Knowing Whispers

Spider's Thread: Trust

2012-02-11T16:30:00.000-05:00

I got an interesting whisper this morning from Dinahh, my spiritual guide. I was emptying the dryer and folding clothes, when he spoke to me.

Dinahh: "Catherine, you know I always tell you what is true and important to share."

Me: "Hello, Dinahh. Yes. Do you have something you want me to write about?"

Dinahh: "Catherine, listen and hear and then share. A spider spins a delicate thread. It is weightless and extremely fragile. When it is joined with other threads in the spider's web, it will become strong. It can easily capture large and heavy insects and securely hold them.

It is the same with Trust between lovers. Like a spider thread, Trust, too, is weightless and ever so fragile. Catherine, close your eyes. Take one end of a strand of Trust and stick it on one lover. Now, stretch it gently between them. Attach the other end to the other lover. Trust will suspend, invisible, between them and join them in a bond forever together in love.

Me: "But Dinahh, what about others? Surely the thread can include children and family, can't it?"

Dinahh: "Like the spider's thread, this bond is also elastic. The spider joins each strand to others and designs a network of huge proportions. This web bends and stretches, and sways gently in the wind. This bond of trust between lovers will also become strong with time, but it will remain delicate and fragile. Much care must be taken so that Trust is not broken. And yes, Catherine, the thread of Trust will stretch to include family and children. I will go now."

Namaste

Narayan: Trust

2012-01-25T06:42:00.001-05:00

Narayan is a self schooled spiritual master. She embodies her path of the mystic, healer & sage, and her role as communicator & messenger. She resides In the beautiful town of Ojai CA.

TRUST

From Webster : Trust : assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.

As one takes the free-fall into the unknown, a trusting of self is an aspect of trust. When we choose the path to seek truth and wisdom, which is innate with in each of our selves, we will find a well over flowing with the strength of character and the ability to trust one's self, to stand in your personal truth. The wisdom held within is the knowing of self, befriending your soul and living from the heart.

One of the trappings of walking the path of ascension/enlightenment -- call it what you wish -- is the holding on, the attachment to, any set of teachings. The memorizing of a set of teachings can lead one to a false sense of enlightenment and one mystical experience does not an enlightened being make. When we blend our emotions, the mind, the mystical, into the physical body, you are now embodying the path of a spirit-driven life.

You are now ready to let go of the teachings and begin a new phase filled with awe and wonder, embracing each moment as if every breath is the opportunity for a new beginning, embracing the beginner's mind in every moment. Letting go of what you THINK you know and going into the Unknown. The trust that whatever happens in the next moment is exactly what is to be, one is walking their dharma/destiny in the letting go of all the knowledge one has acquired and then begins the free-fall into experiencing the unknown. Letting go of the teachings, to take it off the matt, off the meditation pillow and into life, life becomes a living meditation of love, trusting the free fall and riding the waves of exhilaration and bliss.

Observe yourself as you stumble, so you, as the watcher, can pick yourself up, call yourself on your own crap and process. Trusting that you have done enough of the work, to work for yourself and knowing you can move though any stumbling block your spirit may lead you down. These stumbling blocks are spirit at work, giving you opportunities to see if you have achieved the level of awareness and true wisdom within.

The process has a spiral effect. We discover an issue and we do the deep work of following its roots, pulling out the weeds, and growing a beautiful garden. Spirit will bring that lesson around again to see if it is truly cleared or, by chance, did you leave a bit of root still buried deep? As you pull even more root and the garden blooms bigger, here comes that lesson again. This time it breezes right past you and you didn't even bat an eyelash. As it has become a non-issue, you have shattered the illusion of separation, an experience beyond having read it in a text or heard it at a lecture or yoga class. You are experiencing your life of personal trust...

Narayan
http://www.narayanbeauty.com

Feeling the Connection

2012-01-24T12:15:00.000-05:00

Have you ever watched the clouds as they move across the sky, magically creating, slowly morphing into recognizable objects? Have you ever watched a line of ants, marching about on their tiny missions? Have you ever sat on a park bench and watched as a child talked to and fed the squirrels? Have you ever walked in the rain and listened to the drops as they fall on your umbrella? Have you ever walked on a beach in your bare feet and marveled at how the sand felt between your toes?

Life is so beautiful! Everything we are, everything we see, everything we touch, is all a part of us. We are all, connected to everything and everyone else in the universe. Even the thoughts we think and all of our emotions come from somewhere out there, something that's so much larger than we can even imagine! Everything is just as it's supposed to be.

When you're in bed at night, just before drifting off to sleep, you'll find yourself in the silence. It's that place where all thoughts have quieted, you have no conscious awareness of your body, and there is a sense of floating. That is the silence. You have found your center. Open your heart and sense the love we came from and its infinite peace. Feel the flowing energy that we are all a part of. You are feeling the universe and that's what makes life so beautiful. Can you feel the connection?

Namaste!

Making a Better Life

2012-01-22T11:11:00.002-05:00

Okay, so you're having one of those days that your mother always warned you about. No, you say, not just one day like that -- you're in a rut! You're having a whole year full of those days she warned you about. Nothing seems to be going right and even your positives have sunk to the lowest levels of negative, in what seems to be a never-ending slide even lower.

You find yourself thinking, "I need a freaking break! I have no time for me anymore and it's one damn problem after another. Is life really meant to be this hard?"

In times like this, it helps if you will go to the silence and find your center. There, you will find peace and your connectivity again. Because when you open your heart and shut down the mind, the silence brings within it a connectivity with the universe. There, if you will allow it, is freedom from all thought, anxiety and fear.

