work.
The classical text on the mystical path is 'Mysticism' by Evelyn Underhill, first published in 1911. In addition, it will be helpful to read the three volumes of 'Conversations with God' by Neale Donald Walsch (Hampton Roads).

The Science of Spirituality

One of the main aspects of the spiritual path is the development of a higher mental body or the capacity for abstract, creative and intuitive thinking. This is the tool for opening and developing the forehead chakra and may be seen as a precondition for the third initiation or illumination. With this, wrestling with fundamental spiritual questions in order to gain a deeper understanding not only helps to develop our higher thinking but frequently is a trigger for illumination experiences.

One of these fundamental problems is to reconcile our scientific understanding of the world with our spiritual experiences and beliefs. There must be a unity at a higher level despite the outer appearances to the contrary. Try if you can find this understanding of the unity of all that is. What is matter, energy, spirit, consciousness, time? In the The Science of Spirituality I have outlined my answers to these questions, see if you can come up with a different or better explanation. Then learn to apply these principles to interpret and understand social phenomena or your own professional or scientific area. There is a good chance that this can lead to an illumination experience if you are otherwise ready.

Remember, the real purpose of reading or studying 'The Science of Spirituality' is not to gain any knowledge or to make a judgement about believing or not believing the theory, instead it is all about developing your own ability of abstract creative and intuitive thinking in order to develop a higher mental body.

SELFLESS SERVICE

Selfless service or service to others is the practical expression of our spiritual consciousness. The degree of our inner disposition to serve is an indicator of our level of consciousness. However, just looking at the action itself may not show whether it is a service to others of to oneself. Working as a healer, or writing a self-help book, or working as a carer for a disabled person, or giving money to charities may either be done out of compassion to help others, or it may be done for a self-serving purpose, or it may be a mixture of both.
There is nothing wrong with helping others and at the same time expecting or receiving a benefit for oneself. However, the purer our motive, the more we act out of a feeling of universal love or compassion rather than for personal gain and the more is it an expression of genuine spiritual consciousness.

The importance of selfless service is highlighted in the Ra Teachings of the Law of One. According to this, the main criterion for moving from the human condition to the next higher level of consciousness is the degree of our service to others. To get to this higher or trans-human level, our interaction with others in thought, word or deed needs to result in at least 51% of our actions being selfless or in service to others. You can find a short summery of the Law of One at http://www.lawofone.info/q_and_a.php, while a longer version is at: Divine Cosmos (or http://www.divinecosmos.com/ and go to Articles & Books). A comprehensive compilation of questions and answers is at http://www.lawofone.info/.

OUTLOOK

We know that we make good progress on the spiritual path if in our daily life and especially in difficult situations we display more and more the spiritual qualities of compassion, devotion, faith, forgiveness, harmony, high ideals, joy, kindness, openness, patience, self-responsibility, serenity, tolerance, unconditional love, understanding, wisdom and a gentle love for All That Is.

Another way of assessing our progress is by how well we are able to unite opposite characteristics within our personality and manifesting each characteristic as the situation requires. For example, are we able to be a good leader as well as a good follower, a master as well as a servant? Can we display the male characteristics of assertiveness, aggressiveness and power as well as the female qualities of gentleness, kindness and yielding? Do we know how to be strong in our beliefs but also open to change?

After years of diligently working to purify and improve yourself you may be wondering when you will have your mind-blowing illumination. However, that is counterproductive. The illumination experience is an act of grace, a gift of your spirit that will come when you least expect it. It may be during a meditation or in the middle of city traffic. Waiting for it is a sure way of postponing it because patience is one of the early virtues we have to learn. When it finally does happen, enjoy it.

The same applies to ascension. Presently it is fashionable to regard the various initiations rather like university examinations for which one has to work hard by doing plenty of guided imagery and meditation. I see this as counterproductive as well. Guided imagery and meditation are helpful but should not remain the main or only tools. I see the most important part of ascension work symbolized by the rose and the cross as used by the Rosicrucians. The rose symbolizes the opening of the heart chakra to universal love and the cross a life of service to overcome suffering. Therefore, the real ascension work is a life of loving service.

You do not need to actively look for good deeds to do or for your future field of loving selfless service. Just continue doing whatever needs to be done at each moment and especially continue purifying yourself at deeper and deeper levels. At the right time your mission will be revealed to you. By now you become increasingly competent to handle anything life throws at you or to play any role that you choose or are obliged to play.

Looking back on the path that you traveled so diligently, you may ask yourself "What Path?" and wonder if there ever was a path or only a figment of your imagination. In reality there was nowhere to go and nothing to do to get there. All you did was to change your perception and your attitude. You know now that you are a great spirit having a temporary experience in a body. Nothing really changes by gaining or losing a body. As a spirit you can always choose to be joyful or sad, peaceful or loving or anything else you want to be. That is spiritual mastership.

LINKS THAT MAY TELL YOU MORE:
http://www.health-science-spirit.com/index.html
http://www.the-heal-yourself-series.com/TheWalterLastStory.html

There is a Buddhist saying: 'Before enlightenment he gathered wood and carried water;

after enlightenment he gathered wood and carried water.'

This picture painted by the Mexican artist Octavio Ocampo is called “Buddha” but what is the symbolism behind the peaceful face? Isn’t it what is meant by the word “Enlightenment”? Look closer and you will see that the symbols of different religions are parts of one person. Isn’t it because all the religions are like flowers on the same tree and enlightenment means realization of the virtues which are the same in all the religions?

The chin of Buddha is made of his disciples bowing in namaskar. The lower lip is like the sahasrara chakra (1000-petal from Sanskrit). Ears are represented by Shri Ganesha and Shri Kalki. There is the tree of life constituting the forehead and the dove representing the Holy Spirit in the area of the fontanel bone. This is to name a few. May be you will also see something else.

This month there will be no book review and I have decided to place the next of the seven steps into next month's newsletter.

May the spirit of the holy season be in your hearts as you travel your chosen path.

Love
Nan

GIVING TO OTHERS AND YOURSELF

2010-11-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

SWEDENBORG QUOTE

...IT IS THE DIVINE OF THE LORD THAT MAKES HEAVEN. The angels taken collectively are called heaven, for they constitute heaven; and yet that which makes heaven in general and in particular is the Divine that goes forth from the Lord and flows into the angels and is received by them. And, as the Divine that goes forth from the Lord is the good of love and the truth of faith, the angels are angels and are heaven in the measure in which they receive good and truth from the lord. ... Heaven and Hell —Emanuel Swedenborg

A MEDITATION

One should love God mindlessly,
by this I mean that your soul ought to be
without mind or mental activities
or images or representations.
Bare your soul and all mind
And stay there without mind.

Moreover, I advise you
to let your own 'being you' sink away
and melt into
God's 'being God.'
In this way you're 'you' and God's 'his,'
will become a completely one 'my.'
And you will come to know his changeless existence
and him nameless nothingness.

from Meditations with Meister Eckhart a book
by Matthew Fox

BOOK NOOK

A listing of books covering the subject of "The End of the World"

Catastrophobia: The Truth Behind Earth Changes Barbara Hand Clow
Galactic Alignment: The Transformation of Consciousness According to Mayan, Egyptian and Vedic Traditions John Mayer Jenkins
Solving the Greatest Mystery of Our Time: The Mayan Calendar Carl Johann Callerman
The Orion Prophecy: Will the World be Destroyed in 2012 Patrick Geryl
The World Cataclysm in 2012 Patrick Geryl
When Technology Fails: A Manual for Self-Reliance and Planetary Survival Matthew Stein
A guide to the End of the World: Everything You Never Wanted to Know Bill McGuire
A Monument to the End of Time: Alchemy, Fulcanelli and the Great Cross Jay Weidner, Vincent Bridges
The Mysteries of the Great Cross of Hendaye: Alchemy and the End of Time Jay Weidner, Vincent Bridges
Mayan Cosmogenesis 2012: The True Meaning of the Maya Calendar End-Date Terrence McKenna
The Coming Global Super-storm Whitley Strieber
Fiture Prospects of the World According to the Bible Code Joseph Noah
The Cosmos of Soul: A Wake-Up Call for Humanity Patricia Cory
Coming Earth Changes: Causes and Consequences of the Approaching Pole Shift William Hutton
Pole Shift: Predictions and Prophecies of the Ultimate Disaster John Warren White
Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Complete Guide to Home Storage and Physical Survival Jack a Spigarelli

These books are all available on Amazon.com More can be found under this category online. References to this subject exist in part in other books you are familiar with.

DO YOU ZO?

An interesting tribe of Indigenous people are the Zo. Numbering up to 25,000 they are living along Indo-Burma frontier. In India, Zous/Zos are officially recognized as one of the 29 "Scheduled Tribes" within the state of Manipur. According to the Census of India, the Zou population in Manipur (30,567 persons) is the tenth largest Scheduled Tribe population in Manipur. The unofficial estimate for the Zou/Zo population in India is around 20,000 to 25,000 (2001 Census).

If you are interested in indigenous tribes; their culture and religion go to http://zolengthe.net

FRIENDLY PERSUASION

According to anthropologist Robin Dunbar, it’s impossible for any of us to have more than 150 friends. The human brain literally can’t process the intimate information required to sustain more than that.

WHAT IS REIKI?

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy."

A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and well being. Many have reported miraculous results.

Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.

An amazingly simple technique to learn, the ability to use Reiki is not taught in the usual sense, but is transferred to the student during a Reiki class. This ability is passed on during an "attunement" given by a Reiki master and allows the student to tap into an unlimited supply of "life force energy" to improve one's health and enhance the quality of life.

Its use is not dependent on one's intellectual capacity or spiritual development and therefore is available to everyone. It has been successfully taught to thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds.

While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. It has no dogma, and there is nothing you must believe in order to learn and use Reiki. In fact, ReikiReiki comes from God, many people find that using Reiki puts them more in touch with the experience of their religion rather than having only an intellectual concept of it.

While Reiki is not a religion, it is still important to live and act in a way that promotes harmony with others. Dr. Mikao Usui, the founder of the Reiki system of natural healing, recommended that one practice certain simple ethical ideals to promote peace and harmony, which are nearly universal across all cultures.

The article above is from the website What is Reiki.

We have several Reiki practices in our group. Just to mention two: Paul and Ruth. Don't just expect miracles ... welcome them! All healing is natural. Without the natural ability of the physical and mental to heal, all disease or injury would be imminently fatal. We are born with a healing process already operating in, through and around us. It is our destiny to be diligent of how we avoid corrupting our systems of health and well-being -- keeping the flow of healing energy unimpeded.

Every second of every minute of every hour, of every day, of every month, of every year, of every eon ... healing energy is flowing --bringing us closer to spirit. It is the nature of spirit to give and bestow blessings and healing. Nature does not hold back. Since there is no end to source there is no need to stop or slow the great current of energy that gives life to all. This is the same energy that created All.

Creation is so full of life and love that there really is no room for despair. Doubt, despair, anger, fear and resentment all tend to cut off the natural flow of perfect love that heals. Meditation such as that from Meister Eckhart opens channels that heal the mind-body-spirit. Visualizing the truth 'that you are a perfect child of God, made in his image and likeness' reminds your creative brain (unconscious) that you are whole.

This technique also works to alleviate pain, sorrow, grief, loneliness and lack. If you are afraid of poverty, you are creating it in your thoughts (law of Attraction). "Fear not" and go about your father's business believing you are perfect and whole and that as a child of God you are entitled to unlimited blessings.

