Metaphysical Beliefs

A General Look at Alchemy Part 1

admin — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:29:03 +0000

Alchemy’s Origin

Alchemy, according to esoteric writers, is said to be the invention of an ancient Egyptian sage called Hermes Trismegistus. The “Father of Alchemy” lived in an unknown age of Egyptian history, though he is thought by some Rosicrucian schools to have lived during the time of Moses and the Exodus of the Israelites. If true, being an Initiate of the mysteries of Isis and Osiris, Moses must have been tutored by Hermes himself, which later enabled him to carry out his mission and to realize his I AM Presence symbolised by the burning bush. The various precepts and the Ten Commandments of the Lord of Hosts revealed to the Israelites by Moses are the first alchemical steps of purification and putrefaction. Further steps were later added to the Mosaic revelation by the Nazarene Master. Indeed, the Christ declared that he came not to abolish the previous revelation, but to fulfill it.

It is thought by some that “Hermes Trismegistus” constituted a title assumed by distinguished hierophants of the Mystery Schools, in a somewhat similar manner that Zoroaster, the founder of the “Fire Religion” is regarded by certain scholars. Incidentally, alchemy may also be considered a Fire Religion, or at least a philosophy, because of its symbology of fire related to the alchemical principles, its prerequisite in the art of transmutation, and to the respect and honor paid to it by alchemists.

Jewish mystics identify Hermes as the antediluvian prophet Enoch, or Idris, as the Muslims call him; while ancient Egyptians see Hermes as Thoth, the god of Wisdom, Learning, and Writing. He was given this apotheosis along with Imhotep, the great architect under the reign of King Zoser of the Fourth Dynasty. It would appear that both men were overshadowed by the archetypal figure of Thoth, and were acknowledged as such by both the inner and outer circles of initiates of the Mystery Schools. Thoth, or his Greek counterpart, Mercury, was a messenger of the gods; and as an archetypal incarnation of this god, Hermes lived up to his name by his literary productiveness. Ancient writers declared that the “Trice Greatest” wrote thousands of books on what later became known as Hermeticism and Alchemy. It is unfortunate that very little of Hermes’ works survived the conflagration and destruction of libraries and books by Roman and Christian zeal in the early dawn of the Piscean Age. The world as a whole is still ignorant of the great loss, and it will take some time before the invocation is made by the masses for the Greater Light, for disclosure of eternal principles that would shine upon the paths of men, and consequently, for a full restoration and establishment of an occult library of the world, with an archive and database of every known system and tradition of the metaphysical side of life. Although little is known of Hermes, it is evident through the works attributed to him that he was an intermediary of the Wisdom Ray of the Supreme Being.

One of the most famed works on Hermetic doctrine written, and in concise form, is the Smaragdine Tablet attributed to the authorship of Hermes. Its discovery is traditionally believed to have been made by Alexander of Macedonia in a cave near Hebron. This conqueror of nations who had Aristotle for a Master, was in search of immortality. Although he failed to attain his personal immortality, Alexander did uncover a philosophical jewel that would have given him what he had sought if he had only applied the principles that the Emerald Tablet contained. Tradition relates that the Tablet was wrought out of artificial emerald, as a result of transmutation, with the Hermetic doctrine embossed on it.

Alchemy, as a philosophy and an art in the Western hemisphere in the past two millenia, existed concurrently in other ancient cultures and civilizations–it was practiced intensely by Hindu Yogis and Taoists, in India and China. This parallel growth is probably the result of the Great White Brotherhood’s periodic presentation of a spiritual method designed for the development of certain types of temperaments and belief-framework of those aspirants belonging to a certain era and stage of mankind’s collective evolution.

Based on this parallel growth of alchemy in the Orient and the regions of the Fertile Crescent suggested to some Esoteric historians that alchemy may have had a common origin in that sunken continent Atlan, or Atlantis, as it is more generally known. Esoteric Tradition declares that a handful of the Atlantean Root Race survived the submergence of the land and transmigrated to Egypt, China, and the Americas. It is reasonable to assume that they brought with them their sciences, art, and culture, which influenced the inhabitants indigenous to the regions where they settled. This would explain the similarities in the traditions and beliefs of native cultures to be found both East and West.

Principles of Alchemy are the principles that Nature herself works with, and thus alchemy, scientifically, existed in the inner planes long before it was brought down to the earth plane by Master teachers. A study of Nature’s mysteries would reveal to the discerning student that the higher Intelligences, the Elohim, and the Great Architect of the Universe utilized alchemical principles to precipitate the starry bodies out of Chaos, out of Cosmic Root Substance or “Sunyata,” as termed by the Buddhist. Qabalists believe that Adam was taught by the angels in Paradise the art of transmutation, to prepare him for his “Fall” and his climb back toward his Monad, toward godhood–his involution and evolution from a Divine Consciousness to Divine Self-Consciousness.

There is no general concurrence among scholars as to the origin of the word “alchemy.” The consensus is that the word is derived from the word “Khem,” the ancient name for Egypt, added to the Arabic article “al,” meaning “the,” thus forming the word “al-Khemy.” However, Sir Wallis Budge is of the opinion that alchemy comes from the Egyptian word “khemein,” meaning the “black powder” or “ore” which is presumed to be an ingredient in alchemy. No matter where it secured its name, the word “alchemy,” it would seem, first came into prominence in the Mystery Schools in Alexandria.

Purpose of Alchemy

But just what is alchemy, and what role does it play in the promotion of the welfare of mankind? If alchemy has any true value, it must be based upon eternal values, upon the things that support Heaven’s purposes; in other words, upon God’s plan of humankind’s becoming into the true Elohimic image of the divine. If alchemy simply had an earthly objective, masterminds of the Ages would not have concerned themselves with it. It would have been considered as something so trivial, so transient, as to distract Man from the real work of extricating himself, specifically, from his bondage to the carnal self, the kama manas, or animal soul; and generally, from samsara. Greed was never the impulse that prompted the invention of alchemy. It was, is, and always will be Man’s desire for Truth and enlightenment of his true nature and estate that motivates him to seek through every channel and avenue for that certain something that he subconsciously feels he had “lost” and which is his to re-acquire–call it “the Lost Word,” “the Philosopher’s Stone,” or “the Holy Grail,” it matters not. Alchemy teaches Man the principles of regeneration and resurrection, laws of creation and transmutation; laws that would assist Man to regain his former estate lost in “the Fall.” This “Fall” from Paradise symbolically represents involution of the human life wave into physical matter. The way back to the Throne of God is scientifically called “evolution,” and the acceleration of the latter is the art of the hermetic gnosis. This Path of Return is esoterically and graphically symbolised by Jacob’s Ladder, and the paths of the Qaballistic “Tree of Life.”

The drama of Jesus’ life is an alchemical allegory of the steps of regeneration and ascension to the I AM Presence within, the “Father who art in Heaven.” Orthodox Christianity does not recognize or is unaware of this vital truth, and because of the lack of mystical insight among most members of its priesthood coupled with the absence of esoteric truths in the doctrines and dogmas of the Church, the average Christian is ignorant and unaware of the true message of Christianity–of the Light, the Christ substance, and the true saving blood that Christ introduced to humankind. Esoteric Christianity is fundamentally an alchemical science and religion; its promulgator was a Master Alchemist–being taught in the initiatory halls of the Mystery Schools. It is related in the Gospels how the Master transmuted water into wine, multiplied loaves and fishes, and walked on water–all of which were manifestations of the applied principles of alchemy, the Hermetic philosophy–or perhaps these events were all allegories conveying some spiritual teaching.

Alchemy is defined as an art of transmutation and precipitation–the changing of base metals into gold. The work of alchemical transmutation is designated as “the Labor of the Sun.” This “Eye of Ra” symbolically represents the perfection with which Nature is gradually unfolding in her creations. At the physical level the Sun of Perfection is represented by gold. Alchemy is the science and art which hasten the creations of Nature to attain perfection at their own respective level. Gold is the perfection attain by metals and minerals. Minerals, however, are also following another line of perfection–that of its ability to sustain life and consciousness. And Man, the acme of organic life, is evolving to the state where he acquires perfection in Divine Self-Awareness.

From the above it can be summarized that alchemy is the art of raising vibrations of an object in order to hasten its development or evolution into a higher expression or state. The result is perfection of the object of the transmutation.

Alchemy’s Transmission to Christendom

Alexandria was the philosophical capital of Egypt, and perhaps of the whole civilized worlds in the early centuries of Christianity. Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Alchemy and Hermeticism flowered abundantly; these philosophies are intrinsically related, and to comprehend the Royal Art fully, the student of alchemy is advised by Master teachers to be familiar with their doctrines. Alexandria’s Golden Age of occult philosophy did not last long, for the reptilian mind of the fallen angels had seized control of the rising new religion of Christianity (no offence to our Christian brothers and sisters). The philosophical sons and daughters of Hermes were persecuted and murdered brutally by Christian fundamentalists and fanatics. Fear and hatred were aroused among the masses and the ousting of the so-called pagan religions from the land ensued. One sad event was the cruel assassination of Hypathia, an illustrious daughter of the Mysteries–the Widow Isis, and propounder of Neoplatonism. She hardly had a philosophical equal during her day, and this caused the envy and jealousy of a certain priest who contrived her murder.

During the decline of the Roman Empire, the Secret Doctrine, or the Ancient Wisdom were passed on to the guardianship of the Arabian and Persian mystics. The tenets of occult wisdom were later incorporated into the Muslim faith with its higher aspects promulgated secretly in the traditional oral manner in certain sects, Orders, and mystical groups such as the Sufi and Dervish Orders, and among the community of Druzes in Lebanon and Syria.

In the 8th to the 11th centuries A.D., in the era of the golden period of alchemic-Islamic culture, we hear of eminent names in the field of the Royal Art, such as al-Farabi, Rhazes, Geber and Avicenna. These men studied the mystery teachings and occult wisdom of the Egyptian and Greek schools. They were most notably influenced by Hermetic, Alchemic and Neoplatonic ideas, and the knowledge that they acquired was synthesized with Islamic and Sufic doctrines. The Sufi adepts produced one of the most beautiful symbols of spiritual unfoldment and progression: the rose. Its symbolism is comparable to the lotus adopted by Hindu mystics.

The Knights Templer was an important link between both East and West, between Islamic culture and the world of Christendom. The alchemical doctrine was passed on by the Sufi adepts to these “Knights of the Holy Sepulchre,” as the Templers were originally called. Even the mythical Christian Rosencruez of Rosicrucianism is said to have acquired his occult knowledge from the Sufi Masters and adepts in Arabia.

After the days of the disbandment of the Templer Order by Philip the Fair of France, and the death-sentence of their last Grand Master, Jacques de Molay in 1314, the surviving Knights sought refuge in various countries; and in England some of them founded an alchemical Order which later became known as the “Elder Brothers of the Rose Cross.” It is said that this Order comprised 33 members and that this group exists even to this very day in our computer age.