Slowly breathe, exhale, breathe, exhale. Focus. Listen to your breath, concentrate on the sound it makes entering and leaving your body. When you find your center, you'll feel your awareness and the energy from the universe. Nothing in the outside world can take that from you. There, you'll find your inner peace, no matter what problems your life may be throwing at you.

In the silence is your inner stillness. Welcome it and allow it in. Sense it with an open heart. This is where your creativity comes from and it's where the magical connection to all the creative power behind your creativity is. Slowly breathe it in.

This is where your creativity comes from. Time seems to stop and you see everything from the stillness within. Peace and joy and acceptance of all that you are surrounds you as you realize you are not your problems. They cannot and never will own you.

You can create a better life. You ask, "Is it easy? Will change come overnight?" I wish I could tell you that it will, but nothing worthwhile in life ever comes easy. But I can safely say, by going to the silence to find your center, you will learn how to love and accept yourself for who you are. You will learn how self-acceptance can positively affect your inner peace and with forgiveness, the healing will come.

Only you have the power to create a better life -- for yourself and for others.

Namaste.

Lesson in the Silence

2011-12-31T06:45:00.000-05:00

I was awake early this morning -- 3:00 a.m. I don't know why I did that, just that I did. Since I couldn't fall back asleep, I lay there all toasty warm and welcomed the silence that only the earliest, or very latest, hours can bring.

I love the silence. In it, there's a connection, a connectedness that happens, but only if you allow it. It brings a sense of peace and oneness, and you feel a unity with everyone and everything. You can also feel the love and the energy flowing in and out -- all through you. The magic is, as you give yourself over to the silence, there's a ripple effect that occurs, like dropping a stone into a pond and watching the ever-widening circles.

The more you relax and the more you open your heart and turn off your mind, the more you feel the love and the peace and oneness. It grows, expanding, until you're filled with it, surrounded by it, and you -- I don't know, it's like you become the love and the peace and the energy. It's awesome, and the feeling stays with you the whole day long.

Now, hours later, I can still sense the vast power and scope of the interconnectedness. It may seem idealistic, maybe even ungrounded to some, but I think the ultimate truth is, we all are the world and we are everything and everyone in it. There really is no distinction. With love and oneness, the buck stops here …

Namaste

Nobility of the Feminine

2011-12-30T12:23:00.000-05:00

It's natural for the female to give, to surrender, and to feel. By their very nature they are closer in essence to the universe.

This is something they can sense biologically, spiritually and psychologically. It's for this reason that they live longer then men do. Men seek to control, dominate and compete — it is for this reason, they are further from the nature of the universe. Something in man fears, and fears deeply. Man feels he must prove himself, but a woman just tries to be herself.

The receptivity in a woman allows her to trust herself; this is what gives her, her power. Men seek refuge and rest in women, a place to hide from life’s brutality — a brutality they they have created. Her knowing is her mystery, and that is why men are baffled and amazed. She can do more in less time than many men can achieve, simply because she is more adapted to working together with others. She nurtures and brings people together. She understands harmony and cooperation. From the heart, she commands the excellence of her being.

By her very presence, a man is subtly drawn in and he feels the pull of her gravity upon him. She can silently massage his heart and help him awaken to himself. She can make a man feel like a king -- and she can take away his crown in a moment, such is the power of the feminine. You may want to argue with her, but be prepared to be defeated, because in her knowing, she has already held your heart in her hands. She knows where she is going and you don’t.

Not all women possess this grace of their being, but many do, and this is what gives sense to civilization and it's why women are the mothers of cooperation. They know that to survive, you must meet others halfway. You must be willing to see deeper than your side of things, and know that life is not a race, but a flowering, if it is lived within the heart and allowed to blossom naturally.

You can try to beat her down but in the end, she will win, because she knows she has a heart and she knows how life is best lived.

Robert Cosmar

Magic Man's Universe - Home

2011-12-18T15:55:00.000-05:00

Magic Man's Universe - Home

How to Look Within

2011-12-18T15:20:00.000-05:00

Most people are perplexed when you say to them you must look within. The mind says how can you do that? It seems ridiculous to try, but when you realize that inner looking is actually feeling it is a different matter all together.

The mind explores thru thought,memory and observation. It analyzes what it hear’s, see’s and thinks. It takes concepts and arranges them according to its understanding. The feelings are centered in the heart region and have deep connections leading to the very source of life itself, the soul of existence.

Feeling is an internal directed process and not external like thought. Feelings require no observation other then to be aware of them or to turn your attention to them. No work or analysis is needed, you just feel. The hard part is in trusting those feelings and learning how they reveal so much of the mystery of life and ourselves.

Feelings help us to understand the mystery of life and ourselves by revealing to us our unity with life itself. Unlike the mind, the feelings reveal what is already there and how we are apart of it. Understanding is not required, you don’t have to come to any conclusions, you simply know.

Silence is a byproduct of deep feeling. As the mind stops its chatter you become aware of a vacuum or void in which only a solitary you exists. At first this void has elements of the unconscious you in it, but as you go deeper and encounter the blocks to full realization you come to understand the meaning and importance of silence.

Silence reveals what words cannot express. It is a place where concepts are replaced by reality and the end of seeking is because you have found the essence of life and your place within it.

Silence requires no time or space to define it because in the inner world of reality it is the companion of reality. It dissolves the illusions created in time and space and brings us to a point of realization where we see thru feeling, the nature of ourselves and true reality. We are home again and we know it, we remember and recognize it all…the search is over for now!

2012 and Astrology

2011-12-02T07:59:00.000-05:00

by Robert Cosmar

There is a lot of writing and speculation going around concerning the year 2012. You don’t have to look that hard — it’s all over the Internet. Some of it is insightful and worthy of print, but way too much of it is merely sensationalism and appeals to the worries and fears of the masses. It is unfortunate that many people see astrology only as a edge in life and not a tool for deep self awareness. People seem to want quick fixes, those fast food solutions to problems in their life, but seldom the truth.