Below is a quote from the creator of Reiki on how to live an abundant life

FIVE PRINCIPLES

The secret art of inviting happiness
The miraculous medicine of all diseases
Just for today, do not anger
Do not worry and be filled with gratitude
Devote yourself to your work. Be kind to people.
Every morning and evening, join your hands in prayer.
Pray these words to your heart
and chant these words with your mouth
Usui Reiki Treatment for the improvement of body and mind
The founder , Usui Mikao

-ns-

KAHLIL GIBRAN'S CHAPTER ON GIVING FROM THE PROPHET

On Giving

An excerpt from "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran

Then said a rich man, "Speak to us of Giving."
And he answered:

You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

For what are your possessions but things
you keep and guard
for fear you may need them tomorrow?
And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow
bring to the over prudent dog
burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the
pilgrims to the holy city?
And what is fear of need but need itself?
Is not dread of thirst when your well is full,
the thirst that is unquenchable?

There are those who give little
of the much which they have-
and they give it
for recognition and their hidden desire
makes their gifts unwholesome.
And there are those who have little and give it all.
These are the believers in life and the bounty of life,
and their coffer is never empty.
There are those who give with joy,
and their joy is their reward.
And there are those who give with pain,
and that pain is their baptism.
And there are those who give and know not
pain in giving, nor do they seek joy,
nor give with mindfulness of virtue:
They give as in yonder valley the myrtle
breathes its fragrance into space.
Through the hands of such as these God
speaks, and from behind their eyes
He smiles upon the earth.

It is well to give when asked, but it is
better to give unasked, through understanding:
And to the open-handed the search for
one who shall receive is joy greater than giving.
And is there aught your would withhold?
All you have shall some day be given:
Therefore give now, that the season of
giving may be yours and not your inheritors`.

You often say,"I would give, but only to the deserving."
The trees in your orchard say not so,
nor the flocks in your pasture.
They give that they may live,
for to with-hold is to perish.
Surely he who is worthy to receive his
days and nights, is worthy of all else from you.
And he who has deserved to drink from
the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream.
And what desert greater shall there be,
than that, which lies in the courage and the
confidence, nay the charity, of receiving?
And who are you that men should rend
their bosom and unveil their pride,
that you may see their worth naked and their pride unabashed?
See first that you yourself deserve to be
a giver,and an instrument of giving.

For in truth it is life that gives unto life-
while you, who deem yourself a giver are but a witness.

And you receivers- and you are all
receivers- assume no weight of gratitude,
lest you lay a yoke upon
yourself and upon he who gives.
Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings:
For to be over-mindful of your debt,is
to doubt his generosity who has the
free-hearted earth for mother,and God for father

Kahlil Gibran's book, published in 1923 is especially relevant and helpful
for these times and is a wonderful gift for yourself or a loved one.
"The Prophet"

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF GIVING:

Giving: Unlocking the heart of good stewardship By John Ortberg, Laurie Pederson, Judson Poling

Although I have not read either of these books I have heard a review of the Clinton book that gives it high marks. It is for sale on Amazon.com and no I am not advertising Amazon. You can also find wonderful books on Barnes and Noble and other sites, but I have my emails and blogs tied to Google which has close ties to Amazon and most of the links I find go to that site.

I have noticed that even the material available for my Kindle comes from Amazon. My advice would be to purchase a little Amazon stock here and there. Even if books become obsolete you can get the e-books from there.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL AND A JOYOUS AND
ABUNDANT HOLIDAY SEASON

AN INVITATION TO A LEFT COAST SEMINAR

2010-10-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

3 Day Scientific Hypnotherapy Certification Training

2 Day Comedy Stage Hypnosis Certification Training

Residence Inn Marriott -- Camarillo California

2912 Petit Street Camarillo California 93012
November 6 through 10, 2010

Room Reservations 1-805-388-7997
www.residenceinn.com/OXRCR
If you wish to contact Tom Silver
1-888-MINDPWR (646-3797)
Fax: 805 3841040
Call: 818-614-4725
tom@tomsilver.com

Greetings!

I am Hypnotherapist Tom Silver from Westlake Village Hypnotherapy and you are invited to attend my full 3 days of Scientific Hypnotherapy Training November 3rd at the lovely Marriott Hotel in Camarillo California.Would like to have a new career as a Certified Hypnotherapist?

Would you like to be your boss and set your own hours? Would you like to make $100 or more an hour and help others take positive control of their lives?If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then you may want to start a new high paying career today in the exciting field of Scientific Hypnotherapy.

All the details of this exciting 3 day training in hypnosis are at www.westlakevillagehypnotherapy.com, or email me Tom Silver Hypnotist at tom@tomsilver.com.

Start the new year with an exciting brand new career in Scientific Neurological EEG Hypnotherapy today!

Tom Silver
Founder of Hypnosis Foundation, EEG Hypnosis Institute and Westlake Village Hypnotherapy.

THE MICROCOSM -- FLITTER OCTOBER 2010

2010-10-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

SWEDENBORG SAYS ...

Swedenborg Foundation

...affections bring forth thoughts but thoughts do not bring forth affections. There is an appearance that they do, but is is a fallacy. And when affections bring forth thoughts, they at the same time bring forth all things of man, because affections are of his life.

---E. Swedenborg, Apocalypse Explained (22, #1175:4)

NATURE OF THE EGO

..."When you realize that you are a microcosmic image of the whole, as God of your universe, then you might decide to improve it. As you begin to improve yourself, you are likely to encounter the most central trap of the whole spiritual realm ---ego...

-- Returning to the Source -- They Way to Experience God (The Microcosm pg 63 line 9)

by Wilson Van Dusen

A POEM OF CREATION

I once had a dream,

I dreamt that I, even though a man, was pregnant,

pregnant and full with Northingness like a woman who

is with child.

And out of this Nothingness

God was born.

-- from Meditations with Meister Eckhart

BILL AND BARRY BLESS THE WORSHIP CENTER

Thanks to Bill Blue and Barry Colley many improvement have been made to the worship center. Maintenance which has been lacking for many months is being done and they have started a wonderful garden and are working some bee hives. They prepare for the congregation each Sunday morning with coffee, fresh fruit and home baked goodies.

We would like to place the following people in the light: Marianne, Ruth, Paul, Barry, Norm and any others you know with a challenge. If you want to place someone in our prayer circle please send the names to chrysalisgarden@gmail.com

                     I only see You. I am in love
with whatever Your Creating does. You make
happiness, and I'm grateful. You make
disaster, and I'm patient
                    Anyone who loves
Your making is full of Glory. Anyone who loves
what You have made is not a true believer.
                    ---Rumi, This Longing (24)

REVIEW: Can Science Explain the Soul?

By Stuart Hameroff MD and Deepak Chopra MD

Please take time to read this essay on The Soul. There are many secrets revealed by these two authors, who offer (in many instances) two versions of an idea. Entire article can be found at this link

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-chopra/can-science-explain-the-s_b_675107.html

This is one writing that I want to keep on my Kindle. You might find inspiration on Dr. Chopra's website www.depakchopra.com
Some subtitles in this article are:

Consciousness and the Soul
Awareness After Bodily Death
The Quantum Plunge
Running on Empty – The Soul At Large in the Universe
Conclusion – A Science of the Quantum Soul

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS BIG BUSINESS: BUT NOT WHAT YOU THINK

Some of the big newspaper chains are scouring the web with search engines looking for snippets and whole copies of their articles on rebel websites. The “PLAN” is to sue websites that pilfer-to-publish and hold them by the throat, to either make them pay up to $150,000 penalty fee or suffer a long and painful lawsuit in court.

The ‘suits’ who thought up this plan are trying to squeeze additional revenue by forcing the small players into an untenable situation. If you get caught in this net your a dead fish. But it is not all gloom and doom for first time writers and fledgling websites. In some cases the ‘suits’ have spent tens to thousands of times more money pursuing perps than they can possibly hope to recoup. In one case $64M was spent to receive only $150,000.

The caution against violating copyright rules also goes for: books, music, art, documents and other artistic and original works. When we say “PLAN” we mean a well organized team are working day and night with focus and energy. This is not a hit-or-miss copyright editor who happens to see a redux of his paper’s Lifestyle feature in a suburban housewife’s web page. A team of law school grads and hungry lawyers is going to work every day just to see if they can slap your wrist. Beware of quotes and snippets — paragraphs and pages that you place on the web.

REFINING EDUCATION CULTIVATING THE SOUL
From the Living section of Huffington Post

What is the defining myth of our times? I’ve heard our culture described as materialistic, but we don’t seem to love the material world all that much. I’ve also heard our philosophy labeled as “the myth of fact.” Although I do see the academic world mad in its pursuit of facts, all carefully defined and counted, I think more simply that we are devoted to the myth of things.

We pride ourselves on the things we possess, and we go to school to learn things. The things we learn are all sorted out and grouped together: We learn mathematical things and scientific things and even psychological things. When I taught at universities, one of the problems I ran into -- and no doubt one of the reasons they didn’t give me tenure -- was trying to create thing-type exams for material that was not reducible to things. It isn’t easy to adapt philosophical and religious issues to a multiple-choice exam.

At school, students cram for an exam. “Cram” means to fill up or stuff. Well, if you’re stuffing yourself for an exam, you must be filling yourself with things. That’s how we imagine education: filling our minds with stuff.

The Greeks of old had a different idea that they called paideia. This was education conceived as creating a cultured person who would be a mature citizen and leader. Imagine if our focus in education was on the person rather than the things studied. We’d be concerned that a student grow up and learn how to deal with life and help others deal with it as well. This education has two purposes: self-ripening and leadership.

It’s a false hope, and the quality of our leadership in business and government, with some notable exceptions, betrays the failure of that hope. Some things have to be taught, and eventually we discover that the most important things aren’t things at all. They’re qualities of character and hard-won values and matters of taste. The reason we have so many tasteless things in our society is that we don’t teach taste, and the reason we confuse moralism with ethics is that no one taught us the difference.

There are many items we assume can’t be taught that will simply fade away if we don’t teach them: manners, civility, good language, mature love, good art, self-awareness and reflection, intelligent reading, responsible travel, care of one’s home and belongings, a sense of the beautiful, intelligent spirituality and empathy for our fellow citizens on the planet. This is a small part of a much longer list.

Who should teach these things--parents or teachers? Obviously, both. And not only parents and teachers, but brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, neighbors and friends, managers and CEOs, mayors and senators, movie stars and janitors. As members of society, each of us has a role to play in teaching the values and wisdom we’ve somehow acquired.

One way is not to treat the material we teach as things. I’ve used mythology in much of my writing, and frequently a reader will say to me, “I never knew that mythology had anything to do with my life.” Most people could say the same about many things they have studied. I didn’t know literature had anything to do with me. I didn’t know that science had something to say about my life. I didn’t know that I could sort out moral issues by reading poems.

The “thingification” of education has cost us an immeasurable loss of values and insight. We build great machines, but we don’t know how to use them for human edification. Many have studied the natural world as a collection of things of which we are the absent landlord. We grant Ph.D.s to people without knowing if they’re ready to be creative and responsible citizens of the world. As long as they know certain things...

