Symptoms of Spiritual Awakening
1 Changing sleep patterns: restlessness, hot feet, waking up two or three times a night. Feeling tired after you wake up and sleepy off and on during the day. There is something called the Triad Sleep Pattern that occurs for many: you sleep for about 2-3 hours, wake up, go back to sleep for another couple of hours, wake again, and go back to sleep again. For others, the sleep requirements have changed. You can get by on less sleep. Lately I have been experiencing huge waves of energy running into my body from the crown. It feels good, but it keeps me awake for a long time, then subsides. Advice: Get used to it. Make peace with it and don't worry about getting enough sleep (which often causes more insomnia). You will be able to make it through the day if you hold thoughts of getting just what you need. You can also request your Higher Power to give you a break now and then and give you a good, deep night's sleep. If you can't go back to sleep right away, use the waking moments to meditate, read poetry, write in your journal or look at the moon. Your body will adjust to the new pattern.
2 Activity at the crown of the head: Tingling, itching, prickly, crawling sensations along the scalp and/or down the spine. A sense of energy vibrating on top of the head, as if energy is erupting from the head in a shower. Also the sensation of energy pouring in through the crown, described as "sprinkles". This may also be experienced as pressure on the crown, as if someone is pushing his/her finger into the center of your head. As I mentioned in #1, I have been experiencing huge downloads of energy through the crown. In the past, I have felt more generalized pressure, as if my head is in a gentle vise. One man related that his hair stood on end and his body was covered with goosebumps. Advice: This is nothing to be alarmed about. What you are experiencing is an opening of the crown chakra. The sensations mean that you are opening up to receive divine energy.
3 Sudden waves of emotion. Crying at the drop of a hat. Feeling suddenly angry or sad with little provocation. Or inexplicably depressed. Then very happy. Emotional roller coaster. There is often a pressure or sense of emotions congested in the heart chakra (the middle of the chest). This is not to be confused with the heart, which is located to the left of the heart chakra. Advice: Accept your feelings as they come up and let them go. Go directly to your heart chakra and feel the emotion. Expand it outward to your all your fields and breathe deeply from the belly all the way up to your upper chest. Just feel the feeling and let it evaporate on its own. Don't direct the emotions at anyone. You are cleaning out your past. If you want some help with this, say out loud that you intend to release all these old issues and ask your Higher Power to help you. You can also ask Grace Elohim to help you release with ease and gentleness. Be grateful that your body is releasing these emotions and not holding onto them inside where they can do harm. One source suggests that depression is linked to letting go of relationships to people, work, etc. that no longer match us and our frequencies. When we feel guilty about letting go of these relationships, depression helps us medicate that pain.
4 Old "stuff" seems to be coming up, as described above, and the people with whom you need to work it out (or their clones) appear in your life. Completion issues. Or perhaps you need to work through issues of self-worth, abundance, creativity, addictions, etc. The resources or people you need to help you move through these issues start to appear. Advice: Same as #3. Additionally, don't get too involved in analyzing these issues. Examining them too much will simply cycle you back through them over and over again at deeper and deeper levels. Get professional help if you need to and walk through it. Do not try to avoid them or disassociate yourself from them. Embrace whatever comes up and thank it for helping you move ahead. Thank your Higher Power for giving you the opportunity to release these issues. Remember, you don't want these issues to stay stuck in your body.
5 Changes in weight. The weight gain in the US population is phenomenal. Other people may be losing weight. We often gain weight because many fears we have suppressed are now coming up to the surface to be healed. We react by building up a defense. We also attempt to ground ourselves or provide bulk against increasing frequencies in our bodies. Advice: Don't freak out, but just accept it as a symptom of where you are right now. You will release/gain the weight when all your fears have been integrated. Release your anxiety about this. Then you might find it easier to lose/gain the weight eventually. Exercise. Before eating, try this: Sit at the table with an attractive place setting. Light a candle. Enjoy how the food looks. Place your dominant hand over your heart and bless the food. Tell your body that you are going to use the food to richly nourish it, but that you are not going to use the food to fulfill your emotional hungers. Then pass your hand from left to right over the food and bless it. You may notice that the food feels warm to your hand even if the food is cold-- I like to think that the food is good for me when it feels warm and nourishing to my hand. I have also noticed that when I practice blessing the food, I don't eat as much. It is important not to let yourself off the hook when you forget to bless the food before you eat. If I've forgotten and I've nearly finished eating, I bless the food anyway. That way I don't slip out of the habit. Another thing you can do is to stay present while eating -- don't watch TV or read. Heartily enjoy what blessings are before you.