When the believers of Allah invaded and settled in Iberia, they brought with them the Secret Teachings. Colleges were established that had mysticism, metaphysics, and alchemy in the curriculum. With the establishment of the various schools, the Ancient Wisdom finally took definite root in European soil, and it spread gradually throughout the other regions of the Continent. This expansion was no doubt the result of the efforts put forth by the spiritual hierarchy of this planet. Man’s evolution is divided into certain steps, stages, and cycles, and these have “time-tables” or schedules associated with them. It was expedient that the Flames of Truth and Freedom be given to the custodian of the Islamic world if it were not to be extinguished by some of the ungodly minds of Christendom of the Dark Ages which would have caused a setback to the Divine Plan already established.

The deviation from the right use of free will by Christian fundamentalists had made them unsuitable vessels for the Christic wine. In spite of exoteric Christianity’s blind attack on th Light that gave it birth, the esoteric circle continued its existence clandestinely, preserving the secret teachings of Jesus and transmitting it to a selected few who had the vision of the divine plan within their hearts and minds.

Idries Shah, the eminent Sufi of contemporary times, mentions in his book “The Sufis,” how an Englishman, one Robert of Chester, was instrumentally in 1144 A.D., in introducing alchemy to the Christian world by translating an alchemical manuscript originally written in Arabic. There were many others like him, for bearers of the Flame were not few.

Levels of Alchemy

Most of the principles of alchemy conveyed to the public were made up of images, mandalas, and jargon. These obscure languages were necessary considering the era that alchemical science was struggling–struggling for a recognition from the masses as a system of spiritual development in the midst of ecclesiastical persecution. The mentality of the masses of the Middle Ages were not much different from the time of Jesus. Ignorance, superstition, and fear still ruled the day. The letter of the law, as propagandized by Orthodox Christianity were still at odds, and at conflict with the spirit of the law, as advanced by enlightened mystics. The inquisition, which lasted for centuries, showed how far the Church had strayed from the original precepts of Christianity. The Christ taught love, forgiveness, charity and kindness; the Church Fathers and Christian leaders only knew personal ambition, with sadism, and egoism set-up upon an unholy pedestal. The personal “I” was worshipped, the “Yekhidah,” or the Divine I AM, was forgotten.

Neophytes of the Mysteries were given the keys of interpretation of Sacred literature when they were accepted in the various secret brotherhoods. The candidates of alchemical initiation were noticed by the Masters when they had proven their sincerity, and the sacrifices and effort that they had made. To the world at large, the existence of the Masters was unknown and unsuspected, even though their presence in the world of men was hinted at in various alchemical manuscripts. It was only in the last century that Helena P. Blavatsky, among others, who brought their existence to the world’s attention; and even then, the world scoffed and derided at the idea. This is a little unreasonable, as people of various spiritual unfoldment and mental development may easily be seen and recognized. If some men and women are more perfect than others, why should not there be men and women totally perfect from our human point of view?

Esoterically, when a Master alchemist gave a student of alchemy the “Philosopher’s Stone,” what was actually conveyed were the teachings of the Ancient Wisdom, and a certain yogic system that when applied and practiced, would transmute an initiate into a god.

To the public eye, alchemical icons and terminology conveyed no sense whatsoever, but the mystiqueness of alchemical texts and images aroused interest in potential practitioners of the Royal Art, and it turned the average person into a seeker. This was perhaps one of the intentions of the authors of alchemical manuscripts. Modern chemistry, feeling a little perplexed by alchemical ideas, contemptuously considers her sire as a pseudo-science, in the same manner that astrology is usually frowned upon by the students of astronomy. Modern research will in time change the opinions and prejudicial beliefs of a materialistically-inclined science; already pioneers of quantum physics are hypothesising what the Ancient Wisdom has been teaching for ages.

One key to understanding alchemy is to determine the objectives and the subject of transmutation. Without keeping this principle in mind, one would be lost in the alchemical wilderness. Alchemy is categorized into four levels:

1) Physical alchemy

2) Biological alchemy

3) Psychological alchemy

4) Transcendental alchemy

Energy Healing Workshops Can Advance your Practice

admin — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 13:20:51 +0000

Find Energy Healing Workshops in the United States and Canada. Practitioners and students alike may find that participating in one of several energy healing workshops can help advance his or her professional spectrum. A number of energy healing workshops are frequently offered through natural healing schools, community centers and other holistic institutes.

Energy healing workshops can be as brief as an hour encounter or may be spread across several weeks. Depending on which energy healing workshops in which you choose to participate, there will almost always be a focal topic. For example, energy healing workshops may be divided into a variety of levels, and an assortment of specific fields, such as Reiki. Reiki energy healing workshops are often extended courses that first concentrate on an introduction, on up through master level.

Some energy healing workshops are developed particularly for bodyworkers or other health care providers. These seminars may be more generalized in nature, but more often than not, include training in touch therapy â€“ a fast growing field in energy medicine.

Another energy healing modality offered through energy healing workshops is Quantum touch. Practitioners and novices alike will find that this is a unique method of healing. Students enrolled in one of these energy healing workshops will discover how to focus and amplify life-force energy (Chi) in combination with special breathing and body awareness exercises to bring about natural healing and overall well-being.

Other energy healing workshops are centered more on spirituality, where prayer and meditation are taught to help aid in natural healing processes. In addition, a number of energy healing workshops include teachings in color therapy; sound healing, crystal healing and Qigong.

As an added incentive to any healthcare provider or natural health practitioner, completing one of numerous energy healing workshops can only enhance care and services. Many energy healing workshops not only improve upon ones’ skills and knowledge in yet another self-healing method, but also help promote personal and spiritual growth to individuals participating in these programs as well.

If you (or someone you know) are interested in finding energy healing workshops, let career training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, cosmetology, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore career school programs near you.

Energy Healing Workshops can Advance Your Practice

Â© Copyright 2007

The CollegeBound Network

NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

Energy Healing Training: What to Expect

admin — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:46:49 +0000

Find Energy Healing Training Programs in the United States and Canada. Energy healing training programs are geared toward individuals who are seeking an innovative means to spiritual awakening and healing. As an educational program, energy healing training can be completed through a variety of alternative health workshops and seminars, or through one of several healing arts schools offering energy healing training courses.

Students enrolled in an energy healing training program will learn about the human energy field, including its various levels; and how to facilitate energy healing as a natural tool to address these levels. Energy healing training enables students to learn how to identify and work with chakras, sense and direct energy, balance chakras, release the bodyâ€™s natural healing abilities, and related studies.

There are several energy healing training programs that are more specialized in nature. For example, if you are interested in touch therapy, there are energy healing training classes designed just for this technique. In other instances, energy healing training is geared toward Reiki and its various degrees of healing methods. Some energy healing training programs are based on ancient Chinese medicine, such as Qigong. Generally, these energy healing training courses are much longer in duration and encompass in-depth studies and theories in Eastern medicine; in addition to practical training.

As part of a growing trend in the medical sector, massage therapists and nurses have enlisted in energy healing training programs; enhancing healthcare services to both clients and patients alike.

Students who have finished energy healing training courses are often awarded certificates of completion and/or diplomas in specific field of study. A number of energy healing training courses are segmented, and students may receive individual certificates for independent programs completed.

If you (or someone you know) are interested in finding energy healing training programs, let career training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, cosmetology, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore career school programs near you.

Energy Healing Training: What to Expect

Â© Copyright 2007

The CollegeBound Network

NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

How Magickal Pearls are Acquired Part 2

admin — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:31:37 +0000

One interesting myth related to cobra-pearls is that these cobras employ the light of the pearl that they carry in their hoods to hunt at night, as a means of brightening their pathway–this would certainly indicate a property of the pearl itself or in accord with the argument above that a symbiotic relationship is being alluded to here between the cobra and the spirit-elemental of the pearl that the snake hosts. In cases where a pearl is said to have glowing properties it is difficult to validate and affirm its authenticity or to determine whether some form of a gimmick is employed to working its magic because owners of such pearls invariably refuse testers closer inspection. In regards to fakes, we know that there are synthetic “stones” selling in Indonesia with an electronic component, the Light-Emitting Diode embedded within them; this is coupled to a tiny battery and a switch that closes the circuit and gives off light whenever the stones are immersed in water or when pressure is applied to them–this novelty item could probably be found in various countries as well–this stone is often appropriated for deception. What confuses the glowing-pearl issue of the above is that in ancient Vedic literature such as the Garuda Purana, the nature of the pearls that are said to be “brilliant” are described in terms that are open to interpretation and debate.

But to return to the subject of shamanic pearl-retrieval, there are times when the ritual fails for one reason or another or it may require extra effort to be channeled into it in which situation more ritual-sessions are repeated for consecutive days and this entails the shaman spending more days/nights in the mosquito-infested region. At times such prolonged struggles also fail and the shaman has to return empty-handed for his efforts. Generally speaking, the more difficult it is for the shaman to retrieve a pearl, the greater is its inherent powers/magickal virtues. It is a rare occurrence, but shamans do occasionally pay for their lives during psychic-struggles.

Shamans are often called to attention of unusual phenomena occurring in villages such as strange hauntings, poltergeists, possessions, etc.–subsequent psychic detection by these shamans may reveal that the haunting entities are guardians of magickal pearls who often desire for these to be given to certain individuals–rituals are then conducted to facilitate the transfer of these treasures. In other cases, haunting spirits are not predisposed of giving away pearls in their possessions but haunt as a result of the desecration or disturbances of their territory by humans. When shamans detect that these nature-spirits are protectors of pearls and wishes to acquire them, a psychic “battle” would ensue with the shaman engaging in an inner-struggle for victory over the spirit beings.

Haunting spirits such as the above are often the “siluman” class-types–the sort of jinns (genies) that manifest themselves as etheric creatures and sometimes even as physical animals that can be killed as ordinary beings. Beasts such as tigers, crocodiles and wild-boars menacing villages and killing humans are often regarded as siluman–they carry certain traits or have features that indicate that they are no ordinary animals–there is always something strange about them. To protect the community, the elders of a troubled village would typically decide to set a trap for the beast somewhere in their compound or to hunt them down. During the actual confrontation, these creatures often display extraordinary qualities of invulnerability, strength, fearlessness, and stamina; ordinary blades and weapons have almost no effect upon them–when they are finally vanquished with the assistance of shamans who casts an appropriate spell, they are found to contain pearls or stones in their bodies and these are discovered to possess the same properties displayed by their dead hosts. Normally the tribal chieftain or an elder would claim these pearls as their own. Not only pearls but every part of these unusual beasts such as their claws, fangs, teeth, horns, skin, etc., are likewise regarded as having magickal properties.