Maybe it’s time to restore subjectivity to the subjects we study and to redefine our very idea of education. We could guide people as they learn not only things of value but also how to be.
from www.huffingtonpost.com

Thomas Moore

Thomas Moore has been a monk, a musician, a professor, a psychotherapist, an author and a lecturer

VOLUSIA COUNTY IN FOREFRONT OF EDUCATION REFORM

Another concept in teaching has reached Volusia County. Woodward Elementary School is now dividing up a few grade classes into gender specific groups. Boys and Girls are being taught differently in an effort to provide a better educational experience for both. Scientific studies have determined that boyS and girls have different preferences as to subjects, lighting, atmosphere, colors, sounds, activities and social structure.

Males are more tribal and enjoy physical movement while learning. Some prefer to walk around the classroom or drum during study time. Much of their interaction in an "in your face" type of posture.Boys would rather take things apart and change the arrangement of the furniture and reference materials. They also prefer brighter primary colors and lots of natural light.

At a recent presentation of the Paul Harris Fellow award to Dr. Wendy Libby, Dean of Stetson University ...Dr. Elizabeth Heins of Stetson and Torrence Broxton, Principal of Woodward Elem. School spoke on the subject of gender-specific teaching. As a partner in this project Candace Lankford, School Board President made some comments. This picture shows Dr. Libby's award (L-R) Candace Lankford, Dick Brunning Past District Gov. of Rotary, Dr. Libby, Al Bouie President of Rotary Club of DeLand, Dr. Patrick Coggins (making presentation) and Gloria Denston incoming President of Rotary Club of DeLand. Not shown: Torrence Broxton and Betty Heins.

Girls, on the other hand, are not necessarily competitive, but often support and cheer each other on. The girls prefer softer lighting, paler or pastel colors, and beauty and symmetry are important to their surroundings. They are less likely to move furniture once it is a pleasing arrangement that is functional. I am thinking girls might want to decorate the classroom for seasonal activities and establish a theme.

The differences go even deeper into the education experience. Single gender classes often bring out the leadership qualities of both boys and girls when the complicated social structure of gender is eliminated. The genders also prefer to study (and excel in) different subjects. Achievement improvement is the determinant factor in the effectiveness of gender specific classrooms. Stetson University and the Volusia County School Board are cooperating to take this method to it's most effective limits in our public school system. To learn more go to www.stetson.edu/artsci/education/pds/network.php
An article on this subject can be found on the blog cogwheeldelandrotary.blogspot.com

DRUIDRY
Religion
Britain Recognizes Druidry As a Religion

The Pagan festival of Samhain approaches. An ancient Celtic belief is held by Druids who worshipped deities with natural forms. Neo-paganism, Wicca and Voodoo are often mentioned in the same category as Druidry. The British has finally recognized Druidry as an official religion and bestowed official status to the existing members. Tax exemption as a religion is a boon to Brits who worship in Druid congregations . They already have such status in the US.

Membership of 350 comprises The Druid Network in Britain, which has only sought charitable status for “the advancement of religion for public benefit and no other purpose.” As explained below, the Druids claim they are not ordinary. They hold no asserted dogma, and worship love and fertility. Druids associate their Gods with the natural forces of nature, the moon, rain and love. Their Gods take the forms of animals and plants of the world of nature.

They often tend to be demonized. Official recognition will help legitimize the religion."We are not just a bunch of people who run wild in the forest as neo-pagans, communicating with spirits and practicing witchcraft." Many people do not realize that practicing witchcraft and communicating with spirits is not Satanic. Druids do not believe in or recognize Satan, Judaism or Islam.

According to the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey, neo-pagan groups are growing in the United States. So, who knows what will come next: Druid Schools, Druid hospitals, maybe even a Druid center of worship near Ground Zero.

A short definition of Druidry (from Wikipedia)

Neo-druidism or neo-druidry, commonly referred to as Druidism or Druidry by its adherents is a form of modern spirituality or religion that generally promotes harmony and worship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment. It is considered to be a Neopagan faith by some adherents, along with such religions as Wicca and Asatru, though “some assert that Druidry is not a religion at all, not even necessarily a spirituality, but simply a philosophy of living” that can be adhered to by followers of any religion or by atheists.

Originally inspired by 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century Romantic movements, modern Druidism was based upon theories about the Iron Age Celtic druids which are no longer considered to be historically accurate. Modern Druidism has no demonstrable historical link to the ancient Celts or their culture. In the first half of the twentieth century, modern druids developed fraternal organizations modeled on Freemasonry that employed the romantic figure of the British Druids and Bards as symbols of indigenous British spirituality. Some of these groups were purely fraternal and cultural, creating traditions from the national imagination of Britain. Others merged with contemporary movements such as the physical culture movement and naturism. Since the 1980s some modern druid groups have adopted similar methodologies to those of Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism in an effort to create a more historically accurate practice. However, there is still controversy over how much resemblance modern druidism may or may not have to Iron Age or earlier druidism.

MICROCOSM

"It is to begin with, all inside us. But because we are all miniature versions of the universe, it is also found far beyond. And because we are all biologically and spiritually part of the first man, the place precedes us. And because we all carry within us the genotype and vision of the last man, the place is foretold in us. There is no surprise in any of this. We have all known it all since before we were conceived by our most recent mother and father."
--Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, Honey From the Rock (15)

A POEM OF ENLIGHTENMENT

slightlywarped.com's Curiosities

2010-09-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

slightlywarped.com's Curiosities

THE GODS LIVE ON MOUNT OLYMPUS

2010-09-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

FLITTER

Regular Sunday services at Chrysalis Spiritual Center will resume the Sunday after Labor Day at 10 am
Skuli will return from his summer adventure and we can catch up on activities at Chrysalis Garden, Bamboo Arts and our lbeloved members.

When I dwelt in the ground,
      in the bottom, in the stream, and
      in the source of the godhead,

No one asked me where I was going or
      what I was doing

Back in the womb from which I came,
      I had no God
            and merely was myself,

And when I return
      to God and to the core, the soil, the ground,
      the stream and the source of the godhead,
No one asks me where I am coming from
      or where I have been

For no one misses me
      in the place
      where God ceases to become.

Path 1: CREATION from Meditations with Meister Eckhart

MT. OLYMPUS WAS HOME TO THE GODS

Myths The Creation of the World

In the beginning there was only chaos. Then out of the void appeared Erebus, the unknowable place where death dwells, and Night. All else was empty, silent, endless, darkness. Then somehow Love was born bringing a start of order. From Love came Light and Day. Once there was Light and Day, Gaea, the earth appeared.

The religions of ancient Greece and Rome are extinct. The so-called divinities of Olympus have not a single worshipper among living men. They belong now not to the department of theology, but to those of literature and taste. There they still hold their place, and will continue to hold it, for they are too closely connected with the finest productions of poetry and art, both ancient and modern, to pass into oblivion.

In order to understand these stories, it will be necessary to acquaint ourselves with the ideas of the structure of the universe which prevailed among the Greeks- the people from whom the Romans, and other nations through them, received their science and religion.

The Greeks believed the earth to be flat and circular, their own country occupying the middle of it, the central point being either Mount Olympus, the abode of the gods, or Delphi, so famous for its oracle.
The circular disk of the earth was crossed from west to east and divided into two equal parts by the Sea, as they called the Mediterranean, and its continuation the Euxine, the only seas with which they were acquainted.

Around the earth flowed the River Ocean, its course being from south to north on the western side of the earth, and in a contrary direction on the eastern side. It flowed in a steady, equable current, unvexed by storm or tempest. The sea, and all the rivers on earth, received their waters from it.

The northern portion of the earth was supposed to be inhabited by a happy race named the Hyperboreans, dwelling in everlasting bliss and spring beyond the lofty mountains whose caverns were supposed to send forth the piercing blasts of the north wind, which chilled the people of Hellas (Greece). Their country was inaccessible by land or sea. They lived exempt from disease or old age, from toils and warfare. Moore has given us the “Song of a Hyperborean,” beginning

“I come from a land in the sun-bright deep,
Where golden gardens glow,
Where the winds of the north, becalmed in sleep,
Their conch shells never blow.”

The abode of the gods was on the summit of Mount Olympus, in Thessaly. A gate of clouds, kept by the godesses named the Seasons, opened to permit the passage of the Celestials to earth, and to receive them on their return. The gods had their separate dwellings; but all, when summoned, repaired to the palace of Jupiter, as did also those deities whose usual abode was the earth, the waters, or the under-world. It was also in the great hall of the palace of the Olympian king that the gods feasted each day on ambrosia and nectar, their food and drink, the latter being handed round by the lovely goddess Hebe. Here they conversed of the affairs of heaven and earth; and as they quaffed their nectar, Apollo, the god of music, delighted them with the tones of his lyre, to which the Muses sang in responsive strains. When the sun was set, the gods retired to sleep in their respective dwellings.

On the south side of the earth, close to the stream of Ocean, dwelt a people happy and virtuous as the Hyperboreans. They were named the AEthiopians. The gods favoured them so highly that they were wont to leave at times their Olympian abodes and go to share their sacrifices and banquets.

On the western margin of the earth, by the stream of Ocean, lay a happy place named the Elysian Plain, whither mortals favoured by the gods were transported without tasting of death, to enjoy an immortality of bliss. This happy region was also called the “Fortunate Fields,” and the “Isles of the Blessed.”

We thus see that the Greeks of the early ages knew little of any real people except those to the east and south of their own country, or near the coast of the Mediterranean. Their imagination meantime peopled the western portion of this sea with giants, monsters, and enchantresses, while they placed around the disk of the earth, which they probably regarded as of no great width, nations enjoying the peculiar favour of the gods, and blessed with happiness and longevity.

The Dawn, the Sun, and the Moon were supposed to rise out of the Ocean, on the eastern side, and to drive through the air, giving light to gods and men. The stars, also, except those forming the Wain or Bear, and others near them, rose the stream of Ocean. There the sun-god embarked in a winged boat, which conveyed him round by the northern part of the earth, back to his place of rising in the east. Milton alludes to this in his “Comus”:
Hestia, Demeter, Dionysus, and Hades are the variable gods among the Twelve. Hestia gave up her position as an Olympian to Dionysus in order to live among mankind (eventually she was assigned the role of tending the fire on Mount Olympus).

Persephone spent six months of the year in the underworld (causing winter), and was allowed to return to Mount Olympus for the other six months in order to be with her mother, Demeter. And, although Hades was always one of the principal Greek gods, his home in the underworld of the dead made his connection to the Olympians more tenuous.

The Olympians gained their supremacy in the world of gods after Zeus led his siblings to victory in war with the Titans; Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings; all other Olympians (with the exception of foam-born Aphrodite) are usually considered the children of Zeus by various mothers, except for Athena, who in some versions of the myth was born of Zeus alone.

Additionally, some versions of the myth state that Hephaestus was born of Hera alone as Hera's revenge for Zeus' solo birth of Athena.

Aphrodite
Apollo
Ares
Artemis
Athena
Demeter
Hephaestus
Hera
Hermes
Hestia
Poseidon
Zeus

The Titans, also known as the elder gods, ruled the earth before the Olympians overthrew them. The ruler of the Titans was Cronus who was dethroned by his son Zeus. Most of the Titans fought with Cronus against Zeus and were punished by being banished to Tartarus. During their rule the Titans were associated with the various planets.