6 Changes in eating habits: Strange cravings and odd food choices. Some find they are not as hungry as they used to be. Or hungrier. Advice: Don't deny what your body tells you it needs. If you are not sure, you might try muscle-testing before you chose a food to see if it's what your body wants. Also try blessing the food as described in #5.
7 Food intolerances, allergies you never had before: As you grow more spiritual, you are more sensitive to everything around you. Your body will tell you what it can no longer tolerate, as if it, too, is sloughing off what doesn't serve it anymore. You might be cleansing yourself of toxins. Some people find they often have a white residue in their mouth, much like that of runners at the end of a race. Advice: An acupuncturist told me that this film can be removed by sloshing 2 tablespoons of cold-pressed olive oil in your mouth for 10-15 minutes (don't swallow, whatever you do), then spitting it out into the toilet -- not the sink, for you just removed toxins from your body and don't want them in the sink. Brush your teeth and do the same. Then clean your brush. (Sorry this is yukky, but it works.)
8 Amplification of the senses. Increased sensitivity. 8a. Sight: Blurry vision, shimmering objects, seeing glittery particles, auras around people, plants, animals, and objects. Some report seeing formerly opaque objects as transparent. When you close your eyes, you no longer see darkness, but redness. You may also see geometric shapes or brilliant colors and pictures when eyes are closed. Colors appear more vivid -- the sky might look teal or the grass an amazing green. Often I see grids running across the ground. As you become more sensitive, you may see shapes or outlines in the air, especially when the room is almost dark. When your eyes are open or closed, you may see white shapes in your peripheral vision (these are your guides). Advice: Your vision is changing in many ways -- you are experiencing new ways of seeing. Be patient. Whatever you do, do not be afraid. Hazy vision maybe relieved by yawning. 8b. Hearing: Increased or decreased hearing. I once thought I would have to pull off the road because of the painfully amplified sound of my tires on the freeway. Other symptoms are hearing white noise in the head, beeps, tones, music or electronic patterns. Some hear water rushing, bees buzzing, whooshing, roaring or ringing. Others have what is called audio dyslexia-- you can't always make out what people are saying, as if you can no longer translate your own language. Some hear strange voices in their dreams, as if someone is hovering near them. You can either ask the presence(s) to leave or ask Archangel Michael to take care of the situation. Again, there is nothing to fear. Advice: Surrender to it. Let it come through. Listen. Your ears are adjusting to new frequencies. 8c. Enhanced senses of smell, touch, and/or taste. I notice I can now smell and taste chemical additives in some foods in a rather unpleasant manner. Other food may taste absolutely wonderful. For some people, these enhancements are both delightful and distracting. You might even smell the fragrance of flowers now and then. Many of the mystics did. Enjoy it.
9 Skin eruptions: Rashes, bumps, acne, hives, and shingles. Anger produces outbreaks around the mouth and chin. I had a dermatitis on my extremities for several months that accompanied healing an episode from my past. When I had worked through most of the issue, the condition was released. Advice: You may be sloughing off toxins and bringing emotions to the surface. When there is an issue to be released and you are trying to repress it, your skin will express the issue for you until you process the emotions. Work through your "stuff".
10 Episodes of intense energy which make you want to leap out of bed and into action. Followed by periods of lethargy and fatigue. The fatigue usually follows great shifts. This is a time of integration, so give into it. Advice: Roll with the nature of the energy. Don't fight it. Be gentle with yourself. Take naps if you are tired. Write your novel if you are too energized to sleep. Take advantage of the type of energy.
11 Changes in prayer or meditation. Not feeling the same sensations as before. Not having the same experience of being in contact with Spirit. Difficulty in focusing. Advice: You may be in more instant and constant communion with Spirit now and the sensation may therefore be altered. You will adapt to this new feeling. You are actually thinking and acting in partnership with Spirit most of the time now. You may find your meditation periods shorter.