Astrology has become commercial, not on the truth of its claims, but on the belief that with its knowledge you can find fame, happiness and love. Nothing can be further from the truth. Astrology guarantees nothing, promises nothing and it certainly can’t deliver to anyone an absolute solution to the problems of living. It isn’t a toy to be played with or joked about either. Astrology has been cheapened over the years by an attempt to make it acceptable to everyone as a form of entertainment and acceptable quackery. Its honor has been sadly tarnished.

Astrologers, in their desire to compete with science, have tried to prove that astrology is on an equal plane with science. It is not and it never can be. Science deals with mind and matter. It analyzes and reasons and looks to prove. Astrology on the other hand, deals with life and energy, both of which are changeable and at times unpredictable. Scientists want to put the genie back into the bottle and make it serve them. Astrologers are simply fascinated by the genie and want to discover how the genie’s magic works.

Life does not need to be dissected to be understood. In fact, you can’t dissect it. Every secret revealed in life leads to another and yet another, all the way to infinity. When you think or feel that you know the answer, another twist appears. Life can only be truly experienced through awareness and embracing the mystery in its wholeness.

Astrology is a tool of the heart and it is awareness in its highest form. Astrology, as it is now, is not bad or evil, only diluted, watered down for minds to easily embrace. It has been weakened and cheapened because people want to use it, not as it is intended, which is to be guided by it into an awareness of reality.

Namaste.

Magic Man's Universe

Epiphany In Silence

2011-11-08T08:57:00.000-05:00

This morning after Robert left for work, I sat in the living room with my coffee, looking out my front window. There was nothing spectacular there, nothing actually drawing my attention, however, I was suddenly, simply aware that I was aware of nothing, and in that silence, I became aware of something significant.

The wind was blowing my wind chimes. I could hear them tinkling softly. The long bamboo blind hanging from the ceiling on the porch was also caught in the wind's gentle play. The fronds of the fern on the glass table swayed in a graceful ballet. I, too, sensed myself floating and it was real. I could see it, or more accurately, I could see the effects of it, but even though I felt like I was the wind, I knew I was only a witness of the wind. In my silence, the wind and my awareness had become one, and everything in the wind floating effortlessly had also become one with me in my awareness.

It suddenly became clear to me. Everything is connected through awareness. Everything we see, we are a part of, even though they do not define us. We can see thoughts and feelings float by, just like the wind, but we are not those either, we are only the witness of them. We can feel pain, sorrow, anger, doubt and joy, but again, those are not who we are. Spontaneously and naturally, these things all arise on their own in our awareness. It is only important that we recognize and validate their passing as part of our further growth in awareness.

Even though I knew all these things, I learned again that no one thing, or feeling, or feature of the universe is separate from the whole. The only real me, the only true self, is a part of the whole.

Namaste.

Beautiful Soul

2011-10-25T16:19:00.000-04:00

What is beauty, actually?

"Wow! Thats beautiful!" This is what we say or think when we see the sun rise or set over the ocean, see a spectacular view, or a good-looking man or woman. But what we should ask is, where does the appreciation of that beauty originate? Where does our ability to understand beauty come from? It's right there, in our own consciousness.

The very essence of who and what we are is beauty. The true essence of beauty cannot be found in the sunrise or sunset, a face, or a view. Those only awaken the essence of beauty within our own spirit. It's not only something we sense within ourselves, but it emerges in our character as virtue, and in our life as care. And what is virtue, anyway, but love in action?

Can beauty be defined with regard to people? I believe it can. There are two types, actually -- physical beauty and spiritual beauty. Physical beauty is subjective -- we all want to like what we see in our mirror. That kind of beauty can be bought through plastic surgery, cosmetics, clothes and so on, if you have the money. Physical attractiveness is appealing to the senses, but it's a fake beauty, one based on society's superficial standards.

Please don't get me wrong, I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to look and feel our best. Everyone does something for beauty ... everyone. But that isn't true beauty. Spiritual beauty is true beauty, because it comes from within the heart and soul of a person. When someone has a beautiful soul, their very presence can be sensed by others.

Spiritual beauty comes through awareness and from knowing there is a higher power who gives us the strength and confidence we need to live the best life we can. With it comes peace, confidence, and inner happiness. Spiritual beauty naturally radiates an inner glow that others are instinctively drawn to because they also sense and can feel the awareness and beauty that's there.

Feeling this good, spiritually, has other benefits, as well. It makes us want to take care of ourselves and our health, which, in turn, is good for our overall physical appearance. We gain inner balance by knowing who we are, and knowing we are beautiful, spiritually. As a result, we attract spiritual people into our lives, people who love the totality of us -- our mind, our body and our soul.

The next time you say, "Wow! That's beautiful!" Remember, you speak of yourself, and it is you who is beautiful. You always were. You always will be.

Now that's beauty ...

Meaning

2011-10-15T13:19:00.000-04:00

"Everything happens for a reason and with the universe, everything is perfect and just as it should be." It is what it is, my friends.

We don't, (we can't), know why things happen the way they do -- there's a far bigger plan and purpose for us -- the important thing to keep in mind is, everything happens when it's supposed to happen. For each of us, the timing is always perfect.

You may be thinking, "I've had a miserable life (or miserable marriage, or miserable childhood, etc.,). How am I to believe the universe has my best interests in mind?"

We don't know the universe's plan for us. We also don't know what our agreement was, or what it was that we wanted to accomplish, or learn, when our soul came into this lifetime. What I do know is, we will touch, and be touched by, many souls over our lifetime. The meetings may be short, and last only a minute or two, or they may last a lot longer -- an entire childhood, or a lengthy marriage. Some that we meet, we will have something to learn from. Some that we meet, the universe has something for them to learn. Unknowingly, we have the answer and we will be their teacher.