Gaea
Uranus
Cronus
Rhea
Oceanus
Tethys
Hyperion
Mnemosyne
Themis
Iapetus
Coeus
Crius
Phoebe
Thea
Prometheus
Epimetheus
Atlas
Metis
Dione

Ancient Greek theology was based on polytheism
There were many gods and goddesses. There was a hierarchy of deities, with Zeus, the king of the gods, having a level of control over all the others, although he was not omnipotent. Some deities had dominion over certain aspects of nature, for instance, Zeus was the sky-god, sending thunder and lightning, Poseidon ruled over the sea and earthquakes, and Helios ruled over the sun. Other deities ruled over an abstract concept, for instance Aphrodite controlled love.

Whilst being immortal, the gods were not all powerful. They had to obey fate, which overrode all. For instance, in mythology, it was Odysseus’ fate to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, and the gods could only lengthen his journey and make it harder for him, but they could not stop him.

The gods acted like humans, and had human vices. They would interact with humans, sometimes even spawning children with them. At times certain gods would be opposed to another, and they would try to outdo each other. In the Iliad, for example, Zeus, Aphrodite, Ares and Apollo support the Trojan side in the Trojan War, while Hera, Athena and Poseidon support the Greeks (see theomachy).

Some gods were specifically associated with a certain city. For instance, Athena was associated with the city of Athens, Apollo with Delphi and Delos, Zeus with Olympia and Aphrodite with Corinth. Other deities were associated with nations outside of Greece, for instance, Poseidon was associated with Ethiopia and Troy, and Ares with Thrace.

Identity of names was not a guarantee of a similar cultus; the Greeks themselves were well aware that the Artemis worshiped at Sparta, the virgin huntress, was a very different deity from the Artemis who was a many-breasted fertility goddess at Ephesus. When literary works such as the Iliad related conflicts among the gods these conflicts were because their followers were at war on earth and were a celestial reflection of the earthly pattern of local deities. Though the worship of the major deities spread from one locality to another, and though most larger cities boasted temples to several major gods, the identification of different gods with different places remained strong to the end.

Afterlife

The Greeks believed in an underworld where the spirits of the dead went to after their death. If a funeral was never performed, it was commonly believed that that person’s spirit would never reach the underworld and so would haunt the world as a ghost forever. There were various different views of the underworld, and the idea generally changed over time.

One of the most widespread areas of the underworld was known as Hades. This was ruled over by a god, a brother of Zeus, who was called Hades (his realm was originally called ‘the place of Hades’). Another realm, called Tartarus, was the place where the damned were thought to go, a place of torment. A third realm, Elysium, was a pleasant place where the virtuous dead and initiates in the mystery cults were said to dwell. The underworld commonly featured in mythology and literature based thereupon.

A very few, like Achilles, Alcmene, Amphiaraus Ganymede, Ino, Melicertes, Menelaus, Peleus, and a great part of those who fought in the Trojan and Theban wars, were considered to have been physically immortalized and brought to live forever in either Elysium, the Islands of the Blessed, heaven, the ocean or literally right under the ground. This belief was of little relief to practically everybody, as the moment your body was living through either decay, fire or consumption, there was no hope of anything but the existence of a disembodied soul.

Some Greeks, such as the philosophers Pythagoras and Plato, also espoused the idea of reincarnation, though this was not accepted by all.

Greek religion had a large mythology. It consisted largely of stories of the gods and of how they affected humans on Earth. Myths often revolved around heroes, and their actions, such as Heracles and his twelve labors, Odysseus and his voyage home, Jason and the quest for the Golden Fleece and Theseus and the Minotaur
.

Minotaur -- Half man half bull

Many different species existed in Greek mythology. Chief among these were the gods and humans, though the Titans also heavily appeared in Greek myths. They predated the Olympian gods, and were hated by them. Lesser species included the half-man, half-horse centaurs, the nature based nymphs (tree nymphs were dryads, sea nymphs were Nereids) and the half man, half goat satyrs. Some creatures in Greek mythology were monstrous, such as the one-eyed giant Cyclopes, the sea beast Scylla, whirlpool Charybdis, Gorgons, and the half-man, half-bull Minotaur.

Many of the myths revolved around the Trojan war between Greece and Troy. For instance, the epic poem, The Iliad, by Homer, is based around the war. Many other tales are based around the aftermath of the war, such as the murder of King Agamemnon of Argos, and the adventures of Odysseus on his return to Ithaca.

There was no one set Greek cosmogony, or creation myth. Different religious groups believed that the world had been created in different ways. One Greek creation myth was told in Hesiod’s Theogony. It stated that at first there was only a primordial deity called Chaos, who gave birth to various other primordial gods, such as Gaia, Tartarus and Eros, who then gave birth to more gods, the Titans, who then gave birth to the first Olympians.

The mythology largely survived and was added to in order to form the later Roman mythology. The Greeks and Romans had been literate societies, and much mythology was written down in the forms of epic poetry (such as The Iliad, The Odyssey and the Argonautica) and plays (such as Euripides’ The Bacchae and Aristophones’ The Frogs). The mythology became popular in Christian post-Renaissance Europe, where it was often used as a basis for the works of artists like Botticelli, Michelangelo and Rubens.

Sacred Texts

Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey and Pindar’s Odes are included as sacred texts as are other works of classical antiquity. These are the core texts that were considered inspired and usually include an invocation to the Muses for inspiration at the beginning of the work.

Rites of Passage

One rite of passage was the amphidromia, celebrated on the fifth or seventh day after the birth of a child. Child birth was extremely significant to athenians, especially if it was a boy.

Mystery religions

Those who were not satisfied by the public cult of the gods could turn to various mystery religions which operated as cults into which members had to be initiated in order to learn their secrets.
Here, they could find religious consolations that traditional religion could not provide: a chance at mystical awakening, a systematic religious doctrine, a map to the afterlife, a communal worship, and a band of spiritual fellowship.

Some of these mysteries, like the mysteries of Eleusis and Samothrace, were ancient and local. Others were spread from place to place, like the mysteries of Dionysus. During the Hellenistic period and the Roman Empire, exotic mystery religions became widespread, not only in Greece, but all across the empire. Some of these were new creations, such as Mithras, while others had been practiced for hundreds of years before, like the Egyptian mysteries of Osiris.
-nss- in part extracted from Wikipedia and other sites.
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Moving Away from Conspicuous Consumption

The relentless consumerism of the good old days -- i.e., before the financial crisis hit -- seemed as natural as Apple pie. Now, though, it's becoming apparent that the spending habits of old were more a factor of cheap money economics and nonstop corporate propagandizing than an unavoidable human compulsion. Brought back to earth by a harsh new reality, many people are discovering, as the New York Times reports in "But Will It Make You Happy?" that there's more to life than borrowing and buying:

SHE had so much.
A two-bedroom apartment. Two cars. Enough wedding china to serve two dozen people.
Yet Tammy Strobel wasn’t happy. Working as a project manager with an investment management firm in Davis, Calif., and making about $40,000 a year, she was, as she put it, caught in the “work-spend treadmill.”

So one day she stepped off.

Inspired by books and blog entries about living simply, Ms. Strobel and her husband, Logan Smith, both 31, began donating some of their belongings to charity. As the months passed, out went stacks of sweaters, shoes, books, pots and pans, even the television after a trial separation during which it was relegated to a closet. Eventually, they got rid of their cars, too. Emboldened by a Web site that challenges consumers to live with just 100 personal items, Ms. Strobel winnowed down her wardrobe and toiletries to precisely that number

Her mother called her crazy.Today, three years after Ms. Strobel and Mr. Smith began downsizing, they live in Portland, Ore., in a spare, 400-square-foot studio with a nice-sized kitchen. Mr. Smith is completing a doctorate in physiology; Ms. Strobel happily works from home as a Web designer and freelance writer. She owns four plates, three pairs of shoes and two pots. With Mr. Smith in his final weeks of school, Ms. Strobel’s income of about $24,000 a year covers their bills. They are still car-free but have bikes. One other thing they no longer have: $30,000 of debt.

Ms. Strobel’s mother is impressed. Now the couple have money to travel and to contribute to the education funds of nieces and nephews. And because their debt is paid off, Ms. Strobel works fewer hours, giving her time to be outdoors, and to volunteer, which she does about four hours a week for a nonprofit outreach program called Living Yoga.

“The idea that you need to go bigger to be happy is false,” she says. “I really believe that the acquisition of material goods doesn’t bring about happiness.”

While Ms. Strobel and her husband overhauled their spending habits before the recession, legions of other consumers have since had to reconsider their own lifestyles, bringing a major shift in the nation’s consumption patterns.

“We’re moving from a conspicuous consumption — which is ‘buy without regard’ — to a calculated consumption,” says Marshal Cohen, an analyst at the NPD Group, the retailing research and consulting firm.

There's lots more. Click here to read the rest.
Posted by Michael Panzner on August 08, 2010 at 08:37 PM in Social Conditions Permalink
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MEMORY IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES

"In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing the memory. The late nineteenth and early twentieth century put memory within the paradigms of cognitive psychology. In recent decades, it has become one of the principal pillars of a branch of science called cognitive neuroscience, an interdisciplinary link between cognitive psychology and neuroscience". -Wikipedia

Dr. Camille King of Stetson teaches psychology and has an excellent presentation on Memory. In a recent appearance Dr. King revealed some exciting information on the WHAT and HOW of Memory. She quoted some studies from a book called The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat by Sachs
Dr. King related there are 3 types of memory.

Long Term
Short Term and
Sensory

Long term memory holds learned information and experiences from childhood on that can be triggered by a thought, smell, question, condition or other stimulous. In this list could be standards of behavior such as promptness, honesty, ambition, fetishes, beliefs, relationships and responses to stimuli. Character and personality are formed somewhat on the values of long term memory.

Short term memory has a limited capacity and a limited duration. Although animals were not included in Dr. King's study, I have learned that a dog has a short term memory of 20 seconds. Loss of short term memory in humans can cause you to be standing in front of an open refrigerator wondering what you are looking for. The ability to form short term memories can deteriorate in time and can be a herald of a medical problem.

Sensory memory is unlimited and brief. It is visual and iconic. Of the five senses all have an effect on sensory memory. This type of memory can be used in learning responses to certain stimuli such as: heat, cold, ice, noise, pain, ecstasy, loneliness, color, texture, taste, heights and softness. An example of sensory memory could be that gripping feeling in your jaw when you see someone eating a sour pickle.

There are simple procedures for improving all types of memory:

1.) Paying attention (hold your attention on the object and get a clear vision)

2.) Associating (remember the blue B alphabet block by BBB)

3.) Chunking (divide and memorize 'chunks' or portions of the object)

4.) Visualizing (seeing my Aunt Minnie in a hospital gown reminds me she has a doctor's appointment.

5.) Meaning (combine the object with an emotion such as comfort or elation)

6.) Repeating (focus on the object for a time and then go back several times and repeat. Persons with short-term memory loss may find it beneficial to repeat and repeat occurences until they become "long-term" memories. This helps them to become more cognizant.)

7.) Concentrating (intense focus -- may be combined with other methods to re-inforce)

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Memory Improvement Techniques

The problem with human learning, is that so much that we learn is in terms of what we already know. --www.mindtools.com

Avoid frustrating memory loss. Retain and recall more information.
It’s a classic situation - you meet someone new, and then moments later you’ve forgotten their name! Names, passwords, pin and telephone numbers... the list is endless - with so much to memorize is it really possible to improve how much you can remember?