The power of invulnerability against the blade is often displayed by domestic life-stock as well, most of the time fowls–roosters, in particular; and even after the prayers conducted by the butcher which results in a successful slaughter, the decapitated chicken would still have the strength and the nerve-energy within it to run amuck albeit headless for several minutes. These roosters when later dressed and cut-open often reveal bezoar stones in their organs–Albertus Magnus and other naturalists of past centuries refer to these stones as Alectoria. At times, silumans are benevolent and they would mysteriously appear in a village as an animal, most of the time as large snakes; they find themselves an agreeable person to reach out to and who eventually adopts them as pets. After being with their new keeper and family for several months or years, these benign creatures would suddenly vanish as mysteriously as they came but not before leaving behind a pearl or two. Sometimes the keeper would notice a bulge on their pet’s serpentine-head developing; this would grow and develop into a snake-crown and is the object given to their keeper during the creature’s departure.

One interesting manner in which Nature offer pearls to individuals is through dreams. Villagers living adjacent to forests and jungles often have lucid-dreams in which a mysterious personage would visit them–most of the time such encounters is of an elderly person that would make contact and explain to the dreamer that a gift is being offered and that it may be found at a certain place; the nature of the gift is not always described, though, neither is the site where it is located in which case the dreamer would simply wake up before sunrise and resume his or her normal daily-routine until later in the day the gift is found unexpectedly. If the site is indicated in the dream, the dreamer in his waking-state would investigate and conduct a search which almost always yields the expected results. Sometimes dreams such as these precedes the mysterious arrival of a creature wishing to be adopted as a pet as described above.

Pawangs that sojourn in the wilds are close to Nature and are observant of the creatures that live in their natural habitat. The behavioral patterns of these animals, their place in the food-chain, their defence mechanisms, etc. are all duly noted by the studious pawangs–the latter are the non-academic “natural” naturalists who also observe the occult side of the flora and fauna in a given region. As these pawangs specialize in animal and plant pearl-acquisition it is understandable that they would mentally record the characteristics of animals and plant-life harboring pearls. From the reports that we have gathered creatures with pearls in them often have the following characteristics and traits: an advanced age, invulnerability, unusual gait/movements, immunity to venomous bites, human behaviour, etc. Serpents that often have stones within them, for instance, are observed to swim and undulate their bodies not horizontally but vertically–we can theorize that such a movement is caused by the excess weight dragging their bodies downwards and the effort of the creatures to keeping themselves afloat. In regards to tree-pearls, it is noted that trees with crystallized sap or petrified pieces are often the type that have holes in their trunk where rot has set in and where these pearls are found.

As mentioned before animals are not hunted for pearls; nonetheless, these stones on occasion do show-up in the carcasses of wild-animals slaughtered by villagers for food; pearls are thus acquired incidentally in such situations. Shamans do not employ the methods of hunting or killing animals as not only is this a fruitless effort and a waste of time but it also severs their attunement with Nature and the values and goals that they hold dearly. There is one rumour circulating that animals are triggered to developing stones by the Dayaks of Kalimantan (Borneo). The author of the online article “Bizarre Tales About Bezoar Stones” (webguru.com) states that,

“The Dayaks of Borneo have a method for producing bezoars which they call guligas. This is to shoot an animal with an unpoisoned arrow. When the wound heals, there is often a hardening of the skin, which finally results in the formation of a guliga. In some of these concretions the point of the arrow still remains. The guligas of natural formation are frequently found between the flesh and the skin of apes and porcupines.”

However, the author does not mention how injured animals are supposed to have survived such shots–do the Dayaks help them to recover? Arrow-shot wounds are often fatal–especially to small animals–there would not be any opportunity for injured creatures to recover and have their wounds healed–this rumour, based on the accounts of travellers of past centuries has yet to be verified; nevertheless, contemporary unwritten information regarding the retrieval of bezoar stones, mustika, or guligas do not mention Dayaks forming pearls in such a manner. After all, there are no stories of humans forming pearls after being shot by arrows and recovering thereafter–it might be redundant to say that shamans of our acquaintances and associates do not kill or acquire pearls in such a manner.

Some mustika-pearls have the power to assist their keeper to acquire other pearls that are equally exquisite and rare–this may result in varied ways. The keeper may easily find suppliers or sources for these pearls or they would approach him without much effort on his part of seeking them out. The magickal-pearl owned would also enrich the keeper building up his finances so that other pearls may be secured if desired. Another method which is not too common is for the pearl(s) to be appropriated in magickal rites especially designed for the manifestation of mustika-pearls–most of the pawangs that conduct pearl-retrieval operations have their own special pearl to facilitate such work. By possessing a good quality magickal pearl, especially a serpentine/dragon pearl it is said that the keeper would eventually find the acquisition of other pearls and gem stones much easier. The Garuda Purana states thusly,

“Only meritorious persons will have access to the cobra-pearl. Then they can get other gems of great brilliance, wealth, kingdom and grow brilliant.”

Certain spirit-communications convey the idea that mustika-pearls when placed in certain geometric-formations send out signals in the etheric realms which attract the attention of the guardian-spirits of pearls making it possible for further gifting to take place–we will not elaborate on this principle or methodology here, suffice to say that it is a tried and tested method.

We have already described how ordinary individuals are gifted mustika-pearls through lucid-dreams. Another possible manner whereby these pearls are entrusted to fortunate individuals is within the frame-work of paranormal incidents that would leave the individuals concerned dazed and amazed. Such phenomena would normally transpire amidst natural surroundings, such as in forests, sacred grounds, power-spots, etc. The external character of these incidents may vary and have outward differences but they are essentially similar in specifics in which the recipient of the pearl is approached by a mysterious person who offers a gift or points to where it may be found. While still reflecting about the matter and perhaps gazing elsewhere for a second or two, the recipient would turn once again to the stranger who is found to be no longer there nor anywhere else. The recipient would find in place of where the person was standing or in the vicinity mustika-pearls or some other object as indicated by the bestower.

It is well-known that in the ocean lives a creature called the oyster that produces pearls of various shades of color and sizes. It is not recognized, however, that the sea offer more jewels than just oyster-pearls. There are other pearls formed by the interacting forces of the elements or sea-creatures and they can be just as exquisite and unusual as the pearls produced by the mollusk. For a lack of a better word, we refer to them collectively as “sea-pearls”–they are any natural jewel found in the sea and can be of any size, shape and color. Sea-pearls are mostly in a spherical-form and may have any sort of texture. Their mineral composition are not quite known to us as there are many types to consider, though the common ones are composed of silica or of a glass-material. How such sea-pearls are developed in the sea is a mystery, though the fulgurite (Lat. Fulgur–”thunderbolt”) formed out of an environmental event may probably offer us a clue as to their origin. The fulgurite, also called “petrified lightning” is a fused-quartz (Si02, melting-point 2950Â°F) formed as a result of a lightning-strike upon sand or rock. As a thunder-bolt hits the ground, it melts and fuses the material that it comes into contact with and normally form a root-like structure buried beneath the surface; this glass-like object is formed as the lightning traces its path in the ground and it can have a length of several feet and several centimeters in diameter. They are normally hollow and have rough outer surfaces; their inner surfaces, though, are glassy and smooth; fine globules may be found within fulgurites and the color of these objects vary in color with a greenish, grayish, whitish, blackish, or brownish tinge–they might come in other colors too depending on the composition of the material where they are formed. Sea-pearls may be fragments of these fulgurites re-shaped and re-formed by the forces of the sea.

Sea-pearls, generically, belong to the class of Lechatelierite, or naturally-fused silica; one other possibility as to their origin is that they are the matter ejected out of underwater volcanic craters; they may be crater glass (Impactite)–created out of meteorite impact events in which case they are related to tektites; these pearls are not shards or fragments of colored-bottles fallen into the sea as believed by some theorists as the form in which they appear make it quite improbable. Underwater volcanic craters are found in the seas of the Indonesian archipelago and it is not illogical to assume that the pearls may have their origin within the fiery-furnace existing deep within their bowels. These colored sea-pearls are occasionally found lying on the ocean-bed by divers and by those whose living depend very much on the sea; shamans acquire them through their unique methods along the lines that we have explained previously. After spending hundreds and thousands of years in the sea in a natural environment, sea-pearls absorb a good deal of occult energies and elemental-beings are attracted to them.

Pawangs have an uncanny knowledge related to mustika-pearls of plant-life such as those found in coconuts and in bamboos; not only do they detect the stones metaphysically, they are also familiar with the physical characteristics that indicate whether or not a coconut or a segment of a bamboo-trunk has a pearl–generally speaking, the knowledge that they possess afford them to detect the presence of pearls in almost every-type of flora. Most coconuts that have pearls within them are the “one-eyed” and “blind” coconuts–knowledgeable pawangs prior to removing the husk of a coconut can state with certainty whether it is one-eyed or the regular three-eyed types. With such specialized knowledge it is a simple matter for pawangs to extract and collect coconut or bamboo pearls without the unnecessary work of opening thousands of coconuts just for their acquisition. Coconut plantation-workers and those involved with the processing of coconuts would have lots of the pearls in their possession as a result of handling them by the hundreds and thousands on a daily basis. Probably none would admit of having them though, to avoid confiscation by their superiors or employers.

We would like to conclude this article by saying that the methods of pearl-acquisition explained herein only represent the “tip of an ice-berg”–that there are probably more ways that mustika-pearls are acquired that we have inadvertently overlooked or that we may be ignorant of. Nature cannot be constrained in any way–if she decides to offer a gift to someone she will find a way to do it–no one can prevent the giving from taking place nor should anyone try to do so as this could have catastrophic consequences. Forcing Nature to part with something which is not meant to be also has its negative effects. It is fortunate to possess a magickal mustika-pearl as one then has an object that connects oneself to Nature and her hidden spiritual forces–this has inestimable value that cannot be described with words.

Darkness Visible

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:06:15 +0000

In the creation myths of the world there is always a time of darkness before the birth of the human race and, within this darkness, an undifferentiated oneness where all is God and everything is one. There are no human beings, only God-beings, or rather, aspects of God waiting to be born â€“ if a unified consciousness can have aspects at all.

And then something happens. God becomes lonely and longs for a partner, a beloved, or becomes curious about his powers and potential as a God. In order to know himself and what he might be capable of, God must do two things: he must separate himself into at least one other form so he can look back at himself and know what it is to be God. And, so he can see what he has become, the God of darkness must create light.

God said, â€˜Let there be lightâ€™, and there was lightâ€¦Genesis I

Then he realised, I indeed, I am this creation, for I have poured it forth from myselfâ€¦Upanishads

And so it is that with Godâ€™s â€˜illuminationâ€™ comes separation and the arrival of opposites, parts in conflict with one another. The universal consciousness we all once knew becomes split into many – a chaos of fragments, a world unknown, a oneness divided.