Still with others, the lesson doesn't come right away. We may look back years later and reflect and, suddenly we realize what it was that we learned. If the lesson came through anger or hurt, we can also recognize that, embrace it, knowing it doesn't own us, and then we can let it go. Greater awareness can come from great lessons, even painful ones. We all have to take responsibility for our life, own it, be aware of it and how that life is used or wasted.

We can't know which role we are to carry out, teacher or student, or when -- only that we will be both. We may never find out in this lifetime who we helped, but that, too, is okay. We can't know why a soul chose to come down here. Here's a profound thought: what if that soul came here to learn the one thing we can teach or help them to realize? We are all one with the universe. The energy and love we are flows in and out and through us -- the eternity sign.

It is what it is ... everything is exactly as it should be.

Namaste.

Dinahh's Visit

2011-09-22T08:55:00.000-04:00

I haven't written much lately, mostly because there hasn't been a whole lot to write about -- and the fact that we've been busy with other things. I realize that's no excuse for not writing and I apologize.

Robert and I have been flat out for a couple of months now, getting our books in Kindle and Nook and a few other places that take ebooks, and this while we wait for them to be published in print. Thankfully, that should be within a week or two.

I hadn't heard from Dinahh in awhile and I wondered why ... did I do something to make him go away? I hoped not, but it really felt weird, after having him visit nearly every day, or night, for months and then suddenly nothing at all.

The last time I had a conversation with Dinahh was when he told me I was to help Robert get his book "out there" because people needed and were ready now to read what he wrote. Then a day or so later, Dinahh strongly told me I had to do the same with my books -- I had three completely finished and another five or six that I needed to find an illustrator for. I had been suffering from inertia, I guess ... but anyway, after Dinahh's last visit, Robert and I threw ourselves into high gear ... and high stress.

Last week, my daughter and her husband invited us to spend a few days with them at Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Some summers, they rent a cottage for a week about a half mile's walk from the town of Oak Bluffs and the beaches. Well, we looked at each other ... and it took all of about two minutes to decide -- Just what the doctor ordered. Our stress level had peaked and we really needed a vacation.

During the 45 minute ferry ride out to the island, we could feel the tension begin to fade. It was wonderful. We loved being with Carrie and Paul, and my grandsons, Jack and Tyler. Robert and I walked, shopped, rented a Jeep for sightseeing, and came home refreshed and ready to finish what we'd started with the books.

Yesterday, Robert and I were done. Amazing. I had finally approved the proofs on my three books and they're ready to print and Robert's book is also approved and ready to be printed. We're relieved and so looking forward to the next phase.

Last night when I was just about to fall asleep, Dinahh visited me. I asked him where he'd been and why he hadn't talked to me for such a long time. His reply was simple, "Catherine, there was no need. You have been doing everything I asked of you, everything that you agreed to do before this lifetime. You and Robert are fulfilling your purpose, to create together. This is as it should be."

... I guess he was saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Still, it was nice visiting with him again. I missed that.

Namaste.

Waiting

2011-09-19T16:37:00.000-04:00

Waiting! Waiting! Waiting!
by Robert S. Cosmar

It is so frustrating to have to wait. We wait for our dreams to manifest; we wait for a direction to take; we wait for an inspiration to write. It doesn't seem fair to have to wait for everything -- and waiting shows us aspects of ourselves that are not always pretty.

We like the feeling of having control over our lives and having what we want, when we want it. But if we don't learn patience, the impatience can blossom into a demanding and stubborn state of mind. Good things do happen when we are ready for them and, when it's time, they manifest effortlessly. No inner struggle is needed -- it just happens -- and we're grateful for it.

However, the mind and ego are never satisfied. Selfishly oriented, they seek to fulfill themselves immediately and give little consideration to others, their needs, or the wisdom of timing. Part of the problem is this idea of time. Our egos and minds are taught to obsess over time and dwell on it, as if our lives were all about time.

Time is how people conduct the business of living, but time is not living. Surrender to what is is necessary to overcome the threat of time. Acceptance of what is, is also necessary. Realizing that everything is happening perfectly, as it should be, is the cure for waiting -- and it's the only cure. The mind and time never give answers, only demands. They are never your best friend in life, but necessary tools to live and maneuver through in our daily living.

There is an old saying that goes, "You will understand in time." This is only true for those who become aware that everything happens for a reason and when it is supposed to. Nothing happens by chance. Love is eternally patient, because it knows it will get the desire of its heart eventually. It may take a thousand years and a multitude of lifetimes, but it will achieve its desire.

Time exists to give the illusion that somehow we have a right, or destiny, to control things and make them happen as we want them to. Nothing can be further from the truth. Unless you are surrendered and aware, the opportunities and gifts hidden in delays or in waiting are never seen and the heart can be in danger of shutting down.

In the end it is never a matter of getting what we want, when we want it, but rather, what have we become and realized. Are we more aware, or are we more bitter, as a result of our limited ability to have things our way? Only the heart knows. What does your heart say to you?

Namaste!

Trilogy of Awareness

2011-08-31T06:42:00.001-04:00

by Robert S. Cosmar

I'm proud to announce that my book is finally "out there". Trilogy of Awareness was originally written almost twenty years ago. I've kept these stories in my computer all these years, because I cherished the feel and the energy when I wrote them back then. I was in a different world and amazed at how relatively easy the stories came to me. I had no idea where the stories were going, only that I had to write them.