The good news is “yes”! Just like every muscle in your body, the adage “use it or lose it” applies, so the more you exercise your brain, the more you will remember.

Mnemonics

‘Mnemonic’ is another word for memory tool. Mnemonics are techniques for remembering information that is otherwise quite difficult to recall: A very simple example is the ‘30 days hath September’ rhyme for remembering the number of days in each calendar month.

The idea behind using mnemonics is to encode difficult-to-remember information in a way that is much easier to remember.

Our brains evolved to code and interpret complex stimuli such as images, colors, structures, sounds, smells, tastes, touch, positions, emotions and language. We use these to make sophisticated models of the world we live in. Our memories store all of these very effectively.

Unfortunately, a lot of the information we have to remember in modern life is presented differently – as words printed on a page. While writing is a rich and sophisticated medium for conveying complex arguments, our brains do not easily encode written information, making it difficult to remember.

Using Your Whole Mind to Remember

The key idea is that by coding information using vivid mental images, you can reliably code both information and the structure of information. And because the images are vivid, they are easy to recall when you need them.

The techniques explained later on in this section show you how to code information vividly, using stories, strong mental images, familiar journeys, and so on.

You can do the following things to make your mnemonics more memorable:

• Use positive, pleasant images. Your brain often blocks out unpleasant ones.

• Use vivid, colorful, sense-laden images – these are easier to remember than drab ones.

• Use all your senses to code information or dress up an image. Remember that your mnemonic can containsounds, smells, tastes, touch, movements and feelings as well as pictures.

• Give your image three dimensions, movement and space to make it more vivid. You can use movement either to maintain the flow of association, or to help you to remember actions.

• Exaggerate the size of important parts of the image.

• Use humor! Funny or peculiar things are easier to remember than normal ones.

• Similarly, rude rhymes are very difficult to forget!

• Symbols (red traffic lights, pointing fingers, road signs, etc.) can code quite complex messages quickly and effectively

.

Designing Mnemonics:
Imagination,
Association and
Location

The three fundamental principles underlying the use of mnemonics are imagination, association and location. Working together, you can use these principles to generate powerful mnemonic systems.

Imagination: is what you use to create and strengthen the associations needed to create effective mnemonics. Your imagination is what you use to create mnemonics that are potent for you. The more strongly you imagine and visualize a situation, the more effectively it will stick in your mind for later recall. The imagery you use in your mnemonics can be as violent, vivid, or sensual as you like, as long as it helps you to remember.

Association: this is the method by which you link a thing to be remembered to a way of remembering it. You can create associations by:

   • Placing things on top of each other.
   • Crashing things together.
   • Merging images together.
   • Wrapping them around each other.
   • Rotating them around each other or having them dancing together.
   • Linking them using the same color, smell, shape, or feeling.

As an example, you might link the number 1 with a goldfish by visualizing a 1-shaped spear being used to spear it.

Location: gives you two things: a coherent context into which you can place information so that it hangs together, and a way of separating one mnemonic from another. By setting one mnemonic in a particular town, I can separate it from a similar mnemonic set in a city. For example, by setting one in Wimbledon and another similar mnemonic with images of Manhattan, we can separate them with no danger of confusion. You can build the flavors and atmosphere of these places into your mnemonics to strengthen the feeling of location.

For a detailed explanation of how to use imagination, association and location mnemonics, try these articles: Go to www.mindtools.com/memory.html to find these articles.

   • The Link Method and Story Method – Remembering a Simple List
   • The Number/Rhyme Mnemonic – Remembering Ordered Lists
   • The Number/Shape Mnemonic – Remembering Ordered Lists
   • The Alphabet Technique – Remembering Middle Length Lists
   • The Journey System – Remembering Long Lists
   • The Roman Room System – Remembering Grouped Information
   • The Major System – Remembering Very Long Numbers
   • Using Concept Maps to Remember Structured Information
   • Memory Games – Have Fun While You Improve Your Memory

The above information is from Mind Tools a web site for development of career skills. It also provides a simple demonstration of the importance of memory in learning and daily endeavors.

Mind Tools has a free eNewsletter that is published every 2 weeks called “Remember” They also have a memory improvement workbook that is FREE when you subscribe go to www.mindtools.com/memory.html

SEVEN SPIRITUAL LAWS

1.) The Law of Pure Potentiality

2.) The Law of Giving

3.) The Law of Karma

4. ) The Law of Least Effort

5.) The Law of Intention and Desire

6.) The Law of Detachment

7.) The Law of Dharma or Purpose in Life

From Summum by Summan Bonum Amen Ra

PROBLEMS

PROBLEMS
Correct Idea
Misconceptions
Fancy
Sleep
Memory

SOLUTIONS
Balance

See you next month. Does anyone have an article to include in our newsletter? Please email to chrysalisgarden@gmail.com
-nss-

INRODUCTION TO THE KYBALION

2010-08-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

FLITTER

The Monthly Newsletter of Chrysalis Spiritual Center

825 Mercer’s Fernery Road
DeLand, Florida 32720
Sunday Services from 10 am to 11:30 am each week
Pastor - Skuli Thorhallsson

For more information or counseling phone (386) 478-9201
Email questions or requests to chrysalisgarden@gmail.com
Copy this link to come back to our newsletter http://chrysalispiritualcenter.blogspot.com
(note -- the spelling consists of just one S in the name, not 2. A product of human error)

Chrysalis Spiritual Center is a Swedenborg based congregation that studies non-denominational topics based on the value of certain writings and speech to society as a whole. No denomination is excluded from meeting with us. We welcome all religions and beliefs.

This is August and Skuli is on vacation. Bill and Barry have been producing the services ... but so many people are out of pocket, they have decided to discontinue the Sunday morning service until the Sunday after Labor Day, when Skuli returns. If you are thinking of attending please call Bill 386-490-5966 in advance to make sure there is a meeting scheduled.

As Above so below, As below so Above. --Kybalion

BOOK BY BOOK

We are starting right off relaying this information at your request. Bill Blue forwarded the link to a PDF file containing the Kybalion, a book written by Three Initiates in the Hermetic tradition that begins thus:

"The lips of wisdom are closed, except to
the ears of understanding."

Hermes Trismegistus

Dedicated to Hermes Tresmegistus also known as the Great Great and the Master of Masters.

The Three Initiates dedicated The Kybalion to a figure by the name of Hermes Trismegistus whom they credit for this information. But the axioms really describe the intelligence and characteristics of nature, and so the source is nature itself rather than a person. Nevertheless, the figure of Hermes has become closely tied to the work. Who or what was he? Explore the myths, the legends, the stories.

The alleged teacher the magical system known as Hermeticism of which high magic and alchemy are thought to be twin branches. The name Trismegistus means thrice greatest Hermes, and is the title given by the Greeks to the Egyptian god Thoth or Tehuti, a lord of wisdom and learning.

At one time the Greeks thought two gods inseparable. Thoth governed over mystical wisdom, magic, writing and other disciplines and was associated with healing, while Hermes was the personification of universal wisdom and the patron of magic.

Thoth

The myths go further. Both gods are associated with sacred writings. As scribe for the gods, Thoth was credited with all the sacred books. In various Egyptian writings he is called "twice very great" and "five times very great." Hermes is credited with writing 20,000 books by Iamblichus (ca. 250-300 BC), a Neo-platonic Syrian philosopher, and over 36,000 books by Manetho (ca. 300 BC), an Egyptian priest who wrote the history of Egypt in Greek, perhaps for Ptolemy I.

The combined myths of these gods report that both Thoth and Hermes revealed to humankind the healing arts, magic, writing, astrology, science, and philosophy. Thoth wrote the record of the weighing of the souls in the Judgment Hall of Osiris. Hermes led the souls of the dead to Hades.

The English occultist Francis Barrett in Biographia Antiqua wrote that Hermes "communicated the sum of the Abyss, and divine knowledge to all posterity"

According to legend Hermes Trismegistus is said to have provided the wisdom of light in the ancient mysteries of Egypt. "He carried an emerald, upon which was recorded all of philosophy, and the caduceus, the symbol of mystical illumination. Hermes Trismegistus vanquished Typhon, the dragon of ignorance, and mental, moral and physical perversion."

Surviving Hermes Trismegistus is the wisdom of the Hermetica, 42 books that have profoundly influenced the development of Western occultism and magic. A.G.H.

Kybalion has15 chapters with names that will be readily recognized to students of the occult and ancient wisdom.

Hermetic Philosopy
The Seven Hermetic Principles
Mental Transmutation
The All
The Mental Universe
The Divine Paradox
The All in All
The Planes of Correspondence
Vibration
Polarity
Rhythm
Causation
Gender
Mental Gender
Hermetic Axioms

I already found more profundity on the the first page of the Mental Universe Chapter than in many years of searching and studying for truth. This tome definitely bears examination by anyone who wants to expand wisdom.

If you are interested in the wisdom of the Kybalion may I recommend Summum.

SUMMUM: Sealed Except to the Open Mind (Kindle Edition)

Very similar to the Kybalion ... but written in a more present tense with modern references and events. It goes into more detail about the task of the follower who truly wants to be absorbed into the Infinite. Explains how creation begins and continues, the duality of reality, the swing of the pendulum, vibrations and gender, the death of universes and rebirth. A must to read.

HA HA YUK YUK YUK HO HO CHUCKLE CHUCKLE

If you are in California and want to attend one of these camps, here is the information.

TURN YOUR AHA MOMENT INTO A HAHA MOMENT!

YOU'LL USE THESE TECHNIQUES EVERYDAY!

PREREGISTER AND SAVE

Six Week Course $100 preregistration

$20 per class

$5.00 at the door to audit

(Credit Cards Accepted)

Lynn Chaplin-Noe , Broadway Veteran (CABARET, COCO, HELZAPOPPIN, SUGAR, CANTERBURY TALES), has been teaching corporate Comedy Camps since 1985 to "seriously" hilarious results.

COMEDY CAMP games and improvisation exercises help to lift your spirits while shaking loose resistance, old beliefs, negative programming. Communication through comedy has also proven to be an effective positive method in conflict resolution, team dynamics, positive role playing, mediation, motivation by bringing people together and then releasing them into the Law of Laughter! And laughter is healing!

This is one of the projects originated by my sister Rev. Lynn Chaplin-Noe. She also does a counseling program called Soft Landings and a physical fitness program based on spirit, called Happen Dance.

This week's affirmation from Soft Landings:

Rev. Lynn Chaplin-Noe

The beauty of grace is that you receive blessings for no reason. As above, so
below. Give to others for no reason. Practice Grace. -Louise Hay

This week Rev. Lynn explores and reveals how we were born to be happy, joyous and even funny. Come join in the fun. (July 16, 2010)

YOGA - DANCE - PILATES - TAI CHI - WALKING - BALLET

The book review of Summum has a detailed practice for meditation that includes focusing or pointing your thoughts on one object or location to filter out all the chaos in the thinking mind. There are other considerations such as, clothing, location, position, and other aids to enhance meditation.

A revelation to me was the Summum suggestion that following meditation you can release the positive energy flow into the lower vibrations and through your body with exercise. I am assuming that certain exercise would be more effective that others.(I am thinking of the Whirling Dervishes of which Rumi is the most recognized.)

Due to my age I visualize that I can stretch, pose, reach, and turn or twist to effectively utilize the benefits of meditation to my physical life. Dancing would also be very effective. Rev. Lynn teaches a dance method called "HappenDance" that not only brings up the vibration of the body, but also helps in weight loss.