This notion of separation and the fate of man within it is there in mythology the world over, whose stories speak of the distance and ambiguity of God (this original first consciousness) from man (what God has now become).

The Greeks, for example, regarded human beings as the playthings of the Gods, who were multiple and often at war with themselves, with mankind a tiny and insignificant concern. In Christian mythology we also have a God who is unavailable to us, and so we are given angels, archangels, and even fallen angels to keep us company instead.

â€œWe come to God in bits, dismembered. We don’t know if the bits can be made to fit in the way they used toâ€, writes Michael Begg, an Irish philosopher. His prayer is a simple one: â€œWe ask God to re-member usâ€. But to do so, we must first remember ourselves by going back to that primal darkness and experiencing a world without forms.

RECONNECTION

Man has been searching for reconnection with the infinite and for a meaning to life ever since his realization of separation. Most often, if it is serious, this search will take place in darkness â€“ of a physical kind rather than the metaphysical â€œdark night of the soulâ€, as Carl Jung defined it.

Recognizing the primal union that was present in that first darkness, sages and mystics have always used the dark as a vehicle for returning to a state of bliss and understanding. This return to peace and stillness enables them to break through the concerns and anxieties of their earthly lives, with all of its socially-prescribed reality and the conditioning of the world outside, so that they might, in some way, attain reconnection with an undifferentiated consciousness where all is One once again.

Within the Shinto tradition of Japan, for example, there is a discipline known as komori – seclusion – undertaken in the darkness of a cave, a temple, a shrine, or even a room in oneâ€™s house, which is specially prepared and purified so it may bring the gift of power and illumination. Japanese texts make frequent mention of sojourns in places such as these and in windowless huts, known as the komorido, which can be found on various holy mountains where ascetics undertake their dark retreats.

The practice of spending extended periods within caves can also be found in the remote peninsula of Landâ€™s End in Cornwall, where Iron Age communities felt compelled to construct subterranean passages, known as fogou, a word which translates from the Cornish as â€˜underground chamberâ€™ and may derive from ogo, meaning cave. These typically consist of a long passage with walls built up in horizontal courses of rough granite stones, some 40-50 feet long, six feet in height and five to six feet in width, constructed in a deliberate curve, and entered through a low restrictive doorway, so the initiate must bow to the darkness on entering.

On the other side of the world, among the Dagara tribe of Burkina Faso, the darkness is also sacred. Indeed, in common with other ancient tribes, it is forbidden even to illuminate the darkness, for light is known to scare the sprits away.

When Malidoma Some â€“ who was born a Dagara tribesman but abducted and raised at a Jesuit Mission â€“ returned 15 years later to his tribe he discovered that no-one in the village wanted any form of light, and that the villagers were expected to function in the dark. â€œI was given light because I had lost the ability to deal with darknessâ€, he writes, but â€œeach time people saw the timid light of the shea-oil lamp in my room, they would walk away from it as if it signaled the presence of someone playing with the elements of the cosmos. No young man ever came to sit by me at nightâ€

Somewhere for us all, darkness holds the answers to our being and our destinies â€“ and yet all we need do is close our eyes to reconnect with our source.

EXPERIENCING THE SACRED DARKNESS

To get a sense of what the darkness may hold for you, you may care to try the following exercises. These are taken from my book Darkness Visible: Awakening Spiritual Light Through Darkness Meditation, which explores the use of darkness worldwide as a means of spiritual enrichment.

Close your eyesâ€¦

The first step in darkness work is just to experience the dark, but actively instead of passively. We are all consumers of darkness every time we blink or lay down to sleep, after all, but most of us think of these things as interruptions to our normal life of doing things in the world – if we think of them at all.

To become a voyager into darkness, spend some time with your eyes closed, as if in meditation, and just be aware of what thoughts, images, and other information start to surface, all of which you might never have noticed before because your attention was so firmly on the world â€˜out thereâ€™.

Starting small is recommended â€“ no more than 15 minutes at a time â€“ but you can build up to longer periods of an hour or more. Then, when you are comfortable with the darkness, try moving, dancing, or eating in the dark. How do these taken-for-granted activities feel now you are using other senses to guide you?

Playing Godâ€¦

The religious texts of the world tell us that there was a time before separation, when we all knew the mind of God because we were part of that mind. With your eyes closed, allow an image or sensation to form of what this primal God-like state would have been like, when you were a part of this conscious and undifferentiated energy. Feel how it is to be at One with this soul-community. Drift with it for a while.

At some point, you decided to separate from this energy so you could be born and experience life as your self, one form divided from the whole. What was your purpose for doing so? What did you come here to explore? When you consider your life now, have you fulfilled this purpose or, if not, what is there still to do?

Forgiving Godâ€¦

In my healing practice clients often seek help because of some schism or great divide in their life. They feel alienated, lost, or apart from someone, who might present as a parent or a partner but underlying it is often a greater existential separation: the client feels alone.

That feeling is valid. Since we fell from grace and were thrown out of Eden we are all alone. The first person to forgive, then, is God â€“ or, if you prefer, the essence of Life Itself – for having visited upon you in this way.

Close your eyes and let an image emerge of whatever you consider God or Life Itself to be, and your relationship to it. Talk to this being, expressing honestly your grief and rage and fear, as well as your joy; whatever you need to say about the situation you find yourself in and the abandonment you feel.

And then switch places. Become God or Life Itself and look back at yourself. Then, from this perspective, answer your own complaints. Let God explain to you why things are this way. Continue with this dialogue, switching places when you need to, until you reach some understanding and agreements for the future.

When you are ready to forgive, step back from this image and see yourself and God facing each other as separate beings, then allow them to walk towards and into each other so these two beings merge and become one image of a new God-Self. Breathe in the energy of this union and see it as a light that fills your heart.

Open your eyes. How does the world look now?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Darkness Visible: Awakening Spiritual Light Through Darkness Meditation is available from bookshops or from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.co.uk.

Ross Heaven also runs Darkness VisibleTM retreats in the UK and overseas. For information on these, visit http://www.thefourgates.com/darknessvisible.html, where you will also find further information on the author and his forthcoming books and workshops.

Self Help – Mind Body Spirit Information That Will Challenge The Way You View Life! – Part 1

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:54:00 +0000

Regardless of personal viewpoint about spirituality, many have wondered what would have happened if Saddam Hussein hadn’t been stopped when he first invaded Kuwait back in the early nineties? Well, this story explores that scenario to its surprising conclusion and then reinvents the scene time and again in a sequence similar to ‘Groundhog Day’ but in a self help mind, body, spirit theme. The result is a story that has led many readers to question their concept of so-called reality!

I initially believed I was writing a fictional story about angel ET benefactors influencing our world. But when I completed the first book, The Blue Star Millennium, found on http://www.1-inspirational-quote-book.com , many readers were convinced that the depicted world events had actually happened, even though recorded history shows a different outcome. That’s when the concept of an alternative reality suddenly gelled into the possibility that world events could change depending on the will of the masses.

As far as I was concerned, I was simply writing an inspirational mind, body, spirit story about angel extraterrestrial intervention, but I didn’t know where the story was going until it unfolded before me … and I have to admit, I was surprised at some of the content.

The story largely centered on the Gulf War and the changing of events under the influence of a benevolent, angelic race of Beings in the form of extraterrestrial benefactors. The central character in these books is an angel who integrates with human society under the watchful influence of his mentor, the White Star.

Many who have read these esoteric books have queried whether the White Star is real … and if so, did he help change world events in keeping with the will of the masses – the ones currently inhabiting our world … You and me? From that angle, did he also influence my writing in a more spiritual slant?

To be honest, I don’t know!

If he did, I am grateful that he shared this metaphysical knowledge, but a little confused why he would choose me. I’m just an ordinary guy who grew up on the rougher side of town with few privileges, and new age spirituality was not part of my upbringing. I’ve had my share of knocks that life tends to deal out to all those who walk this earth. However, I’ve also had my share of unusual (for want of a better term) experiences … but I’m getting off the track here.

If we take this concept of ET extraterrestrial angels to its logical conclusion, are we not all such Beings? After-all, we are simply visiting this planet for a short while to experience our individual lessons and then we depart – so how can we say that we are of this planet? We simply inhabit a body here temporarily so that we can function in this world.

So, whether these metaphysics philosophy books are influenced by extraterrestrial angels, or resulted from my own tapping into the higher consciousness that is the source of us all … what is the difference? The result is equally fascinating and the concepts that these self improvement stories present will challenge your view of life as you know it.

How I Lost 18 Pounds in 2 Days; Diet & Exercise Had Nothing to Do With it

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 06:52:50 +0000

“How I lost 18 pounds in 2 days and 40 pounds after 4 emotional shifts – diet and exercise had nothing to do with it.”

Competition windsurfing at the Olympic level requires 4-6 hours of training six days a week. This became the norm for me from 1990-1999. Ever since I remember I have always been active. As a kid I would prefer to be climbing a tree or riding my bike, swimming in the ocean or going for walks rather than watching TV. My father would always take us on hikes into the mountains with heavy packs on our backs and I was lucky to be introduced to the outdoors from an early age. I grew up two doors from a beautiful beach on Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne, Victoria. Our own garden had many wonderful trees to climb and space to kick the football and be active.

During my windsurfing years I trained like any other professional athlete, full time. I loved training whether it was going for one hour runs, which I did four to five days a week, or going to the gym for strength training or on water windsurfing and kayaking. Basically I am a water baby and always have been. It was my love of the ocean that enabled me to win in windsurfing. From the very beginning at age 12 I used to spend hours on the water mucking around on my windsurfer. After spending an entire summer falling in, getting bruised and battered, sore hands and getting rescued by the yacht club rescue boat, I finally mastered the art of being able to turn the board and sail back to the beach. When I raced as a young teenager I would beat the older guys in their twenties, not because I was stronger, but because I understood the wind shifts better than they did. Windsurfing at the Olympics is like running a marathon and playing a game of chess at the same time.

When I was growing up I never ever thought about my weight. I was a fit and healthy kid and had broad shoulders and strong legs. My competition weight at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics was between 58-60kgs. This was my healthy fit body weight. I had a lot of muscle at the time too and was lean.

However, in 1994 I had an accident windsurfing in New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean. I was racing in an island hopping race, where you sail from one island to the other, and a flying fish flew straight into my left knee. It sounds pretty crazy but these particular fish â€“ Un agrieet in French as they are called, are actually like gar fish and swim very fast and occasionally glide over the water through the air. Unfortunately one happened to glide straight into my knee whilst I was windsurfing at about 40km per hour. This accident resulted in me having to be flown in a helicopter to the Noumea Hospital to have my leg operated on in emergency surgery. The sharp nose of the fish had gone right through my knee and into the bone. It had punctured the outer wall of my main femur artery in my thigh and to top it off it had over 200 baby teeth which were very poisonous.