I explored getting them published back when I wrote them, but after a disappointing meeting with an editor, I decided that the energy of the writing had to be protected and preserved and his editing would destroy the entire feel of the stories. I strongly feel that the wording and rhythm of a writer provide a unique signature that the universe uses to touch others. We’re attracted to certain writers because of how their work feels to us, and unless the writing is technical and caters only to the mind, that unique signature of a writer is very important.

It took falling in love for the first time and then trusting Catherine (CJ Heck) to polish and edit the stories for me, and then her belief in them and me, before I finally decided to put them "out there" for the masses.

The Stories --

Home: Where the heart Is

This is about a young boy forced to decide between living his life from either his heart or his mind. It has a futuristic and sci fi feel to it, but it speaks to the challenge we all have of addressing this issue. Do I listen to fear and become a slave to it or do I listen to the whispers from my heart and follow them? The end of the book contains the Seven Principles of True Power, which describe the path that awareness leads a person on the return to their true home within.

The Ghost of Woodstock.

A young aspiring rock musician goes to a summer camp near Woodstock NY and encounters the ghost of a rock icon who helps him discover that the true magic of music is within him, if he will trust his heart.

Masters of the Park.

A middle aged man falls from a swing in a park and is knocked unconscious. He is transported into another world where a squirrel acts as a guide and helps him realize the power he has within to decide to change his unhappy life. It is written in much the same way as the classic story, the Christmas Carol, with Mr Scrooge as the main character.

The ebook version is available now at these online bookstores:

Trilogy of Awareness at Lulu

Trilogy of Awareness at Nook (Barnes & Noble)

Trilogy of Awareness at Kindle (Amazon.com)

The printed version will be available soon and I will let everyone know when and where. You can view a small sample of the book on a couple of the links above. If you're searching for inspiration or courage to give your heart, this is a wonderful book of inner wisdom and insight learned through a lifetime of experiences. It's worth the price and you won't be disappointed.

Namaste

Robert

Busy Times

2011-08-20T06:27:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone -- I sincerely apologize for my disappearance. I've been extremely busy with last minute illustrations and the self-publishing of two new children's books. I'm happy to say, both books are now with the printer and I'll let you know when I get them.

To those who ordered months or even a year in advance, it's finally happening! Yours will be the first books I sign and put in the mail -- thank you most sincerely for your patience.

For those of you with eBook readers, both books are available now on Kindle Books at Amazon.com.

Barking Spiders 2 at Kindle
Me Too! Preschool Poetry at Kindle

Here is the information:

Barking Spiders 2
ISBN 978-0-9839320-0-0
Release Date: August 2011
Barking Spiders Publishing
Ages 6 to 106
88 Pages
Paperback 9"W x 7"H
Perfect Binding

In this long-awaited sequel to her first book, CJ Heck continues her journey to help children experience life through her poetry through humor, insight, and with an understanding that, like adults, children like to make sense of the world they live in. And when it still doesn't make sense? Well ... that's okay, too, because it
doesn't always make sense.

So, sit back, get comfy, and enjoy this book with a child -- it's time to get back in touch with your inner child again.

Me Too! Preschool Poetry
ISBN 978-0-9839320-1-7
Release Date: August 2011
Barking Spiders Publishing
Preschool
42 pages
Paperback 9"W x 7"H
Perfect Binding

Preschool: That period of childhood when everything is black or white, a time of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, and the grey area hasn't yet begun. It's that last true age of innocence when mom and dad are the good guys, pretending is a profession, and bugs are truly our best friends. Wouldn't it be fun to have a grownup friend who understands, someone to say it's okay if the world doesn't always make sense?

CJ Heck is that grownup friend. She has been entertaining children and grownups with her poetry since 1999 through first, her website, and then with the release of her first book "Barking Spiders (and Other Such Stuff)" in 2000.

Sit back, get comfy, and read "Me Too!" with a child-- it's time to get back in touch with your inner child again and remember, remember, remember ...

**********************
Okay, now I'm going to go for now. My daughter from Connecticut is here for a few days with her two toddlers -- and this grammy is loving every minute ...

Namaste!
CJ

True Power

2011-07-30T06:18:00.000-04:00

"The Seven Principles of True Power"
From the soon to be published book, "Home: Where the Heart Is"
by Robert Cosmar

The heart of power is guided by seven principles of true power which define and monitor its expression. Each without the other is useless, but together, they form a chain that balances the expression of power with its source of inception.

The First Principle: Humility

Being aware that we need to turn to something greater within from time to time to solve the problems of life. Sometimes, we realize we're afraid and troubled and in need of help beyond our normal conscious awareness. We have the desire to serve the universe with our own unique gifts under the guidance of spiritual forces, knowing that each person in our life reflects the beliefs we hold subconsciously within. They are the mirrors of our soul and we owe them our love and forgiveness.

The Second Principle: Commitment (To Yourself)

If you don't know and love yourself, you'll never create your own reality. To love yourself is to love the soul you are and to express your life through that soul. You must let go of the crutches in your life and surrender to the depths of your soul. We all have only one lover that is true, immortal and infinite; it's the soul. All other lovers are only reflections of levels of growth to be attained and transcended. I'm not saying you shouldn't have lovers, but put them into true perspective and love your soul. It will love you back.

The Third Principle: Sacrifice

Sacrifice the rational and intellectual mind for the knowledge of the soul. The soul sees without time. It knows, without space. To sacrifice the mind to the soul is to be in step with the universe. We are all part of the universal mind, but the ego (mind) cannot sense that greatness -- only the heart, alone, can believe. When we place our mind, our rational life, into the hands of the heart, something wonderful happens. We stop struggling and, when we do, we see why we're where we are and can then hear how to get out of the dilemma. Knowledge is power, but not rational knowledge. True power comes from your heart.

The Fourth Principle: Awareness

Awareness is the heart's ability to work WITH the universe, not against it. You may have a great idea and lots of money, but without awareness of what the universe wants, you will fail miserably. Awareness comes from surrendering to the ultimate guidance of the heart.