12 Power surges: All of a sudden you are heated from head to toe. It is a momentary sensation, but uncomfortable. In contrast, some people have felt inexplicably cold. I have experienced both. More recently I experience waves or currents of energy rolling through me. Sometimes the energy seems so intense when it first comes into my body that I feel a little nauseated. But if I think of the energy as divine and let go of fear, I feel wonderful and enjoy the sensation. If you are an energy worker, you may have noticed that the heat running through your hands has increased tremendously. This is good. Advice: If you are uncomfortable, ask your Higher Power, that if it be for your best and highest good, to turn down/up the temperature a bit.
13 A range of physical manifestations: Headaches, backaches, neck pains, flu-like symptoms (this is called vibrational flu), digestive problems, muscular spasms or cramps, racing heartbeat, chest pains, changes in sexual desire, numbness or pain in the limbs, and involuntary vocalizations or bodily movements. Some of us have even had old conditions from childhood reappear briefly for healing. Advice: Remember what I said about seeking medical help if you need it! If you have determined that this is not a medical condition, relax in the realization that it is only temporary.
14 Looking younger. Yippee! As you clear emotional issues and release limiting beliefs and heavy baggage from the past, you are actually lighter. Your frequency is higher. You love yourself and life more. You begin to resemble the perfect you that you really are.
15 Vivid dreams. Sometimes the dreams are so real that you wake up confused. You may even have lucid dreams in which you are in control. Many dreams may be mystical or carry messages for you. And in some dreams, you just know that you are not "dreaming" -- that what is happening is somehow real. Advice: You will remember what is important for you to remember. Don't force anything. Above all, stay out of fear.
16 Events that completely alter your life: death, divorce, change in job status, loss of home, illness, and/or other catastrophes -- sometimes several at once! Forces that cause you to slow down, simplify, change, re-examine who you are and what your life means to you. Forces that you cannot ignore. Forces that cause you release your attachments. Forces that awaken your sense of love and compassion for all.
17 A desire to break free from restrictive patterns, life-draining jobs consumptive lifestyles, and toxic people or situations. You feel a compelling need to "find yourself" and your life purpose -- now! You want to be creative and free to be who you really are. You might find yourself drawn to the arts and nature. You want to unclutter yourself from things and people that no longer serve you. Advice: Do it!
18 Emotional and mental confusion: A feeling that you need to get your life straightened out--it feels like a mess. But at the same time you feel chaotic and unable to focus. See #45. Advice: Put your ear to your heart and your own discernment will follow.
19 Introspection, solitude and loss of interest in more extroverted activities: This stage has come as a surprise to many extroverts who formerly saw themselves as outgoing and involved. They say, "I don't know why, but I don't like to go out as much as before."
20 Creativity bursts: Receiving images, ideas, music, and other creative inspirations at an often overwhelming rate. Advice: At least record these inspirations, for Spirit is speaking to you about how you might fulfill your purpose and contribute to the healing of the planet.
21 A perception that time is accelerating. It seems that way because you have had so many changes introduced into your life at an unprecedented rate. The number of changes seems to be growing. Advice: Breaking your day up into appointments and time segments increases the sense of acceleration .You can slow time down by relaxing into the present moment and paying attention to what's at hand, not anticipating what's ahead. Slow down and tell yourself that you have plenty of time. Ask your Higher Power to help you. Keep your focus on the present. Try to flow from one activity to the next. Stay tuned to your inner guidance. You can also warp time by asking for it. Next time you feel rushed, say, "Time warp, please. I need some more time to -----." Then relax.
22 A sense of impendingness. There is a feeling that something is about to happen. This can create anxiety. Advice: There is nothing to worry about. Things are definitely happening, but anxiety only creates more problems for you. All your thoughts -- positive or negative-- are prayers. There is nothing to fear.
23 Impatience. You know better, but sometimes you can't help it. You want to get on with what seems to be coming your way. Uncertainty is not comfortable. Advice: Learn to live with the uncertainty, knowing that nothing comes to you until you are ready. Impatience is really a lack of trust, especially trust in your Higher Power. When you focus on the present, you will experience miracles -- yes, even in traffic.