I ended up having two operations on my knee to get it back to normal. The main problem I suffered from this accident was not so much the surgery, as my knee healed well, but it was the antibiotics that the doctors gave me to stop any infection.

My body shape started to change after taking the antibiotics and two operations. My lymph system started to struggle. The lymph system is vital in removing toxins and waste from every cell to the bladder so that they can be released from the body. About three months after the fish accident I still felt very weak. Three months late I had a blood test and it showed that I was not absorbing the sugar and nutrients from my food and I actually had the blood sugar level of some one who was fasting. My entire digestive track had been compromised.

My body had put on about six kilos and for some reason I was holding lymph in my skin. For an athlete this really messes with your head as you have skin fold tests at the Institute of Sport to measure how much fat you are carrying. Suddenly I was being told to lose weight. For the first time in my life I became focused on my weight. I kept saying to the sports doctors that I could not understand why I had put on this weight; my diet was exactly the same. In fact my diet at the time was extremely healthy (like most athletes) and was also wheat, sugar, alcohol and dairy free. I had decided to go on this diet because I had had some digestion problems six months before and had become intolerant to certain foods.

My automatic reaction to the slight weight gain was to train harder and harder. To be a few kilos overweight in the Olympic windsurfing class was a major disadvantage. Now I was suddenly disadvantaged because of my weight in the light winds. My focus became on my weight instead of winning and for the first time in my life I started to compare myself with other people. I would look at all the naturally skinning girls on the windsurfing circuit and found myself getting annoyed that I was not that body shape. But what was happening was that I was no longer my natural lean body shape and because I could not work it out my focus became on everything external. It was the only way my ego was able to handle it at the time.

Not only did my body shape change after this accident my bladder also seemed to have been affected. Every night I found my self getting out of bed to go and urinate at least 4 times in a night. This was very disturbing to having a good night sleep. I felt like I had constant pressure on my bladder. I would also find that my legs would swell up after a long three hour bike ride. My body was not coping but instead I still trained harder and harder. I went to every doctor I could find and they could not help me. From 1994 to 1999 I must have spent over $20,000 on vitamins, supplements and doctors visits to try and find the answers. The doctors I went to simply did not know why. In frustration I started to research as much as I could and I tried every new vitamin, mineral supplement and â€˜super foodâ€™ I could find that my help my lymph system.

After reading more about these particular tropical fish in New Caledonia I discovered that the poison can actually affect the Lymphatic system. People who had been stung by similar fish or jelly fish had had troubles with their lymph system afterwards.

Finally I was getting some idea but still nothing I did with my diet seemed to help. Even lymph massage only helped for a short time. From 1994-1999 I still competed in windsurfing but I was now 64-66 kilos instead of 59 kilos. This may sound trivial to the average person, but to an athlete it is a big deal. Even though I won seven world titles in windsurfing and competed at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 I never ever realized my dream of Olympic Gold. I share more of my story in the book Spirit in Sport. Looking back on this I have to realise that no matter how trivial, my body weight played a significant role in me losing my focus on winning. The increase in body weight also affected me emotionally, even though I was largely not conscious of it at the time.

In 1999 I retired from windsurfing and went into a corporate sales role. Suddenly I was a full time employee and this was new to me. Ever since I was seventeen I had pretty much worked for myself or run my own businesses. Throughout my windsurfing career I had an event management business that kept me going and as a teenager I had a windsurfing school. When I needed extra cash in between overseas trips for windsurfing I would also work in a cafÃ©. And in the late 1990â€™s I ran my own Personal Fitness Training business.

After 9 months in this sales role I realized that the only thing I liked about it was the consistent cash flow. To me that was not enough to hold me in a job that I no longer believed in. When I walked away from the six figure income to set up Barakaya and do what I do today people thought I was crazy. But I had to follow my heart. I have always been someone who has had followed thier heart, even in the face of opposition. My parents for example told me to give up windsurfing when I was 19. They wanted me to get a â€˜real jobâ€™ and some security. At 19 I was Australian Champion and had won two world titles and was preparing for the 1992 Olympics. To give up then to please a parent would have broken my heart. As it turned out I managed to secure sponsorship to fund my windsurfing campaigns for eight years. Later on my parents realized that it was not such a bad decision after all, especially after I became an Olympian.

Besides I never did my sport for money. I did windsurfing because I loved it. I made enough money to compete but had none left over for investments. This did not bother me at the time because I was doing what I loved and following a dream.

In 2001 everything in my life changed. For the first time everything I tried to do failed. I had gone back working for myself in marketing and sales contracting. There were several clients that failed to pay me for the work I did because they either went bankrupt themselves or had internal disputes going on which affected me. Suddenly my finances were in the red and this created a great deal of stress.

The only way I thought to handle the debt situation was to work longer and harder to pay it off. I took a job selling real estate to help get back on track financially. During this time I was also trying to set up Barakaya so I was working 7 days a week. This was ok if your heart is in what you do but the real estate job was killing me â€“ spiritually. It was not where I wanted to be and the only reason I was doing it was for the money. During this time I ended a five year relationship with my partner. It was my decision to leave him. I simply had to at the time. We had grown apart and I felt a tremendous need to be free. I had also snapped my ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) in a ski accident and a week later prolapsed a disc in my lower back which caused me great pain. I could not get out of bed for a week and was able to move only very slowly around the house. A few weeks later I decided to have a knee reconstruction on my knee to mend it as soon as possible so the knee joint would not wear out. The general anesthetic took its toll on me and the anti-inflammatory drugs for my disc in my back made me feel sick. The health I had taken for granted all my life was gone. For the first time in my life I could not exercise in the way I wanted to. I could not run because of my knee or ride a bike because of my back. So I did nothing for nearly an entire year. During this time I was engulfed by a heavy feeling of sadness.

Over a six month period my body had put on 20 kilos and I had no idea why because I had not changed my diet. I was not able to face myself in the mirror because I did not like what I saw. My face was swollen and puffy. I had lost all the jaw line and fine features of my natural face, my stomach has swollen out about 4 inches and my thighs were carrying a lot of fluid. I even had fluid on my calf muscles and triceps. Via stealth it seemed I had gone from a size 12 to a size 16.

Each day I would wake up with pain in my pancreas and liver. Finally I decided to go to a doctor that a friend recommended. He was qualified in western and eastern medicine. He spent a lot of time with me taking tests using vibrational medicine. Basically I was a â€˜walking toxic waste dumpâ€™ he told me, in a nice way. My body was shutting down and my lymph system was not coping. I had cancer cells in the body which would become a real problem if I did not immediately start treatment. At the time I did not even have the money for extra vitamins let alone other medical related expenses. I was too proud to ask anyone for help. I simply wanted to do it on my own. And the last thing I wanted was to tell my family exactly how bad my health had become. When I walked out of the doctors surgery that day I felt deep in my heart that even if I did have all the right â€˜physicalâ€™ treatment (which was alternative and natural, because I do not believe in chemotherapy) and go on strict diet, nothing would make any difference. There was a whisper from my soul that said I needed to find the answer at the spiritual level.

A week later I was on my way to work the real estate sales job and I pulled the car over on the side of the road and burst into tears. I was completely physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted. For the first time in my life I felt totally out of control, burned out and disconnected from any happiness and joy. I could not go on working seven days a week and playing â€˜catch up to the creditorsâ€™. The pressure I was putting on myself was killing me. The job I was in was soul destroying. I called mum in tears. â€œI canâ€™t do this anymore.â€ She understood and with some warm and caring words made me feel ok for making a decision to quit this real estate job. As soon as I made this decision I felt like a huge weight was being lifted off my back. I had no choice but to surrender to my soul at the time and pursue what my heart really wanted to do which was run personal development programs.

The creditors would just have to wait. I had no idea at the time how much a slave to money I had become. Being in debt had made me feel guilt and shame about being a â€˜bad and hopeless personâ€™. Even though the debts were business related I still felt like a failure. What happened to the confident, healthy, vibrant happy windsurfer that I once was? That person was no longer. I had fallen so far emotionally that I did not even know who I was anymore.

It was a dark night of the soul. During this time I was defiantly lost in Danteâ€™s dark woods. Day after day I would drive the car down to the beach and consider just driving it off the pier, or swimming out into the ocean never to return. In fact I really just wanted to curl up in a ball, go to sleep and not wake up. If suicide was an easy thing to do, and did not affect other people in your life, then there was a part of me that would have definitely done it.

Lost in despair I did not know who I was anymore. I was lost with no direction. I did not fit in anywhere and I was too embarrassed to go out and see my friends because I looked so overweight and felt â€˜uglyâ€™. (I did not know at the time but I was going through a tremendous spiritual awakening and as a result everything in my physical world was being torn apart to be â€˜re-builtâ€™.) I became so lost that one time I remember driving the car to the supermarket to get some groceries as my fridge was empty. I could not find a car park and became so angry that I simply drove home without any food. I had looked down at my swollen stomach and burst into tears. For a period of 8 months I had also buried myself in alcohol to numb the pain â€“ to stop feeling. My self esteem was rock bottom. I was too embarrassed to be seen. Instead I buried myself in research.

I sold my four wheel drive, got an old bomb to drive around, cut all my overheads took a part time job and spent 25 hours a week researching. I was determined to find answers about what was happening in my own body. In 1998 I had attended a metaphysics course that basically said that we create our reality from our thoughts and feelings. What we think about is what we create. This had made sense to me but purely on an intellectual level. I remember walking out of that workshop recognizing that I had created all the good things in my life but I found it very difficult to comprehend that I would in fact have created all the injuries, chaos and pain in my life. Why on earth would I have created that?

As I read book after book and attended workshop after workshop on quantum science, sacred geometry, emotional freedom technique, heart coherence and human behaviour the same message was there â€“ we create our reality. Or our consciousness creates our own reality. Meanwhile I was desperate to find answers as to why my body was so bloated still. I went to a reiki healer who helped to balance my chakras. This seemed to work in some way but still my weight did not change. I had stopped drinking alcohol and had started to kayak three to four times a week. But still no change in my body shape.

In January 2002 I flew to Sydney to meet with a lady who used a machine to â€˜bring my spirit back into my bodyâ€™. I was desperate at the time to find answers. I held on to these two metal handles and she told me that my spirit was 8 metres from my body. She brought it back in and immediately my lymph system started to gurgle. Within two minutes I went to the loo and started to urinate. My lymph started to clear. This definitely made a small difference and I felt more grounded. But still my body shape did not change. I read book after book that linked emotions with the body. It made complete sense to me. Finally I began to understand just how powerful emotions were. Every experience we have ever had is recorded in our own mind ever since conception in the womb.