The Fifth Principle: Honest Reflection.

If your life is working, then you are in sync with the universe. If your life isn't working, then you aren't in sync with the universe. Many live less than satisfying lives because they lie to themselves about their career, marital status, and lifestyle. Fear guides them and a general distrust of themselves causes suffering because they don't take total responsibility for their lives. When you fear to know yourself, you create illusions to live by which all pass with time.

True power is knowing who you are and being who you are without judgement. It's a connection to your heart and soul which allows the higher purpose of your life to manifest in your life, causing healing. Healing is the right use of power. When you can live and forgive, then you will heal and your power will be restored in totality. Until you love your life and open your heart to forgive all that has offended you, you won't know the peace, power and the marvelous miracle of love that you are.

The Sixth Principle: Gratitude

Each thing that happens in your life is a reflection of the beliefs you carry within. Each crisis shows where you're using your power against yourself. Gratitude is the cure for self pity and a healing balm for depression. Gratitude opens the heart.

The Seventh and Final Principle: Self Love

You are the creator of your life and your future. It's up to you to love yourself where you are and to love your dreams into existence. You cannot be forced to do that. The Universe merely waits on the fringes of your reality to welcome you home.

Namaste.

Dying

2011-07-23T10:17:00.000-04:00

CJ: Dying is probably one of the most misunderstood aspects about living. Why is it that some very bad people live long and healthy lives, yet others who are good seem to die young? Maybe it isn't chance ...

Let's look at it from a soul's perspective. Our souls are given choices, even before being born. What do you want to accomplish on your human experience? A soul may have the one desire to be a hero during its lifetime and, once that one event has occurred, it can go home again -- maybe to decide to return here for yet another lifetime with further choices and experiences.

Another example might be, a soul that wants to accomplish something memorable for mankind -- an inventor, a composer, or maybe someone in the medical field who finds a cure for a terrible disease. Everything that occurred throughout the soul's life, up until that one particular thing was satisfied, was significant and valued. Everyone they touched, everyone they loved was also significant, but when that one pure event was accomplished, the soul was free to go home again.

The saddest thing for me to hear is when someone says, "You only live once. Death is the end." When you become aware, you realize that death is not the end of life -- death is a new beginning. Death merely brings the end to one lifetime and allows your soul to return home, where it will decide to stay, or return again for yet another lifetime and human experience. Death is never the end.

Robert: The problem of death is not a problem for the soul -- the soul is eternal. The problem of death is a problem only for the ego and the mind. The ego and mind do not understand death, nor do they really understand life. Ego and mind are artificial constructs that dwell on the outskirts of reality. They are imposters, mimickers to what is true, an artificial existence mascarading for what is true, but never true. As long as a person identifies with the mind and ego and remains unaware through feelings of their deep source in life, death will be feared, misunderstood and dreaded. Only those who know the truth within can stop asking questions about death and finally rest in peace.

CJ: In my humble opinion, death should be a celebration, a celebration of a life well spent -- no matter how long that life lasted. When we grieve, it's for our loss because it leaves a huge hole in our lives and our hearts.

Robert: In order to come to grips with death, we have to realize that the mind and ego have no answer -- they never will. It is only when we surrender through our heart to the vast universe deep within, that whispers begin to ripple like waves on our consciousness and reveal that we are far more than just a mind, ideas, thoughts and goals. We are existence, itself, playing in the sandbox called our current reality.

Hannah and Star

2011-07-16T19:53:00.000-04:00

Nearly a year ago, August 29, 2010, a very good friend posted a blog on Whispers (Hanah: My Experience) telling us about her experience. Today, I received an email from Hannah with an update:

CJ, here's a little story if you are interested.

My spritial guide is Star and he hasn't been around for a long time, until now. I guess he thinks that my life is on track and I don't need him all the time. I have tried to lie down and open my mind and heart so he can answer some of my questions. I think I have to be patient and he will come to me when he is ready.

Star calls me Hannah, which is not my given name. One of my questions is, why DOES he call me Hannah? I am getting used to it, but I was wondering if there was a reason behind it.

When he does decide to visit, his answers are usually in the form of a "mini movie". That's the easiest way for me to decribe it to you. And I still don't see the features of his face. You know how sometimes on tv they blurr the face of someone? That's how his face looks to me. When I was seeing my Dad in these "mini movies", I could see his face very clearly -- and his anger was certainly plain to depict. Star is very patient and very soft spoken, if he even speaks. Most of the time, he just shows me these mini movies.

This time, he was ready to help me understand why Hannah is the name he feels comfortable calling me. We walked up to a big white house, climbed up the stairs onto a large front porch. The door was open to the kitchen. The kitchen was large, plain, with wide wooden planks on the floor. Nothing was on the walls at all. The lady of the house was standing at the kitchen sink with several little girls around her, all talking at once. I could see by their clothes, they were an Amish family.

I looked at Star and asked him what this had to do with me. He told me the woman, the mother of those little ones, was Hannah, (me in another life). Well, here's an ironic chuckle ... when we pass through Amish country, I have said many times, I could never be Amish. Maybe for one day, but then I would want to return to the modern conveniences that I am used to.

A while back, I told CJ about Star deciding to call me Hannah. She was not surprised. She even told me how it was probably spelled. After watching this "mini movie", my woman's intuition just kicked in. I just had this overwhelming feeling, the kind that gives you cold chills and makes the hair on your arm stand up. CJ already knew why Star decided to call me Hannah. Neither one mentioned this before. Now I have to wonder ... since CJ is more aware, open, and sensitive ... could she and her spirit quide already know some of the answers I am searching for? I know Dinahh tells her to be patient and she will learn all her answers in time. I will try this.