POEM FROM PHYLLIS WHEATLEY

GOODBYE TO BUDDY

Buddy wearing his Party Animal Scarf

Buddy's story may be read on thecatseyeproject.blogspot.com Buddy took ill and went downhill very quickly last week. After over a year of strange symptoms that he shrugged off (and a clean bill of health from his veterinarian) he became very thirsty, week and thin. At first he looked good because he has always been overweight, but when he keep loosing weight and became weaker he went to see a different vet.

We have to thank Dr. Evers from Value-Vet for his sympathetic and thorough treatment for Buddy. So many tests came back with bad news that we knew that Buddy was about to cross The Rainbow Bridge. He died Friday morning at 9am after 3 days on IV's. Buddy would have been 12 in September.

The night before Buddy passed I heard his tail wag against my bed at night as he always did. Twice I heard the thump, thump, thump and even reached out my hand to touch his nose. I turned on the light and no one was there. Buddy's body was miles away and he was in a coma.

My deepest thanks and appreciation to Bill Blue and Barry Colley. They are going to lay Buddy to rest near the garden at Chrysalis on Wednesday August 4. I know that Buddy will be blessed to be there.

MEDITATION

A person works in a stable.
That person has a Breakthrough.
What does she do?
She returns to work in the stable.

If you have articles for this newsletter please email to chrysalisgarden@gmail.com

SENIORS NEED COMMUNICATION

Seniors Need to Start Texting, Using Facebook.

If there is one clear need of seniors it is to be able to connect with their families. This is true for not just those in nursing homes, but for those in condos hundreds of miles from their closest relatives and former friends. But look…

Among those who go online, around 37 percent of adults above 50 say they use social networking sites like Facebook, according to a survey by AARP. "It connects you with your past. I'm on Facebook,” said Jim Spencer, of Northampton, Mass. Seniors are also connecting with their families via texting on their smartphones. Soon, you might start seeing text messages from grandma: "LOL did u see Jay Leno last
night?"

AT&T workers held free 20-minute sessions in West Los Angeles to demonstrate basic cellphone features to the elderly. Those who signed up in advance got schooled on how to send SMS messages, make phone calls, add and edit contacts and manipulate settings.

Verizon Wireless has held similar training sessions at senior centers. The telecom company also boasts four-dozen hearingaid-compatible cellphones and a line of simple devices with giant buttons. Last month we discussed communication via videoconferencing and promised to look into that issue come this fall. We also
need to address this issue as well.

If you have trouble figuring how to text and IM with your phone or computer, ask a kid to help you. --Nan

From Senior Stuff, the monthly electronic newsletter produced, written and edited by Ron Burgher of DeLand, FL If you want to subscribe to Senior Stuff ... it's FREE. Email delandseniorstuff@yahoo.com

A CHAMPION LIFE

Are You Living a Champion Life?

Did you awaken this morning as a champion - excited
about this new day bouncing out of bed with arms
lifted high singing a joyous tune? Or did you follow
an old pattern of “oh no what now uugggghhhh….”

The way you start the day set’s the tone and energy
for living the champion life or not.

Now here’s the secret; even if you didn’t get started
as a champion, even if you have rarely lived as a
champion, you CAN change! Awesome!

Living a champion life requires living consciously,
choosing to live the champion life no matter what.
Living consciously in each moment allows you to
make decisions and take action based on what IS, and
not what you wish, or hope. Living consciously gives
you the added plus because your awareness enables
you to make the best choice in any situation.

At anytime during the day you can decide to change
your attitude from non-champion to champion. It is
not easy; it will take effort, especially if you’ve
developed a laissez faire attitude. Here are three tips
to changing your attitude to support a champion life.

First, acknowledge your feelings. Feelings are very
important; they are usually a way of checking in to
see what is out of balance. Being out of balance when
you start this process is really okay and lets you know
you’re on the path to champion living.

Second, make an agreement with yourself to change
the feeling to a champion one. Ask “what can I do
differently to support my new way of being?”
Third, honor your agreement; it might take longer
than you think, stick with it, even if something comes
along to validate the non-champion feeling.

Champions take responsibility for their life, they look
for and expect the positive and create joy from the
inside out. Living the champion life requires that you
become aware and that you live in the moment.

Inez Bracy, BS, MS, CNLP, CGC
Lifestyles Transitions Coach
Connect with her: www.facebook.com/inez.bracy
or www.InezBracy.com

July 2010 Will the “God Particle” Replace God?

2010-07-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

Chrysalis Spiritual Center
825 Mercer’s Fernery Road
DeLand, Florida 32720-2310
chrysalisgarden@gmail.com

information or counsel (386) 478-9201

Flitter newsletter is intended to inform for discussion and inspirational purposes only. Articles for Flitter are welcome and may be submitted by email to chrysalisgarden@gmail.com. Illustrations should be in jpg or Photoshop format. We edit all entries for content and spelling. Copyright© 2010-11 Chrysalis Spiritual Center and eraserhead graphics studio If you would like to speak to someone at eraserhead graphics studio email nan@eraserheadgraphics.com or go to www.eraserheadgraphics.com

VACATION TIME

Skuli and Mary Anne are on vacation and have begun their adventure to Iceland. Tomorrow's program at Chrysalis will be presented by Bill Blue.

THE GOD PARTICLE

June 25th, 2010
from: Deepak Chopra web site

If you went to church in the 18th century, you would have heard God described as a celestial clockmaker who had wound up the universe and left it to run itself. Today, the wind-up is the big Bang and the clock’s arts are subatomic particles. But the problem of creating matter out of emptiness remains the same.

How does matter form from the immaterial? What gives particles their mass, and how do they stick together? The physicists at the CERN facility in Europe are busy using the massive- multibillion-dollar Large Hadron Collider to try to answer those questions by hunting for the elusive Higgs boson, the so-called “God particle.”

The search takes place between the visible and the invisible. The hypothetical Higgs boson is a virtual particle, which means it can be coaxed to enter spacetime for the tiniest flash of a millisecond. . It operate at the Planck scale, which is millions of times smaller than the nucleus of an atom.

The excitement over finding the Higgs particle is that physical science will have uncovered the mechanism for how the tangible world arises from the intangible. that’s as close to the divine act of creation as physics can get. Yet there’s an irony in basing the solid physical universe on — nothing. Could this in fact be where materialism destroys itself from within? The Higgs boson may be the key to unlocking the mystery of creation by affirming very different things than materialism dreams of.

Assuming that the particle allows itself to be discovered, the second step is the exploration of the invisible domain. It is literally nothing, and yet everything comes form it. Centuries ago the wisdom traditions of the world compared creation on a small scale to creation on a massive scale. The great sages noted that our minds are nothing, too. Before a thought appears, there is emptiness and silence. And yet once the mind produces its creations, they are potent, meaningful, and coherent.

Creation doesn’t move from the invisible to the visible with random particles like foam on the surface of the sea. they look random in the Large Hadron Collider, but the scientists running the machine, who are themselves part of creation, don’t have bodies that fly apart into a cloud of particles. Rather, our bodies, like the human brain and DNA itself, are exquisitely ordered creations, the farthest thing form random events.

Physical forces cannot explain such exquisite order, much less the meaning we derive from it, which is why God came into being. The god particle delivers the tiniest bits of the clock but not the maker. I don not mean that an actual person in the sky made the universe. Keeping strictly with the scientific worldview, the maker must be impersonal, intelligent, universal, invisible, yet manifest in the visible world. The only viable candidate is consciousness.

The Higgs boson particle represents a tiny stepping stone toward a theory of creation that rests upon consciousness as the primal stuff of the cosmos. Many theorists are already getting there; it’s been several decades since the concept of a self-aware universe has been in play.

Someday it will be commonplace to concede that the intangible, immaterial domain of quantum physics is conscious. In that world of virtual particles, non-locality, and indeterminacy, things don’t exist with shape, hardness, or color. Their existence is a fleeting display of tendencies, and the superposition of possibilities. It will be a huge realization for science to recognize that all of these tendencies and qualities are tendencies of consciousness.

The third step to a full comprehension of the universe will be connecting the consciousness, which is the ground of the cosmos, to our individual experience of consciousness. Our ground of existence is the same as the ground state of the universe. This is the message of Vedanta: Atman is Brahman, that individual consciousness fully awakened is the same as the essential nature of the entire cosmos. Somehow our consciousness participates and is integral to the creation of the universe. Sadly, by the time we realize our true creative role, our ignorant actions might have already destroyed our planetary home.

The creative function of consciousness in quantum mechanics was originally outlined in the Copenhagen Interpretation which says that an observer is required in order to collapse the wave function into a single occurrence and produce a measurable outcome. Without a conscious observer, the wave function remains a superposition of eigenstates that are not real in a measurable way.

The Many Worlds theory of quantum mechanics seeks to avoid the need for an observer and the collapse of the wave function by positing enough parallel universes to contain all possible states of the wave function. But in the end, to solve the measurement problem without an observer, they would need a measuring apparatus that is physical yet when analyzed quantum mechanically would not itself be a wave function, or superposition of eigenstates.

The Transactional Interpretation of quantum mechanics describes quantum interactions in terms of a standing wave formed by retarded (forward-in-time) and advanced (backward-in-time) waves. Here it is assumed that the interaction with the measurement device somehow activates the emission of a possibility wave going backward in time. This is a way to avoid the need of an observer, but like the Many Worlds theory it too implies a dualistic universe that takes us outside of the rules of quantum measurement. Again, the equipment that measures the wave function would have to be made out of matter that does not obey quantum physics with the superimposition of possibilities.

A more promising theory of quantum mechanics is David Bohm’s paradigm of Implicate and Explicate Order where primacy is given to wholeness over the parts which include space, time, particles, and quantum states. In this view, the parts unfold from the whole.

Sir Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff, PhD. have evolved the Orchestrated objective reduction (Orch OR) and this I find to be the most progressive theory to bridge universal consciousness and individual consciousness. Penrose starts with the position that consciousness is fundamentally non-algorithmic and therefore incapable of being duplicated by a computer or machine. He proposed that consciousness could be explained through quantum theory with a new type of wave function collapse in the brain.

Hameroff’s expertise in the field of neurophysiology provided a likely quantum link in the microtubules in the neurons. Instead of the conventional view is that consciousness emerges from complex computation among brain neurons, they propose that consciousness involves sequences of quantum computations in microtubules inside brain neurons. The quantum computations in the brain are also ripples in fundamental spacetime geometry, the most basic level of the universe.

Penrose suggests that quantum wave function collapse happens by itself above the Planck scale. He postulates that each quantum superposition has its own spacetime curvature and these bits of curved spacetime form a kind of blister in spacetime maintaining superposition. but when it gets larger, gravity’s influence makes it unstable and it collapses. That is the objective reduction or collapse of the wave function into a measurable particle.

This theory approaches the perspective of Vedanta, where Brahman the all inclusive consciousness is the self-interacting dynamic of observer, observed and process of observation. This process of self-interaction gives rise to all diversity and phenomenon while it remains unaffected by it. As science continues to probe the exotic and extreme reaches of physics we can take some comfort that we are actually coming closer to understanding what is most intimate to us, our own consciousness, our self. The tangible springs from the intangible, and that intangible is what we are and what we call God.