24 A deep yearning for meaning, purpose, spiritual connection, and revelation. Perhaps an interest in the spiritual for the first time in your life. "Constant craving", as k.d. lang says. The material world cannot fulfill this longing. Advice: Follow your heart and the way will open up for you.
25 A feeling that you are somehow different. A disquieting sense that everything in your life feels new and altered, that you have left your old self behind. You have. You are much greater than you can possibly imagine. There is more to come.
26 "Teachers" appear everywhere with perfect timing to help you on your spiritual journey: people, books, movies, events, Mother Nature, etc. Teachers may appear to be negative or positive when you are trapped in polarity thinking, but, from a transcendent perspective, they are always perfect. Just what you need to learn from and move on. By the way, we never get more than we are ready to master. Each challenge presents us with an opportunity to show our mastery in passing through it.
27 You find a spiritual track that makes sense to you and "speaks to you" at the most profound levels. Suddenly you are gaining a perspective that you would never have considered before. You hunger to know more. You read, share with others, ask questions, and go inside to discover more about who you are and why you are here
28 You are moving through learning and personal issues at a rapid pace. You sense that you are "getting it" quite readily. Advice: Keep remembering that things will come to you when they are ready to be healed. Not sooner. Deal with whatever comes up with courage and you will move through the issues rapidly.
29 Invisible presences. Here is the woo-woo stuff. Some people report feeling surrounded by beings at night or having the sensation of being touched or talked to. Often they will wake with a start. Some also feel their body orbed vibrate. The vibrations are caused by energetic changes after emotional clearing has taken place. Advice: This is a sensitive topic, but you may feel better blessing your bed and space around it before you sleep. I rest assured that I am surrounded only by the most magnificent spiritual entities and am always safe in God's care. Sometimes, however, the fear gets to me, and I call in Archangel Michael and/or Archangel Uriel. I don't beat myself up for being afraid sometimes. I forgive myself for not always sovereign at 3:00 a.m.
30 Portents, visions, "illusions", numbers, and symbols: Seeing things that have spiritual importance for you. Noticing how numbers appear synchronistically in your awareness. Everything has a message if you take the time to look. I enjoy the experience of "getting the messages." What fun!
31 Increased integrity: You realize that it is time for you to seek and speak your truth. It suddenly seems important for you to become more authentic, more yourself. You may have to say "no" to people whom you have tried to please in the past. You may find it intolerable to stay in a marriage or job or place that doesn't support who you are. You may also find there is nowhere to hide, no secrets to keep anymore. Honesty becomes important in all your relationships. Advice: Listen to your heart. If your guidance tells you not to do something, speak up and take action. Say "no". Likewise, you must also say "yes" to that which compels you. You must risk displeasing others without guilt in order to attain spiritual sovereignty.
32 Harmony with seasons and cycles: You are becoming more tuned to the seasons, the phases of the moon and natural cycles. More awareness of your place in the natural world. A stronger connection to the earth.
33 Electrical and mechanical malfunctions: When you are around, lightbulbs flicker, the computer locks up, or the radio goes haywire. Advice: Call on your angels, guides, or Grace Elohim to fix it or put up a field of protection of light around the machine. Surround your car with bluelight. Laugh.
34 Increased synchronicity and many small miracles. Look for more of these. Advice: Synchronistic events tell you if you are heading in the right direction or making the correct choices. Honor these clues and you cannot go astray. Spirit uses synchronicity to communicate to you. That's when you begin to experience daily miracles. See #30.
35 Increased intuitive abilities and altered states of consciousness: Thinking of someone and immediately hearing from them. More synchronicities. Having sudden insights about patterns or events from the past. Clairvoyance, out-of-body experiences, and other psychic phenomena. Intensified sensitivity and knowing. Awareness of one's essence and that of others. Channeling angelic and Christ-consciousness energies.
36 Communication with Spirit. Contact with angels, spirit guides, and other divine entities. Channeling. More and more people seem to be given this opportunity. Feeling inspiration and downloading information that takes form as writing, painting, ideas, communications, dance, etc.
37 A sense of Oneness with all. A direct experience of this Wholeness. Transcendent awareness. Being flooded with compassion and love for all life. Compassionate detachment or unconditional love for all is what lifts us up to higher levels of consciousness and joy.