Sincerely,
Hannah

** Hannah, it's so nice to have you posting again! Thank you for sharing. I'm so happy Star has contacted you again. Please keep us updated, my friend.

Namaste!
CJ

Your Life

2011-07-13T12:51:00.000-04:00

The Magic is YOUR life lived fully:
by Robert Cosmar

Do you know what it means to have a life? Do you have YOUR life? Do you LIVE your life fully? Interesting questions, don't you think? I'm sure that you've heard this before and wondered what it means.

To have a life is to be in touch with the force of existence itself. There is no go-between, no outer authority, and no one to ask what to do or where to go. There's no one but you and a connection to the deep center within yourself. Trust is found there and the confidence to believe that you have every right to create and manifest your vision. This vision is not actually yours but a shared vision that you receive from existence. You are a co-creator with life, a partner with existence. You share in the creation of the future. You feel worthy and at peace, because you realize that you are a part of something vast and beautiful. You are HOME!

Anything we create that does not come from this center inside us is artificial, hollow and eventually dies. It may satisfy the mind for awhile, but it never reaches our heart or touches the hearts of others. Energy can be manipulated from the outside -- science does it all the time -- but look at the results.

Energy that rises from the heart is more comprehensive, full and lively. It nourishes and feeds other hearts. Energy that rises from the heart lasts! Great art, creations and lives last beyond their time. They give something back to humanity that says you are so much more than you imagine. When will you begin the journey to claim back your life from the dust of false hopes and dreams?

Plane of Souls

2011-07-09T08:01:00.000-04:00

"The best thing about sleep is that fleeting moment when you are just between asleep and awake. There, you can talk with the universe. There, you can fly away to the stars. There, anything, everything, is possible." ~CJ Heck

Just before falling asleep, I had a vision. It came into my view slowly, like billowy clouds pushing the darkness aside. There I could see millions of glowing orbs of light. I was floating, moving along high above them as they moved here and there, like large bumble bees in different directions -- fast, very fast.

Like other times I've traveled there, I am aware of floating, feeling so light that I am the air, itself, traveling into a whole other world. Up there, I feel love and joy and a euphoria that I can't begin to describe. The closest thing I ever felt to it was when my dentist used gas for filling a tooth. He put the mask over my face and told me to breathe deeply and it brought a similar euphoria.

The view of the glowing orbs in the darkness slowly drifted away and in it's place, I was looking down at the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. The colors were so vivid. It was lovely and I could see the lush green of a vast meadow with tall grass -- and then below, to my right, was a sheer drop off. As far as I could see was the stunning beauty to the left, and the knife-edge cliff and its sheer drop off stretching way into the distance on the right.

I could see down into the drop off because it was bright, like daylight. At the bottom of the deep chasm was a river, not with sparkling clear water, but a thick liquid of semi-transparent green, and it was flowing very slowly.

Suddenly, I could see faceless people, hundreds of them, a few at a time, coming out of the sheer walls of the cliff. Silent and motionless, they fell down into the flowing green river and disappeared. This was happening all along the sheer wall of the cliff below me, for as far as I could see. They didn't seem to be afraid, because they weren't screaming as they fell -- they weren't making any sound at all. There was only silence as they came out of the wall and fell down to disappear into the slowly flowing green liquid.

I was stunned to feel a wave of sadness, and a feeling of regret, as I watched this all happen. I tried to see their faces, but there were none, only motionless people, quiet souls, alone and falling, and then swallowed up by the green river.
When the scene again faded to blackness, I felt Dinahh's presence. I asked him to please explain to me what I had seen! What had they done to bring them to such an ending? I told him about feeling sadness and regret and yet I heard nothing, felt no fear coming from them, and I could see no faces. Was this hell?

Dinahh told me, as he had on so many other occasions, "Zora, you ask too many questions. You have the answers there inside of you. Put your thoughts aside -- close your mind. Then, open your heart and listen. Be one with the love you feel, and the peace and joy. Let them all flow through you in the quiet, when you go to the silence. There you will find past memories. There you can remember. It is there, that you will find your answers."

I'm still learning. At times, frustration is the only emotion I'm able to reach when I try and go to the silence. I was unable to regain those feelings after the vision was gone and after a while, I fell back to sleep. It wasn't until the next day that I was finally able to reconnect with those feelings and find my center in the silence.

I came to understand that what I saw in the vision was symbolism. I traveled to the plane of souls. The faceless people falling out of the walls of the cliff and then disappearing into the green river were the souls of people who, at the end of their life (in their earth death), were still asleep in their awareness. This is why I saw no faces. This is why I felt such sadness. The regret I felt was for what might have been. The river was only recycling (for lack of a better word) their souls. The glowing orbs I had seen first in the vision were those people as individual souls again, before returning to earth in a next incarnation. In the silence, I remembered this and I was amazed at the clarity in which I could remember.

I told Dinahh what I thought I had found out, when he contacted me. He told me I had done well. This was what I had been shown and what I was to remember. Then he told me why I had been shown the vision.

Dinahh: "Zora, you have a purpose here -- both you and Robert, together. We have given you each other in love to take care of your human needs. You have much to do together. You will work with us to write what we tell you and what we show you in your spiritual consciousness.

Everything is changing -- we must reach more souls on this human plane, teach them to open their hearts, teach them to feel the love, be one with us and feel our energy flow through them. We must teach them that to BE in the nothingness is to be where they will find their answers.

They must learn to hear our whispers. We are here to help. We have always been here for them. We are here. We are here. Zora, you have done well. I will go now."

Namaste.