BOOK NOOK

This month's book review is a blog review. I recently placed a blog on-line for The Cat's Eye Project and set up a facebook page for the organization. Ramona Whaley is the founder of The Cat's Eye. She loves all animals, but especially cats. Her life's work has brought her recognition as a writer, Peace Corps volunteer, community activist and animal rights activist. Her deep and abiding love of cats inspired her to start a magazine called The Cat's Eye Project.

There are no advertisements in the magazine or backers to defray expenses. Ramona and her friend Jami Baker and Jami's husband Rik Bedeker (who is a photographer) produce the magazine at their own expense about 4 times a year. I teamed up with them and instead of doing page layout and design (and writing) for the magazine I developed a blog to help get the word out to other animal lovers.

Both the magazine and the blog are dedicated to animal assistance. Ramona's goal is to save the lives of healthy cats. She denounces euthanasia (as it is used) and claims it is a shame to kill healthy and somewhat tame and adoptable cats. Humans must learn to respect all life. The life or essence in a cat is just as sacred as that of a human. Those who would hurt animals may also hurt people.

Let us meditate on remembering our origins and the images of our ancestors who worshiped all of God's creation as a part of him. Imagine your soul joined in a circle with all souls who have gone before and will go ahead. Imagine the unity of one God and one Love. Include the natural earth in that vision and bless all of nature with peace and dignity. While we are in the meditative mood, let us pray for the release of the threat to all the animals in the path of the deadly oil spill in our beautiful Gulf of Mexico. Let Earth be Clean and Pure and bubbling with crystal springs and sparkling waves in our streams and oceans.

Please go to http://thecatseyeproject.blogspot.com and read our articles.

DeLand Fall Festival Of The Arts

Art Lovers, there is now a web site for the DeLand Fall Festival of the Arts. Go to
www.delandfallfestival.com. The web site was created by Trophy Factory Plus owner Brad Strickland. If you want to see the blog go to http://fallfestivalofthearts.blogspot.com

I created the blog for them.

MEDITATION

Consider the divine spirit in the human soul.

This spirit is not easily satisfied.

It storms the firmament

and scales the heavens

trying to reach the Spirit that drives the heavens.

Because of this energy

everything in the world grows green,

flourishes,

and busts into leaf.

But the spirit is never satisfied.

It presses on

deeper and deeper into the vortex

further and further into the whirlpool

the primary source

In which the spirit has its origin.

This spirit seeks to be

broken through by God.

God leads this spirit

into a desert

into the wilderness and solitude of the divinity

where God is pure unity

and where God gushes up within himself.

from Meditations -- with Meister Eckhart

"The path is beautiful and pleasant and joyful and familiar."

AFFIRMATION

I am one with Thee,

Oh Thou infinite One.

I am where Thou art.

I am what Thou art.

I am because Thou art.

NEWS FROM THE GARDEN

The Okra is growing so fast that Barry can't pick it all. If you love Okra please go to the garden and pick some. Remember, if it grows too big it gets woody and tough to eat.

Hear is a genuine Cajun Okra recipe.

1 to 1.5 cups of okra (whole with ends trimmed off, or slice crosswise)

Okra cooking tip: A lot of people complain that the slick moisture inside the okra is unpalatable. If you really want to remove most of it ... rinse cut or trimmed okra in VERY HOT water in a colander.

6 strips of lean bacon

1 large Vidalia onion diced

1 Tbl spoon of sun dried tomato diced - or tomato paste - or half cup diced fresh tomato

1/2 cup green bell pepper diced

Fry bacon crisp and remove to a paper towel. Pour off excess bacon drippings and saute the okra until is looks a little soft. Add onions, bell pepper and tomato. Stir over medium heat and reduce heat to let the ingredients simmer about 5 to 8 minutes. If it is dry add some chicken or vegetable stock. For seasoning add to taste: salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper or Cajun seasoning, pinch of powdered garlic. Vegans use a vegetable oil and leave off the bacon.

Serve over hot rice and sprinkle crumbled bacon on top.

This is a recipe I learned from a real Cajun cook in S. Mississippi.

HEALING

Healing Energy Wand
from Daily Om web site

You may have been hearing that advanced technology products will be coming to us in the healing field. Our Healing Energy Wand is one of those products which harnesses Source energy to heal our bodies of pain and other maladies. We have all tried here at the Daily OM offices and are addicted to this wand. At first we were skeptical, but the results can’t be denied.

To use the wand, simply wave it over your body in a circular motion over the area you wish to have healed. You may feel a warming or buzzing sensation and you may feel an overall blissed out feeling. Try the wand on your sick or injured pets, or on your food and drink before you consume it. If you are an energy worker, this can be a great tool to add into your practice. There are no rules on how to use it, allow your intuition to be your guide.

In scientific terms the wand works by the use of technically-engineered minerals that are structurally bonded and energized using a proprietary fusion technology and placed into the wand. A frequency is developed that is in line with our body’s frequency thus bringing about change in our cells. The Healing Energy Wand is about 5.5" in length and comes packaged in a sleeve. Cost is $145.95

Click here for more
Gift of the Week 4-30-2010

POSTER FOR PERFORMANCE BY DANIEL BERKMAN

My nephew, Daniel Berkman is one of the performers in this event. If you are in CA you might want to catch it. (Nan)

THE NEW EARTH - JUNE 2010

2010-06-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

GOD THINKS
GOD MOVES
GOD WALKS
GOD SPEAKS
GOD LOVES

BOOK NOOK

The New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose - author Eckhart Tolle, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Now ISBN 978-0-452-28996-3

An excellent book loaded with information to help anyone cut his way through the jungle of life. Written somewhat in the shadow-style of Swedenborg, it employs repetition of basic concepts of the ego of man and declares that we are in a dysfunctional reality defined by insanity and attachment to objects and ideas.

Taking a personal and invasive theme Tolle examines the causes of life-pain, and delves into the causes of unhappiness. Simply stating - he maintains that your position in life is the result of your perception and application of ideas both inherited and created since birth. Ideas or thoughts can be individualized, part of a tribal or national memory, gender focused, racial, from the drama of life or a phase or temporary role that you may be playing. Thoughts, positive or negative, are absorbed by the unconscious and acted upon to create your personal world.

The unconscious believes everything it is told and does not question the truth or veracity of the thought. If you think you are beautiful or skillful the unconscious believes it and creates the atmosphere to experience your beauty. The same process follows thoughts that you are evil, or wretched.

Over all The New Earth is a guide to the joy of Being and a definition of who you really are and why you are experiencing Being. Some exercises in thought are offered to increase mental and spiritual fitness and lead the reader to revealing her Inner Purpose and Awakening to consciousness of The New Earth.

-nss-

In the Land of Dreams

A CD of native American Flute Music, Gentle Dreams and Sounds of Nature. Artist John Huling leads us from the world of attachments to the world of adoration. He moves through the sounds of nature and turns the wings of an eagle to notes and tones of beauty, the babbling streams become rhythms of the beating heart of nature.

Ten pieces on the CD draw inspiration from the American Desert Southwest, Pacific Northwest, Central Plains and Eastern Woodlands. John Huling's music takes the listener on a meditative inner journey for the spirit. Native American flute and gentle drumming with a beautiful array of nature sounds, including: thunderstorms, brooks and birds make up this excellent collection of music - from North America ... "In the Land of Dreams"

Distributed by Four Winds Trading Company at 800-456-5444. or visit the web site at www. fourwinds-trading.com. Other recordings by John Huling are: Lost Oceans, Desert Plateaus, Canyon Spirit, Jelly Music. Produced by Red Feather.

-nss_

MEDITATION

Music: the breathing of statues. Perhaps:

the silence of paintings. Language where language ends. Time

that goes downward in the direction of hearts that wear out.

Feeling---for whom? Place where feeling is

transformed...into what? A countryside we can hear.

Music: you stranger, You feeling space, growing

away from us. The deepest thing in us, that, rising above us, forces its way out...

a holy goodbye:

when the innermost point in us stands

outside, as amazing space, as the other

side of the air:

pure,

immense,

not for us to live in now.

-- Rainer Maria Rilke translated by Robert Bly

IN THE GARDEN

Blessed by sunshine, afternoon rain, delicate planning and loving tending ... the garden at Chrysalis is producing truth and beauty. Barry will take you on a tour revealing the variety of vegetables, fruits, and flowers that have found a home there. He will also share the harvest and give free advice and encouragement to those who want to go "organic"

Nasturtiums, marigolds, Alamanda, squash, beans, peppers ... the list goes on. What a beautiful addition to the Chrysalis Spiritual Center this is! We are grateful for the love and attention the garden receives from Barry, Bill and whomever is there to turn the soil.

-nss-
BAMBOO ARTS

“For men in a state of freedom had thatch for their shelter, while slavery dwells beneath marble and gold.”~ Seneca from Letters from a Stoic

For a complete viewing of the activities at Bamboo Arts Yoga Center go to http://www.bambooartscenter.com

SHINTO RELIGION WAY OF THE GODS

Shinto or kami-no-michi is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is best conceived of as a set of practices, carried out diligently to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written historical records of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki in the 7th and 8th century. Still, these earliest Japanese writings do not refer to a unified "Shinto religion", but rather to disorganized folklore, history, and mythology. Shinto today is a term that applies to public shrines suited to various purposes such as war memorials, harvest festivals, romance, and historical monuments, as well as various sectarian organizations. Practitioners express their diverse beliefs through a standard language and practice, adopting a similar style in dress and ritual, dating from around the time of the Nara and Heian Periods.

The word Shinto ("Way of the Gods") was adopted from the written Chinese, combining two kanji: "shinto", meaning kami; and "to" , or "do" meaning a philosophical path or study (originally from the Chinese word tao). Kami are defined in English as "spirits", "essences" or "deities", that are associated with many understood formats; in some cases being human-like, in others being animistic, and others being associated with more abstract "natural" forces in the world (mountains, rivers, lightning, wind, waves, trees, rocks). Kami and people are not separate; they exist within the same world and share its interrelated complexity.

There are currently 119 million official practitioners of Shinto in Japan, although a person who practices any manner of Shinto rituals may be so counted. The vast majority of Japanese people who take part in Shinto rituals also practice Buddhist ancestor worship. However, unlike many monotheistic religious practices, Shinto and Buddhism typically do not require professing faith to be a believer or a practitioner, and as such it is difficult to query for exact figures based on self-identification of belief within Japan. Due to the syncretic nature of Shinto and Buddhism, most "life" events are handled by Shinto and "death" or "afterlife" events are handled by Buddhism—for example, it is typical in Japan to register or celebrate a birth at a Shinto shrine, while funeral arrangements are generally dictated by Buddhist tradition—although the division is not exclusive.

Kami is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity," some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term (Ono, 1962). Kami's wide variety of usage can be compared to the Sanskrit Deva and the Hebrew Elohim, which also refer to God, gods, angels and spirits. In some instances, such as Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto, kami are personified deities, similar to the gods of ancient Greece or Rome. In other cases, such as those concerning the phenomenon of natural emanation, the spirits dwelling in trees, or forces of nature, translating "kami" exclusively as "god" or "deity" would be a gross mischaracterization. In this respect it is more similar to the Roman concept of the numen or spirit.

Kami are the central objects of worship for the Shinto faith. Shinto began as the various ancient animistic traditional spirituality of Japan, and only became an institutionalized spirituality much later as a result of efforts to separate out influences of other religions brought into Japan from abroad. As a result, the nature of what can be called kami is very broad and encompasses many different concepts and phenomena.