38 Moments of joy and bliss. A deep abiding sense of peace and knowing that you are never alone.
39 Integration: You become emotionally, psychologically, physically, and spiritually stronger and clearer. You feel as if you are in alignment with your Higher Self.
40 Living your purpose: You know you are finally doing what you came to earth for. New skills and gifts are emerging, especially healing ones. Your life/work experiences are now converging and starting to make sense. You are finally going to use them all. Advice: Listen to your heart. Your passion leads you to where you must go. Go within and ask your Higher Power, "What is it you would have me do?" Watch for synchronicities. Listen.
41 Feeling closer to animals and plants. To some people, animals now seem to be more "human" in their behavior. Wild animals are less afraid. Plants respond to your love and attention more than ever. Some may even have messages for you.
42 Seeing beings of other dimensions. The veil between dimensions is thinner, so it is not surprising. Just stay in your sovereignty. You are more powerful than you can ever imagine, so do not entertain fear. Ask your guides for help if you slip into fear.
43 Seeing a person's true form or seeing loved ones with a different face -- past life or parallel life.
44 Physically manifesting thoughts and desires more quickly and efficiently. Advice: Monitor your thoughts. All thoughts are prayers. Be careful what you ask for.
45 Left -brain fogginess. Your psychic abilities, your intuitive knowing, your feeling and compassion, your ability to experience your body, your visioning, your expressiveness all emanate from the right brain. In order for this side of the brain to develop more fully, the left brain must shut down a little bit. Normally the left-hemisphere's capacity for order, organization, structure, linear sequencing, analysis, evaluation, precision, focus, problem-solving, and mathematics dominate our often less-valued right brain. What results are memory lapses, placing words in the wrong sequence, inability or no desire to read for very long, inability to focus; forgetting what you are just about to say; impatience with linear forms of communication (audio or written formats); a feeling of spaciness, being scattered; losing interesting research or complex information; feeling bombarded with words and talk and information; and a reluctance to write. Sometimes you feel dull and have no interest in analysis, lively intellectual discussion, or investigation. On the other hand, you might find yourself drawn to the sensate: videos, magazines with photos, beautiful artwork, movies, music, sculpting, painting, being with people, dancing, gardening, walking, and other kinesthetic forms of expression. You may search for spiritual content, even science fiction. Advice: You may discover that if you allow your heart and your right brain to lead you, the left will then be activated appropriately to support you. And someday we will be well-balanced, using both hemispheres with mastery.
46 Dizziness. This occurs when you are ungrounded. Perhaps you have just cleared a big emotional issue and your body is adjusting to your "lighter" state. Advice: Ground yourself by eating protein. Sometimes "comfort food" feels right. Don't make any food right or wrong for you. Use your guidance to know what you need at any given moment. Take your shoes off and put your feet in the grass for a couple of minutes.
47 Falling, having accidents, breaking bones. Your body is not grounded or perhaps your life is out of balance. Or your body may be telling you to slow down, examine certain aspects of your life, or heal certain issues. There is always a message. When I recently broke my ankle, I understand that my ankle was taking on what I myself refused to deal with. And that was all of the above. Advice: Stay grounded by taking your shoes off and putting your feet in the grass; even better, lie down on the grass without a blanket under you. Feel the earth beneath you. Get out in nature. Slow down and pay attention. Be mindful about what you are doing. Feel your feelings when they come up. Stay in the present. Surround yourself with blue light when you are feeling shaky.
48 Heart palpitations. A racing heart usually accompanies a heart opening. It only lasts for a few moments and means that the heart is re-balancing itself after an emotional release. I had one episode that terrified me: I woke up in the middle of the night, my heart pounding. I thought it was going to come right out of my chest. It only happened once and was, I understand, a huge heart-chakra opening. But I did check it out. There is nothing wrong with my heart. Advice: Remember what I said about getting medical attention when needed. Consult your doctor about any conditions you are not comfortable with.
49 Faster hair and nail growth. More protein is being used in the body. Too bad we can't tell the body where to grow the hair and where not to grow it. (Or can we? Hmmm.)