Creative Vision

2011-07-08T11:38:00.000-04:00

by Robert S. Cosmar

The world supports Creative Feeling, or Vision. It is through creativity that we evolve and build our future. It is through individual vision that we manifest our desires. Without vision, mankind would continually run in circles. It would stagnate from boredom and die for lack of being anything fresh and new. If there is one thing lacking in humanity, at this time, it is vision and the power to manifest our dreams into reality.

We are never lacking in talk, debate, discussion, or criticism, but when it comes to actually making something happen, we often lack vision. Vision is the voice of the future, or creativity un-manifested. Some may call it God, but in reality, it is our ability to generate support, effort, materials, personnel and whatever else it takes to make a vision a reality.

It is the energy of existence, the magic, to say yes to our desire to serve and inspire humanity through some effort or cause. We work hand in hand with that force which moves the stars, makes rivers flow, and the sun to shine beyond the clouds of doubt and dismay. We share in the purpose and higher intent of a magic that shines brighter and deeper than any Sun in any galaxy of any part of this vast universe.

Namaste.

Accept Yourself

2011-07-06T14:07:00.000-04:00

by Robert S. Cosmar

Most people do not like their self. Many more do not know their self. We live in a mental world, full of ideas, thoughts, and opinions. Our identities are borrowed from society, our parents, and even our peers.

Only when our goals, dreams and desires collapse before us do we consider that life is not what we have been told or sold. We suffer when this happens, but the suffering is a birth, of sorts, and an opportunity to rediscover our true self and its power.

Fear and distrust of self prevent most people from coming to terms with who they are. The world, society, parents, peers and teachers all apply pressure to conform to the norm or suffer the fate of being dubbed a failure. What they are saying is, "Who we want you to be is more important than who you feel you are." What we have, therefore, are highly educated failures as human beings -- people who can talk and think, for sure, but who lack an awareness of self and the awareness of how they fit into the universal scheme of things. It is one thing to identify with a thing or a philosophy, yet entirely another to know your self as an individual. One encourages conformity, the other causes us to go on a personal journey within to find our true and unique self.

Until the mind and heart are again merged into a cosmic partnership with the knowing heart as the lead guide, mankind will continue to fail in its attempt to achieve purpose. Mankind will not be able to conquer outer space, until we have achieved a greater awareness of our inner space. Man can only achieve great things in proportion to his ability to understand himself. It is awareness that has brought the discovery of great achievements in our time and many of those are outside the realm of thought.

Before you begin to find yourself, you have to look within. Before you begin to contemplate about who you think you are, you have to look at the way you feel you are. Nothing is more damaging to a soul than a runaway mind seeking itself through its thoughts, and a person hiding or evading how they feel. You are not your thoughts. Your feelings are much deeper and truer to your natural being, or self.

Do not judge yourself or anyone else, based on what you see or think -- open your heart and accept them. Some will be your teachers and help you to learn about yourself. Others will be a reminder of your own prejudices and vices -- no one is better than anyone else. Until we see deeply into our self, we will not have the power to achieve our dreams in a manner that reflects our true identity.

Namaste.

Writing Inspiration: Richard Schwartz

2011-07-04T06:11:00.000-04:00

This was a comment left by my friend, Richard Schwartz, on yesterday's blog, "Inspiration for Writing". I thought it was so great that I asked him if I could use it as a blog. Richard agreed. Thanks, Richard!

CJ - You're not as nutty as your thoughts on creativity seem to imply. When I start writing a character, they start telling me their story. I'm just the one who happens to be writing down what they tell me. After I've written a few paragraphs about them they develop a unique voice that I can hear in my mind.

As I was finishing my first book, I had a dream one night that I was arriving at a surprise party. Everyone there was a character in my first book and they were thanking me for bringing them to life for my readers. This certainly sounds strange. but I remember waking up the next day and my first thought was that it was nice of them to throw me a party.

I'd love to say that I love writing ... but its more than that. When I get an idea for a character, I feel compelled to start writing. For example, I was on vacation touring the National Parks here in the northwest. While at Yellowstone, one of my favorite characters from my first book told me a story that will be the beginning of my third book. I am only half way through my second book, but I had to get back to our hotel room to write down the story that will certainly be the beginning of the third book.

I'd love to tell you where my ideas come from ... but I really can't. Taking photos of the geothermal features shouldn't have provoked thoughts leading to the beginning of my third book, but that's where it happened!

Richard Schwartz

** This is incredible, and I'm thrilled to hear about it, Richard. It's obvious you're another writer who listens to the whispers. You've made me feel so much better -- I'm really not a nutcase (smiling), after all. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and for allowing me to put your comment here as a blog.
My warmest regards and respect, as always,
CJ

Inspiration for Writing

2011-07-03T14:16:00.000-04:00

The strangest thing: I was sitting here this morning thinking about a question that was posed in a writing forum that I belong to. "Where do you get your ideas for writing, whether for poems, short stories, or any other forms of writing?"

H m m m ... it sounded like such an easy question, at first. The most obvious answer, and the one most people had already written was, "I rely on either my imagination, or I write about what I know." The more I thought about it, though, I had to ask myself, where DO my ideas really come from?

Truthfully, the best inspirations, or ideas, I've ever gotten came from (now don't laugh) God and/or the universe. For me, there are times when I'm able to completely relax and find my center, stop my mind from trying to control my thoughts, listen to my breath enter and leave my lungs and allow the energy to flow through me.

When the inspiration comes, and it always does, the words rush like water from an open tap -- it's an indescribable feeling, almost as though the words aren't mine at all. They seem to come from somewhere else and flow through me, from the heart to the mind, to the fingers all by themselves. It's a humbling experience and I'm always amazed and extremely grateful to the universe for showing me its magic. It's something that is there for everyone, if you only ask.

Now, how do I write that as an answer in the forum without people thinking I'm a nutcase ...

Namaste.