So I started to delve into childhood memories to see if they were affecting me right now. When I was a 4 week old baby the doctors operated on me to cut out a cyst that was in my small intestine. As a result they had left a 40cm scar across my stomach and cut out 1/5th of my small intestine. The stitches later ripped in hospital and they kept me in a humidity crib for 4 months. As a kid growing up this trauma as a baby seemed to never have affected me in any way. My health had always been good but maybe this memory had something to do with my body blowing up now? I could not work it out. I went back and searched and healed each memory from this life.

During this time I started to facilitate personal development workshops. I had finally overcome all my fears about finances, body shape and my life and surrendered to my situation. I had stopped resisting my life and started to live again.

There was nothing to fear any more. I was doing what I wanted to do, facilitating workshops, and I had started to generate income again. Yvonne Evans, a good friend, and I decided to combine services and facilitate programs together. Yvonne is a mystic and healer, as well as being a corporate coach. For the first time I started to really understand the unseen spiritual realm.

Everything is a vibration of energy. Our five physical senses of touch (kinesthetic), smell (olfactory), taste, sight and hearing makes us feel like everything is physical. However when we break the body down into tissues, cells, atoms and molecules the body is energy. Under the microscope quantum scientists realise that when they look at the atom of a cell it is actually waves of energy. When this energy is observed with physical eyes it appears to be electrons and positrons but when it is not observed with the physical eyes it is actually waves of energy. Quantum scientists have realized this since the 1920â€™s; mystics, sages, Indigenous shamans, healers and spiritual teachers have realized this since the dawn of humanity. We are energy. The physical world appears solid to our eyes but it is actually vibrations of energy.

We are spiritual beings having a human physical experience.

What we can see with our physical eyes is less that 5% of what actually exists at other levels of vibration. For example we cannot see radio waves or television waves or even microwaves, but they still exist. The astral realm for example is the next vibrational range up from our physical realm. Spiritual teachers, mystics and psychics can see what goes on at this level of vibration. It exists simultaneously with the physical realm but is simply at a higher frequency of vibration. Many people who see spirits or ghosts or colours or sparks of light tune into this level of vibration. I had started to realise the importance of our own thoughts and feelings and how thought forms in the astral can attach and affect our own physical body. Yvonne guided me through a process of clearing my own energy field â€“ the aura. After doing this clearing process with Yvonne for the first time in three years I felt grounded and properly in my body. The pain in my pancreas went and my hips rotated back to their correct position. I had not known it at the time but I had had astral interference that was affecting my physical body shape. I discuss this in detail in Section 1.

A week after clearing my energy field Yvonne and I were sitting in a coffee shop discussing my swollen stomach and trying to work out the cause of it. Suddenly out of my mouth came â€œI think I have been stabbed in another life.â€

Yvonne tuned into my soul story. (A mystic can access higher vibrational information that resides at soul level whilst remaining grounded in physical consciousness.) â€œYou have been disemboweled on a battle field as a soldier,â€ she said. When she said this a burst of energy ran up my spine and I saw flashes of this life time in my minds eye. The â€˜meâ€™ that had died on the battle field was stuck in the astral level and had not gone to the Light (connected with the soul properly). I guided (in my mindâ€™s eye) this aspect of me to the Light and felt suddenly overcome with peacefulness and love. Yvonne suggested I drive home and get some sleep to allow my consciousness to re-sort. There was a lot going on within me at the unconscious level.

As I crawled into bed this particular past life memories started to come through. I had my first physical catharsis. A physical catharsis is when your physical body releases emotional memories. This one was one from a past life. My body shook and contorted in amazing ways as the memory of being disemboweled flashed through my mind. This was not painful but it was certainly overwhelming and exhausting. The pain at soul level was being released via my physical body. This catharsis lasted for two and half hours. I had no choice but to surrender to the experience. I had to be in a state of observation without getting attached to what was happening and being released. When the contortions and muscle spasms finally subsided I lay in bed absolutely amazed at what I had just experienced.

My physical body had literally morphed!! My stomach had gone in three inches. I went and looked in the mirror. My face had changed back to normal and my body felt leaner. I could not believe it. In 2 days I lost 8 kilos! Basically I had read book after book and research article after research article from leading scientists who all talked about the body being vibrations of energy or a holograph of Light and now I had proved to myself that I was actually just that â€“ pure energy. The discordant energy that was in my energy field from this â€˜past life memoryâ€™ was now cleared and as a result my physical body was able to adjust back to its normal and healthy shape. This was amazing. I was so excited I wrote everything down.

(The mind has the template to self heal. When we allow the mind to heal it can heal. But first we must address any emotional wound or discordant thought energy that is in the mind and release it so the body can heal. The mind is the eternal aspect of self and is a field of energy â€“ or pulsating Light vibration. The mind resides in every cell of the body and is also independent of the body. I explain this in detail in Section 1.)

For six months leading up to this catharsis I had been meditating for two hours a day. During these meditations I was drawn by spirit to do toning. Toning is when you use the voice to resonate certain sounds that correlate with our chakras. The chakras are the â€˜wheels of energyâ€™ that represent our Light body. They connect us with the etheric and spiritual aspect of Self. When I toned my entire body would buzz with a higher vibration of energy. This higher vibration of energy is also called spirit – Light. The Indians may call it Prana, the Chinese may refer to it as Qi (Chi), and Christians may call it the Holy Spirit. It is pure source energy â€“ or pure divine love from the creator (God/Goddess/All there Is). This high vibration of Light would flow right through my body and often last for over two hours. I would feel incredible divine love and in a bliss state when this would happen. At the time I intuitively felt it was my own Higher Self healing me. So from these experiences I understood that we were simply vibrations of Light. So when my body morphed after healing the past life of being disemboweled it only confirmed to me that we are a hologram of Light â€“ that appears to be solid to our physical eyes, but is not solid at all.

When you heal the energy field (or the mind field) â€“ at the spiritual and emotional level you can heal the physical body. So much for diet I thought!!

The day after I healed this past life I bumped into my neighbor and she could not believe the differenced in my appearance. My entire face and body shape had changed. â€œWhat on earth happened to you?â€ she exclaimed. She could not believe it, and of course I could not put into words what had actually happened at the time, it was all a bit â€˜out thereâ€™ for anyone else to understand.

After this experience my full mystical abilities returned and I was again able to communicate with the Angelic realm. I had been able to do this as a child but had lost the ability as a teenager. Yvonne had told me in a meditation in early 2003 that the Arch Angels were going to â€˜wake me upâ€™. I did not know what that really meant at the time, but simply went along with it. I had not idea what kind of ride I would be in for.

For a period of two years I would have one past life memory flood through my consciousness to be healed and transformed, to the Love, after another. With every new memory came new awareness about self, pain and healing. I realized that I was able to help heal the pain that my clients had and also help them heal past life memories that were affecting their current life, or ability to have healthy loving relationships. (All of our lives are happening in the eternal now moment at soul level. Beyond the third dimension of the physical world there is no such thing as time and space. Einstein confirmed this in his own scientific research. What this means it that all of our â€˜past livesâ€™ are in our hologram of mind right now and very often there is unfinished business that we have to heal in this life. I discuss this in detail in Section 1 and the nature of learning spiritual lessons in this life.)

With other clients I would help them heal physical pain in one hour that stemmed from deep memories in the unconscious mind â€“ at soul level. With practice I developed ways to clear the energy field. My clients would burst into tears because they felt spiritually grounded and connected to their Higher Self and their Soul (the true Self) for the first time. When Yvonne and I facilitated our Soul purpose and emotional intelligence programs we could bring in the higher frequencies of Divine Love and fill the room with this energy so people could experience it. Some people would burst into tears having never felt divine love before. At our highest level, the Soul, we are divine love. Anything less that divine love is the ego self which is stuck in the emotional roller coaster of life. (I discuss this in detail in Section 2.)

Finally I was back feeling great, happy with my body and enjoying life again. It was a wonderful feeling to be able to finally fit back into my size 12 jeans. I could even look at myself in the mirror again without feeling emotional pain.

It will not be every personâ€™s journey to go through such amazing mystical experiences. However, it just happened to be my own journey to learn to heal many different emotional wounds and to understand consciousness at these levels. The more emotional wounds that I healed on myself the more I would be able to help other people to heal their own. We all have emotional wounds in the psyche, and for some of us they affect us in our lives now as physical symptoms, conflict, weight gain, chaos or illness.

It is important to look at the body in a wholistic way. We are not just physical. We are physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. The spiritual and emotional affect the physical and the physical can affect the emotional, mental and spiritual. For example the fish accident affected me physically which affected me emotionally. The drugs in my physical body affected my ability to connect to the higher vibrations of Light and my spirit for example.

When I was a Personal Fitness Trainer I realized within the first month that there was more to weight loss than simply doing exercise. How could I get my clients to be self-motivated? Why would they do the exercise with me only to go home and eat all the wrong foods, or too much food? It was my days as a Personal Trainer that contributed to me becoming interested in being able to understand human behaviour.

This book will discuss in a simple way what we can do at the physical level, the emotional level and the spiritual level to help balance the body, mind and soul. I speak not only from the perspective of being a Personal Fitness Trainer and former professional athlete but more importantly from the perspective of being a mystic, metaphysical counselor and healer. My work is about healing and addressing the ultimate cause of any thing that we suffer from rather than treating only the symptoms.

There are thousands of diet and exercise programs out there for people to choose from. So rather than giving you what you already know in the physical body chapter I will give you some tips on diet and exercise that perhaps will be new to you.

In the emotional intelligence section you will learn the importance of feeling your emotions and how to interpret them and transform them so that the body can be freed up of emotional charge. All emotions are stored in our mind and also in every cell of the body as polarized electro-magnetic charge. It is our subconscious and unconscious minds which run our physiology. When we transform emotional charge our physical cells are more freed up to operate in a balanced and optimal way. All addictive tendencies such as over-eating stem from emotional, physical and spiritual imbalance.

The majority of emotional themes and patterns of behaviour are unconscious â€“ meaning we are not conscious of them. We do not know we even have them. This chapter will help you identify the behaviour traits, beliefs and emotional wounds that affect you today, whether it is over eating or self destructive habits. It will also help you to understand why you have put on weight in the past even when it has had nothing to do with what you put in your mouth.

In the Section 1 (Taking back our spiritual power) I explain several techniques that you can apply to clear yourself energetically of negative thought forms that you pick up in your environment. There is a meditation process to help ground your energy field properly in your body and help balance the chakra system. In this chapter I discuss the importance of understanding the chakra and energetic systems in the body. Each chakra is connected with the endocrine gland system of the body. The glandular system of the physical body needs to be in balance for us to have physical and emotional health. The glandular system is largely ignored and misunderstood by many Western trained physicians.