Some of the objects or phenomena designated as kami are qualities of growth, fertility, and production; natural phenomena like wind and thunder; natural objects like the sun, mountains, rivers, trees, and rocks; some animals; and ancestral spirits. Included within the designation of ancestral spirits are spirits of the ancestors of the Imperial House of Japan, but also ancestors of noble families as well as the spirits of the ancestors of all people.

There are other spirits designated as kami as well. For example, the guardian spirits of the land, occupations, and skills; spirits of Japanese heroes, men of outstanding deeds or virtues, and those who have contributed to civilization, culture and human welfare; those who have died for the state or the community (See: Yasukuni Shrine); and the pitiable dead. Not only spirits superior to man can be considered kami, but also spirits that are considered pitiable or weak have been considered kami in Shinto.

The concept of kami has been changed and refined since ancient times, although anything that was considered to be kami by ancient people will still be considered kami in "modern" Shinto (modern in that Shinto has been formalized as a unified religion under the influence of foreign religions like Buddhism). Even within modern Shinto, there are no clearly defined criteria for what should or should not be worshipped as kami. The difference between modern Shinto and the ancient animistic religions is mainly a refinement of the kami-concept, rather than a difference in definitions.

In the ancient animistic religions, kami were understood as simply the divine forces of nature. Worshippers in ancient Japan revered creations of nature which exhibited a particular beauty and power such as waterfalls, mountains, boulders, animals, trees, grasses and even rice paddies. They strongly believed the spirits or resident kami deserved respect.

Although the ancient designations are still adhered to, in modern Shinto many priests also consider kami to be anthropomorphic spirits, with nobility and authority. These include such mythological figures as Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess of the Shinto pantheon. Although these kami can be considered deities, they are not necessarily considered omnipotent or omniscient, and like the Greek Gods, they had flawed personalities and were quite capable of ignoble acts. In the myths of Amaterasu, for example, she could see the events of the human world. She also had to use divination rituals to see the future.

Traditionally, kami possess two souls, one gentle (nigi-mitama) and the other assertive (ara-mitama). This powerful form of kami was also divided into amatsu-kami ("the heavenly deities") and kunitsu-kami ("the gods of the earthly realm"). A deity would behave differently according to which soul was in control at a given time. In many ways, this was representative of nature's sudden changes and would explain why there were kami for every meteorological event: snowfall, rain, typhoons, floods, lightning and volcanoes.

The ancestors of a particular family can also be worshipped as kami. In this sense, these kami were worshipped not because of their godly powers, but because of a distinct quality or value. These kami were regional and many shrines (hokora) have been built in their honour. In many cases, people who once lived can thus be deified as gods; an example of this is Tenjin, who was Sugawara no Michizane (845-903) in life.

Ceremonies are long and complex. In some temples, it takes ten years for the priests to learn them. The priesthood was traditionally hereditary. One temple has drawn its priests from the same four families for over a hundred generations. Not uncommonly, the clergy may be priestesses. The priests may be assisted by miko, young unmarried women dressed in white kimono. Neither priests nor priestesses live as ascetics; it is common for them to be married, and they are not traditionally expected to meditate. Rather, they are considered specialists in the arts of maintaining the connection between the kami and the people.

Notable kami

Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess

Hachiman, the god of war

Sarutahiko Okami, kami of earth

Tsukuyomi, the moon god

Susanoo-no-mikoto, the sea and storms god

Inari Okami, god of foxes

Kotoamatsukami, the primary kami trinity

Izanagi-no-Mikoto, the first man

Izanami-no-Mikoto, the first woman

Omoikane, the deity of wisdom

Information on Shinto religion was found on Wikipedia. www.wikipedia.com a free resource for information on almost any subject. Readers are invited to edit and add to information on Wikipedia, making it a truly universal source of information. Since sources of data cannot be confirmed at accurate you should investigate any ideas or information you find on a wiki.

Next newsletter we visit the Greek Gods on Mount Olympus

The Monthly Newsletter of Chrysalis Spiritual Center
825 Mercer’s Fernery Road
DeLand, Florida 32720
Sunday Services from 10 am to 11:30 am each week
Pastor - Skuli Thorhallsson

sthorallsson@gmail.com

For more information or counseling phone (386) 734-9257
Email questions or requests to chrysalisgarden@gmail.com
Copy this link to come back to our newsletter http://chrysalispiritualcenter.blogspot.com
(note -- the spelling consists of just one S in the name, not 2. A product of human error)

Chrysalis Spiritual Center is a Swedenborg based congregation that studies non-denominational topics based on the value of certain writings and speech to society as a whole. No denomination is excluded from meeting with us. We welcome all religions and beliefs.

Please address prayer requests and requests for counseling to 386-734-9257

NOTICE NATIVE AMERICAN PATH - VISION CAMPS

2010-05-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

From: Hawk
To: hawk@thunderstaffing.com
Sent: Mon, May 24, 2010 5:08:11 PM
Subject: 4 Events Lead By Hawk - Check them out

Medicine Wheel Camp

June 14 – 16,2010

Led by; D. Hawk Moon MA, MBA, PhD

In the mountains just outside of San Diego in Dulzura, CA.

It has been said while some camps are a mile wide and only an inch deep, this camp is an inch wide and a mile deep.

Led by International trainer/speaker, author, award winning radio show host and self help expert D. "Hawk" Moon

From day one we will travel to the deep recesses going all the way back to your birth, finding your past problems, pains, addictions and blockages, to rid you of what’s holding you back. We will show you how to rewrite your history by finding your other truth.

We will install the 7 principle fundamentals that will cement the foundation that you need to succeed in building a full, balanced, happy and fruitful life.

This (just expanded) three day camp is only $ 550 for tent or RV camping or $ 625 for a room. All meals are included and prepared by the Monks at Madre Grande Monastery.

This course was a two day camp and it was said to be one of the most powerful courses people had ever taken and now that it has been expanded to a three day course, this camp is a must for anyone wanting to improve their life. Act now as space is limited.

Vision Camp

June 17-20, 2010

Madre Grande Monastery & Retreat in Dulzura CA

In the Hills just outside of San Diego.

If you want to take your life to the next level of growth then you’ll want to sign up. Vision Camp is for those that want to be sure they are taking their lives in the right direction.

There’s nothing worse that working hard and putting your time into moving into a particular direction, only to find it was the wrong choice to make. Vision Camp will give you the teaching’s, tools and time to make sure your making the right choice for your life’s path. We ask that each person sign up in two’s, one going on Vision and one supporter.

The person going on Vision will gain the clarity for their life’s path.

The supporter not only get’s a healing of their own, but they learn what it means to support someone on a higher level than ever before.

If you cannot find someone in your life to be your supporter in this endeavor let us know and we will find a supporter for you. Or perhaps you just want the healing and want to know what it actually means to support someone, and then you can sign up as a supporter.

It has been said this is a more intense growth of understanding than many have experienced in their life before.

Many indigenous cultures have a way to seek vision for their future as well as those around them. Why not learn and partake in a process that’s been helping people for over 5,000 years.

Call today as space is limited
(951) 609-1415

For seeking Vision the cost is $510 USD that includes a meal before you go out and one when you come back. Those seeking Vision fast during their process.

For Supporters the cost is $350 that includes board, meals and trainings.

Call Thunder Today to Reserve Your Spot
(951) 609-1415

This Inipi (sweat lodge) will be during our Vision Camp on June 19,2010

Come and enjoy the energy. The cost is only $60, this also cover the fee's for Madre Grande. Once you have confirmed I will send you the map and details. Come play with us in the 264 acre retreat in the mountains just outside San Diego.

Spiritual Sage Retreat

July 29 – Aug 1, 2010

Spend 4 days with Daniel “Hawk” Moon at Madre Grande Monastery understanding how to find the spiritual level in all walks of your life.

Find out why having a spiritual foundation is so important.

Find out why being connected to spirit makes for a happier you.

Find out why having an understanding of spirit makes relationships better.

Find out why having truth and spirit in your life make so much since in your communication.

Find out why just understanding a spiritual path or following a religion is still missing the boat.

Find out why having an understanding of spirit will change your next 7 generations.

This 4 day retreat will be filled with a deep level of spiritual growth that will touch all areas of your life.

If you are ready for your next level of understanding and wonder why other people seem to have peace and happiness even in bad situations, then you will want to sign up for this camp.

You get 4 days and 3 nights with meals and courses included for the low price of $600 USD.

SKULI RETURNS FROM CRUISE

2010-05-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Skuli and Marianne have returned from their cruise in the Bahamas. The report is that it was perfect weather and a memorable trip.

Unfortunately Marianne was involved in a highway accident. She is alright, but there was at least one fatality. Keep everyone involved in your prayers.

the Beekeepers are diligently tending their new charges. There is also a lot of work being done on the actual garden. I noticed that they have planted natural flowers to repel insects and parasites. Barry gets up every morning and bakes varieties of sweet breads and other bakery delights. Each Sunday he offers his repast to the churchgoers.

Norm is on the road again and Bill and Barry are improving the church building and grounds. They could probably use some help if anyone has some time. I hear they are looking for a new refrigerator. Any donations would be appreciated.

Skuli has offered to counsel anyone who calls or emails for prayer or spiritual help. Please call 1-386-734-9257 and leave a message. Someone will return your call. Or email sthorallsson@gmail.com

Our regular newsletter comes out the first of June. We should have a sketch of another of the world's religions and a book review or two. Also news of spirit in the world and insight into some odd subjects.

We have covered Runes and Cairns. Guess what is next.

Nan

GUEST PRESENTERS TO APPEAR NEXT 2 WEEKS

2010-05-04T09:28:00.001-07:00

Pastor Skuli and wife Marianne are going on a well deserved 2 week cruise.

During their absence lessons will be presented by Bill Blue (no subject) and Barry Colley (no subject). Both Bill and Barry are accomplished speakers and understand the importance of spirit in the life of all creation. Join us at 10 am to 11:30 for fellowship, spirit, refreshments and discussion.

Flitter

OUT OF THE BOX!

Your Destiny Number - Do it Yourself Calculations

Destiny Number Meanings in Numerology

BARRY COLLEY IN ONE MAN SHOW

SOME GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR

Kalama Sutta

THE DISCOVERY OF ETERNITY IN THE PRESENT

GIVING TO OTHERS AND YOURSELF

On Giving

An excerpt from "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran

Kahlil Gibran's book, published in 1923 is especially relevant and helpful for these times and is a wonderful gift for yourself or a loved one. "The Prophet"

AN INVITATION TO A LEFT COAST SEMINAR

THE MICROCOSM -- FLITTER OCTOBER 2010

slightlywarped.com's Curiosities

THE GODS LIVE ON MOUNT OLYMPUS

INRODUCTION TO THE KYBALION

SUMMUM: Sealed Except to the Open Mind (Kindle Edition)

July 2010 Will the “God Particle” Replace God?

THE NEW EARTH - JUNE 2010

Notable kami

NOTICE NATIVE AMERICAN PATH - VISION CAMPS

SKULI RETURNS FROM CRUISE

GUEST PRESENTERS TO APPEAR NEXT 2 WEEKS

Kahlil Gibran's book, published in 1923 is especially relevant and helpful
for these times and is a wonderful gift for yourself or a loved one.
"The Prophet"