When we are overweight the reasons will vary as to why we are overweight. For example many people blame it on their genetics. However research shows us that genetics only account for less than 25% of the whole. So we cannot blame it all on our genetics. We must take responsibility for Self and when we learn more about the â€˜bigger pictureâ€™ and why we do things then we can be truly free to change.

We all have free will â€“ the ability to choose what we think, say and do. We make our own choices in life. If we do not like the way we are, or do not like the fact that we eat too much food then we can change. As soon as we become aware of those parts of us that are either addicted to food or simply have no discipline we can work with each of them. To be disciplined is to be a Disciple of Self â€“ the True Self, the Soul, rather than a slave to the ego. As we work with each of these parts of our self â€“ each persona, we can heal each one, one at a time. We have the power; we just need the right tools.

In regard to weight loss, when we shift what is playing out at the unconscious level of our own mind our body can shift very quickly. I lost 8 kilos (approx. 18 pounds) in 2 days, and 18 kilos after 4 major emotional shifts. In my case diet and exercise had little to do with my weight gain.

Fiona Taylor

92 Olympian,winner of 7 World Titles in Windsurfing, consciousness coach and mystic

Andy Collins Exhibitions and Paintings at Saatchi-gallery

admin — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:36:07 +0000

Andy Collins was born on 1971 in Atlanta, Georgia. He did BFA, Atlanta College of Art, Atlanta, Georgia in 1994 and MFA, School of Visual Arts, New York in 1999. Andy Collinsâ€™s paintings are lusciously synthetic. Cold and glossy, his large pastel canvases are suffocating vacuums of glamour. Working from fashion photos, Collinsâ€™s abstracted forms are derived from the overlooked in-between spaces of supermodel spreads. Folds in fabric, creases in elbows, knees and armpits become a pattern of fetishised contemplation. Their contours are retraced and suggested forms are embellished, creating ethereal motifs that are both organic and electrifying. Collinsâ€™s process is one of almost perverse fixation. Taking several months to complete a painting, he painstakingly constructs his airless forms entirely by hand, leaving no trace of brushwork. In Untitled, his biomorphic composition, a sublime vacuous beauty, mesmerises both seduction and emptiness.

Andy Collinsâ€™s paintings glow with a transcendental eroticism, bringing about a heightened state of awareness where physical sensuality courts cerebral enlightenment. Inspired by the prurience of fashion adverts, Untitledâ€™s composition construes desireâ€™s lingering remains as a Rorschach-like distortion; a mandala of allurement and absence. Collins conceives overwhelming sensation as an intangible void; his paintings resonate with a voyeuristic proclivity. Equally intimate and distant, his obsessive process (of up to 30 layers of seamless application) infuses his smooth surface with a slick confidence.

Andy Collins’s paintings are models of visual perfection. Approaching painting with a minimalist’s fetishism, Collins hones his canvases to the simplest and boldest statements to capitalise on the power of suggested form. Working from photos, Andy Collins removes the subject, focussing instead on the evocative possibility of implied image. His abstracted patterns retain the essence of their original picture, and extrapolate a more complex interpretation, provoking emotional and spiritual reactions to qualities of surface, colour and composition. In Untitled, Andy Collins presents a pattern of mesmerising consonance. His biomorphic form insinuates bodily tactility; through clinical rendering, Andy Collins elevates these connotations to a metaphysical plane, creating a sensuality that’s idealistic and conceptually pure.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2005

â€¢ Mary Boone Gallery, New York

â€¢ Corvi-Mora, London

â€¢ Artemis Greenberg Van Doren, New York

2004

â€¢ Marc Foxx, Los Angeles

2003

â€¢ Marc Foxx, Los Angeles

â€¢ Corvi-Mora, London

2002

â€¢ Ghislaine Hussenot, Paris

2001

â€¢ Marc Foxx, Los Angeles

â€¢ Galleria Emilio Mazzoli, Modena, Italy

2000

â€¢ Audiello Fine Art, Inc., New York

1999

â€¢ Audiello Fine Art, Inc., New York

Conclusions:

What to Do Next…

If you want any information about Andy Collins or looking for his paintings please visit us on http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/andy_collins.htm

Glimpses of Esoteric Christianity Part 5

admin — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:10:46 +0000

The comprehension of Karma as revealed to the masses by Jesus is an improvement of the old interpretation and understanding of the principle of a previous dispensation of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” as given to the Israelites by Moses. To illustrate this, the law does not cause blindness as a punishment to an individual if he had blinded someone in the past. It does, however, make him aware, in some manner, of the wrongness of his actions–even if it does take blinding him if other means fail to make him realize his error. Should the individual realize his mistake, sincerely repents and compensate, then the lesson would have been learnt; he would be putting new forces into motion which offset the original negative impulse. Karma is not punitive. Negative karma is neutralized to some degree by implementing positive causes–these are the laws of grace and mercy at work. In contrast, even if it happens that balancing of karma should occur, and that the individual does not learn, repent and compensate for his wrong deeds, he might repeat it again or the “punishment” might just occur again and again, lifetime after lifetime, depending on the proportion and momentum of the original force, until all of its misqualified energy is spent. Also, undigested and unassimilated experiences are undergone repeatedly until the inherent principle which the experience is intended to teach is absorbed.

Every entity or group of entities create karma; hence, we have such collectives as “group karma,” “racial karma,” and “national karma.” Karma functions under cyclic law and in accord with esoteric astrological configurations. Its effects are dependent upon the ratio of the forces put into motion and the situation with which the deeds were committed. Some effects are immediate, while others requires a passage of time for the force to return full circle, even deferring until a later lifetime. Karma, therefore, is conditioned in its full expression and is divided into two groups:

1) Ripe Karma, where the effects of deeds and actions occur in the same lifetime.

2) Unripe Karma, where effects of deeds and actions are postponed to a future embodiment.

According to one modern school of Esoteric Christianity, a dispensation had been given in our century by the Cosmic Directors of Karma for the spiritual aspirant to transmute his karmic sins and tendencies. This dispensation takes the form of an invocation (actually Hindus and Buddhist have been using similar techniques for centuries) to that aspect of the Holy Spirit called the “violet flame.” This is the “consuming fire” of God mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. The violet flame when active in one’s energy-field, transmutes the cause, effect, record, and memory of sin and karma until one becomes immaculate:

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isa:1:18)

The effects of the violet fire brings us that much closer to our perfection and ascension into our God-Presence. When freed from personal karma, the disciple is ready to take on a higher burden of transmuting world karma to some degree, to assist suffering humanity to march onwards towards the light. This was what the Master Jesus did. He transmuted part of world karma–esoterically “saved the world.” Much still has to be done and the individual is still responsible for his sins and karma–the quality, nature, and status of his own energy-field, his soul-record–this was not cleansed by the death of the “savior.” The Master Jesus “died” for the awakening of the collective consciousness of Man, not for the saving of any individual.

The overcoming of karma in one’s life requires an understanding of the situations that one finds himself facing, and a constant vigil and check of all inharmonious expressions or our being. Moderation in all sensual activities assists greatly in reducing negative fruit, such as pain and suffering. Below we give some guidelines to negate karmic influences:

1) Invoke the violet flame on a regular basis.

2) Control of the mind and emotions.

3) Act, think, and speak beneficially.

4) Offer oneself to selfless service to humankind.

5) Be unattached to the fruits of actions.

6) Steer the mind away from sensuality by focusing on one’s divinity.

7) Seek the spiritual wisdom and teaching in one’s life-experiences.

Light

Light manifests in the mind of man as illumination, enlightenment, and an expansion of consciousness. Light, as Truth, is the illuminating mystery given to candidates of the Christian Mysteries who had previously undergone the required perfection, the period of spiritual cleansing. Those who were free from the stain of sin were offered the secrets of the Light for further advancement along the path of the ascension, for sinlessness alone were inadequate to lift man to the portals of the Kingdom of God and thus unite him with his “I AM Presence.” In the gnostic work, Pistis Sophia, Jesus has this to say about the illuminating mysteries:

“But amen, amen, I say unto you: even if a righteous man hath committed no sin at all, he cannot possibly be brought into the light-kingdom, because the sign of the kingdom of the mysteries is not with him. In a word, it is impossible to bring souls into the light without the mysteries of the light kingdom.”

In the same gnostic work the Christ initiate also reveals one of the main purposes of the Mysteries of Light which man should seek, rather than the baubles of this impermanent world:

“For this cause have I said unto you aforetime: ‘Seek, that you may find.’ I have therefore, said unto you: ‘You are to seek after the mysteries of this light which purifies the body of matter and make it into a refined light exceedingly purified.’”

“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1Co:15:53)

The above verses refers to the etherealization of the physical component of man. It is a standard practice among the practitioners of Esoteric Christianity to surround themselves with light in their visualizations and meditations for alchemical and spiritual transmutation. Besides having the effect of healing and purifying the aura, the precipitation of light particles within one’s being also accelerates the vibratory rate of our various sheaths, or bodies of the Soul and Spirit. The light that purifies and illumines should be constantly invoked by the spiritual aspirant. To purify and spiritualize the atomic particles composing one’s being by applying divine fire is only part of the spiritual transformational process; however, the other part is the work of refraining from assimilating additional coarse matter. Jesus advises us to:

” . . . renounce the whole world and all of its association, that ye may not amass additional matter to the rest of your matter in you . . . “

This renunciation is not the actual giving or selling away of one’s earthly goods and to live somewhere in poverty as an anchorite or as a vagabond. The rich man that Jesus advised to sell his goods and to follow him has a different connotation. “To be in this world but not of it” is the clarification of the precept above–in other words, detachment, earthly desirelessness, harmlessness, the living of soul-purposes, etc. One may be wealthy or poor, known or unknown–it makes no difference. It is how we live our lives that counts.

The Pistis Sophia, like the aphorisms of Patanjali, advises us to renounce various vices such as slander, pride and haughtiness, love of the world, cursing wrath, pitilessness, avarice, and sloth. To renounce vices and to acquire virtues, man should contemplate the holiness and sacredness of God, Nature, Life, and the intrinsic essence of all sentient beings. His attention should be reoriented from a materialistic three-dimensional perspective and habitual pattern to a spiritual outlook and way of life. By constant living from the spiritual standpoint, man acquires that state of harmony, that freedom from the chaotic mentality and emotionalism that characterizes the worldly man. Harmony is organization–organized thought, speech, action, living, and movement. The light of the trinity of the godhead stands at the door of the waking consciousness and knocks–and waits. Harmony within the four-lower bodies which reflects the harmony within the Tao, in conjunction with certain spiritual practices opens the etheric valves which allows greater influx of spiritual forces, magnetizing the lower sheaths of man’s energy-structure with an abundance of power, love, and wisdom. Divine forces enter man’s being via the sutratma, antahkarana, and the sahasrara chakra.

Once illumined by the Light of God, man becomes a living flame. He lives as a focus of Omneity’s divine presence. Radiance, magnetism, and power of his Divine Self fills his aura till his “cup runneth over,” and his very presence affects all with whom he comes into contact. It is the nature and desire of God to make men “his ministers a Flame of Fire” (Heb 1:7). Each enlightened person, as a Flame of Fire, ignites fellow souls slumbering in the mayagrammic world. This stimulation occurs by magnetic, and telepathic induction on all levels of being. We may allow the “dead” to bury the dead; but it is our personal task as torch-bearers to revive those that needs awakening and resurrection.

Light from a cosmological point of view, is the essence of all matter. It is the primal energy which manifests in substances that composes our universe. Matter is densified light. Between matter and the pure Light of Omneity are manifestations of God-radiance in varying intensities. Light was the first emanation of Omneity, it is the manifestation of the Supreme Godhead’s first spoken creative impulse–”Let there be Light.” (Gen 1:3). This fiat was not the creation of the sun and its radiating energies but something more subtle and lofty.

Light is often identified with the Word, the Pranava “OM,” which is in a continuous reverberation throughout the cosmos. Hindu mystics call the Sound, “Sabda Brahma.” The Sufis are acquainted with the existence of this Word-Light; they refer to it as the “Kalam-I-Aadim,” meaning, “the Ancient Sound.” Christian mystics, on the other hand, figuratively call it “the Rush of a Mighty Wind,” and “the Sound of the Trumpet.” Gnostics, Hindu and Buddhist Tantric mystics, and High-degree Sufis initiate candidates to the gnosis or marifat where the Divine Light and Sound emanating from one’s very essential being, the very essence of God, are experientially seen and heard. Blind faith and beliefs are replaced with knowledge, experience, and conviction. One perceives God’s radiant countenance face to face and is transformed thereby; no longer is the on-looker a mortal or lives as one but spiritually immortal as he “sees” his very SELF as “Sat-Chit-Ananda,”or “Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.”

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. (Matt 5:8)

“And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:26)

“And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” (Ex: 33:20 )

“And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” (Ex 33:11 )

Indeed, after perceiving one’s essential SELF, one’s “I AM PRESENCE” one is never the same; one no longer lives as a man or as a mere mortal. One becomes the anointed, a Christ, an immortal god–the hope of Job and the Pure. Is this not what was requested of us:

” . . . I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

Or in other words,

“I AM the true model and I represent the true way of attaining that Divine State of Sonship. Become as ‘I AM.’”

This possibility is the essence of the gospel–this is the good news–this is the kingdom come–this is the Resurrection–this is the Second Coming. This is the promised Kingdom of God that is at hand and not located in some astral realm or to be entered into in the afterlife or during the Apocalypse in the last days. It is NOW that the kingdom of God is to be attained by one and all–no matter what your religious affiliation. May all heed this and live a purposeful life.

Man’s Divinity

Man’s true nature and reality was a hushed subject that the Christ Initiate taught to the inner circle of his followers. Some of his statements concerning man are to be found in the gospels. His enigmatic sayings about his relationship to his father were statements of truth that applies to humankind collectively, and was never meant to indicate to the masses of any exceptionality on his part as a sole “son of God.” As a result of this misunderstanding, perhaps deliberately, of the words of the Master, modern Christians worship the son in the form of Jesus and not in the light of the Christ divinity within. Throughout the centuries, the precepts of man’s divinity have been overlooked, misinterpreted, and misrepresented. The human, mortal, sinful side has been unduly stressed and emphasized to a morbid degree. The Light shone in the darkness, but the darkness took no trouble to understand its nature and source. There are those that fear Light in the form of truth, for its nature reveals the true state of things–things which are uncomfortable to those who resent movements in an upward spiral by personal effort. Jesus and other prophets before him declared that men were gods,

“I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” (Psalms 82:6)

“Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.” (Isa 41:23)

“Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” (John:10:34)

That we are more than mortals is echoed in the “Thou art That” proclamation of certain Hindu philosophies. This divine precept of man’s divinity is shun by the followers of orthodox Christianity as a teaching of the devil and not acknowledged to be true because of their erroneous comprehension of the scriptures and the faith that they have upon the dogmas and creeds arbitrarily created by corrupted theologians. People are indoctrinated to believe in things that do not reflect reality, things that mostly cannot be verified by personal experience. Where there is a lack of intuitive understanding, where ignorance and fanaticism holds sway, the mind and emotions will cause the jiva or soul to stagnate in a bog of their own construction. This imposes self-limitation, self-restriction that is well depicted in Plato’s Cave allegory.

Man believes what he wants to believe, and until he replaces beliefs and fancies with experiential knowledge of his divinity he will continue to experience the torments of “hell”–the pain, suffering, fear, and anguish. Herein lies evil, for evil opposes all activities that frees the soul from bondage to matter, from advancing on the path of evolution; and man unconsciously swims against the currents that would lead him to the other shore.

Man is considered by atheistic scientists as a being of matter; religionists sees man as a creation, a creature fabricated by the Source for glorifying and worshipping Itself by making Its creatures sing hymns of praise eternally, for the benefit of who knows whom–for that which is egoless requires no recognition of its SELF-existence, as It is in a state of completeness, of oneness with the hidden nature of its illusory elements as perceived by man. Prayers and worship are never for God’s benefit but for the beings engaged in the revered adoration.

It is from the sages of the world that we learn of their personal experiences of what man truly is, and by following in their footsteps we come to know ourselves. The sages present methods with which the gnosis, the Truth may be known. By applying their methods we in turn gradually recognize the accuracies of their statements concerning man–some uttered while in transcendental states. The rationale of the statement of Jesus mentioned before–”I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” may be understood clearly through the intuitive sense.

Most people focus their consciousness, their attention excessively upon externals, upon a world of illusions, to the detriment of their spiritual unfoldment. This overconcern with earthly baubles drains the mind, body and soul of the energies that would call forth the treasures laid-up in heaven by man’s obedience to the laws of the Voice of Silence. Christ is the cosmic nature within each individual; the so-called second coming of Christ occurs within the psyche where man experiences and manifests his internal reality in the world of form, in the sphere of Malkuth. To focus constantly within, as in meditation, and in certain forms of yoga, one retains the required amount of force to awaken and stimulate the Shekinah, the flickering fire of God’s manifestation within man, residing in his heart chakra as the threefold flame of Love, Wisdom, and Power.

Man emerged out of the fiery core of the Great Central Sun, or “Parabrahm” in Hindu Philosophy, as a spark. The essential nature of this spark, this “unit” of Brahman, is divine. It is a manifestation of God-in-becoming. Out of this monadic spark the Divine Ego, or Atma, was formed and individualized as Self-consciousness. Its nature is threefold: it consists of the divine spirit, the life spirit, and the human spirit. The higher aspect of the Divine Ego is the Christ in man, which is the way to oneness with the Father in heaven, the Monad focused in celestial planes. This Monad is Ishvara in the Samkhya philosophy of Hinduism. The Divine Ego is the progenitor of the personality, the jiva, the manifestation of man in the lower worlds of matter. A portion of Egoic consciousness lies buried in the etheric heart awaiting the outer consciousness to acknowledge its existence and to manifests its essential qualities and nature in the physical plane. Its growth is dependent upon the personality offering it freedom of expression in its sphere of activity.

“God is Man, and Man is God.” This is a metaphysical truism which should be mystically understood. If interpreted literally, this spiritual truth would seem blasphemous. God is eternal and infinite, so is man, for man as the microcosmos reflects the spiritual structure of the greater cosmos. God is acknowledged by enlightened individuals to be ineffable, indescribable. When contemplating man’s true nature, one finds oneself in a similar position : Man transcends words, it is impossible to describe that which is actually beyond and void of physical, feeling, and mental structures.

Depreciation of the true Ego and the exaltation of the false ego are expressions of egoism. Indulgence of such mental states prevents spiritual awakening. Man wrongly identifies himself with the components of his manifestations in the realms of matter. For instance, he believes that he is the body, the feelings, the mind, etc. This misidentification stalls the unfoldment of the faculties and powers of his divinity which grows within man at the objective consciousness level as he acquires a greater perspective of his true being and expands his consciousness to encompass higher states. Egoism is an idol that man unknowingly places on the altar of his consciousness–and he worships this monstrosity; and each time that he thinks, speaks, and acts imperfectly, negatively, unculturedly, and destructively, he exalts the deceiver of men, the beast whose number is 666.

Reiki for the Brow Chakra

admin — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 03:54:38 +0000

The brow chakra is commonly referred to as the third eye in Reiki, and is also referred to in other forms of meditation from Eastern countries. The brow chakra is the sixth chakra, and is used for a portal for universal energies. The healing and flow of energy to this chakra contains several different elements. In relation to this, the third eye chakra holds several special characteristics.

The brow chakra is located above the nose and in the center of the forehead. This particular chakra is known to be the beginning of higher consciousness and mental powers. Many cultures believe that this chakra is the most important to understanding spirituality and metaphysical truth. Because of this, many will also refer to it as the Eye of Wisdom, Inner Eye Chakra or the Command Chakra.

The most prominent characteristic in the third eye chakra relates to the knowledge of being. This is said to be the most apparent when one is between the ages of 35 and 42. Recognizing things is another aspect that is apparent with the third eye chakra. Many who have psychic abilities and high intuition are said to have an open third eye. When it is open, the aura is said to be like the ninety-six petal lotus. The aura that will be seen in relation to this is indigo. Yellow and violet may also mix with this aura.

When a Reiki practitioner is sending universal energies to this area or clearing a blockage, they will gently place their hands above the eyes and on the forehead. They will then move in a circular motion in order to release old energies and let universal energies in. For females, the movement is a clockwise circulation, and for males, this is counter-clockwise.

There may also be several other methods that can be used in relation to this healing method. In Reiki toning, the note of A may be used on the mantra of ‘Ksham’. The vibration used in this sound will open up the energies to the universal energy. The aromas of mint and jasmine may also be used when clearing this chakra. Gemstones that may be placed on this area include lapis lazuli, indigo sapphire and sodalities. All of these will send energies to the brow chakra to help in releasing the negative energies and opening the third eye to higher consciousness.

Many times, when one needs healing with their pituitary gland they will work on sending energies through the third eye chakra, as they are known to both be connected. After someone has been through this healing, they may remain in a half awake state of mind for at least four hours. They may also experience visions of the night time sky as a direct relation to the third eye chakra.

When opening the third eye chakra to the universal energies through Reiki healing, it allows one to move to a level of deeper understandings and mental states. Through the different techniques that are used, one will easily be able to open the third eye chakra to the universe.

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