50 A desire to find your soulmate or twin flame. More than ever before, the idea that we can have a relationship that matches who we are seems more desirable. Advice: The truth is, we have to be the kind of person we want to attract. We have to love ourselves and where we are right now before we can attract a more "perfect" mate. The work begins at home. Here is how I think it works: Hold the desire for this person in your heart, but without attachment. Expect that someday you will meet someone who is more suited to you, but let go of any expectations as to who this will be and how it will happen. Focus instead on cleaning up your own life and being the kind of person you want to be. Be happy now. Enjoy your life. Then you may see.....
51 Memories surface. Body memories, suppressed memories, images of past lives and/or parallel lives. We are healing and integrating all our "selves", so expect to have some of these experiences. Advice. Keep in mind that it is best to recall what only what comes to mind, leave the rest alone, don't analyze everything to death (because you will be stuck in the tape loop of infinite issues to process), and feel your feelings as they come up. Ask for help from your guides. Note: This document may be shared, but please send it in its entirety. Thanks. Love and hugs, Annarita
The Awakening of the World by LLEWELLYN VAUGHAN-LEE
CONSCIOUSNESS OF ONENESS
At this time of transition when one era is dying and another is being born, we have a choice: we can stay with the images of the past, the ghosts of materialism that have polluted and desecrated our planet. Or we can move into a future that is not yet defined, that is full of possibilities. There are already signs of this future, some visible and some as yet hidden. We can see the seeds of a global consciousness, a deep awareness that we are all one people who are a part of a living, interrelated ecosystem. And within this awareness is an awakening consciousness of oneness, a consciousness that is not based upon duality but upon a primal knowing of the oneness that belongs to life and is a direct expression of the divine. In the internet and other forms of global communication we have been given some of the tools of this future, forms of interconnectivity that can take us beyond the hierarchical models of the past, into an organic and holistic way of living.
These are the signs of a future that is being born that can free us from the paradigm of duality and separation that has caused so much conflict and division, the conflicts of masculine and feminine, the split between matter and spirit. What is awakening is a more integrated consciousness that can heal and transform many of the wounds of the past era and offer humanity the possibility of living in greater harmony with each other and the planet. This awakening consciousness carries an energy that comes from the source of life, an energy that is dynamically alive, has the joy of creation, and brings with it a more direct experience of the divine that is within everything.
During the last era the many gods and goddesses of polytheism were replaced by the one God of monotheism. The masculine God of monotheism has a primarily transcendent nature—He lives in heaven—and as the gods and goddesses were banished the created world became separated from its divine nature. The split between matter and spirit emphasized the spiritual poverty of the physical world, and much of the natural magic that belongs to creation was also banished, just as the wise women who practiced healing and other natural arts were persecuted. As we become awake to the oneness that embraces all of creation, and is a embodiment of the oneness of God, humanity can reclaim the divinity of matter and the wonder of divine presence. We no longer need to live in a world of separation which has divorced matter and our physical selves from its spiritual nature. Everything is a celebration of divine oneness, everything a unique opportunity to praise and remember God.
Every moment is dynamically alive with His presence. Divine presence is not an isolated occurrence, not a single sighting to be revered and remembered, but an outpouring of love that is a constant stream coming into life. It cannot be captured, held as an icon. It needs to be embodied and fully lived. We are a part of the living substance of God that is in constant motion as It reveals Itself again and again, “never in the same form twice.” Each moment is complete, and each moment is a part of life’s continual outpouring.
Once we awaken to divine presence we will find ourself in a very different world. As we reconnect the physical world with its divine nature it can come alive again in many ways that are hidden or have been repressed. The physical world is not just dead matter, but a spinning organism of light full of magic and hidden potential. There are many forces in creation that are waiting to be activated that can heal and transform ourselves and the world. In the past some of these forces were known to shamans and healers. Much of the healing work of the future will be learning to work with these forces on both an individual and global level. We will learn new techniques that will bring together the wisdom of the shaman and priestess and the knowledge of the physician and scientist.
There are many different levels of reality, different dimensions of consciousness, from the physical world, through the archetypal world of symbols, to the pure consciousness of the Self and beyond into the planes of non-being. In the previous era the journey of spiritual ascent took the seeker from the physical world of the senses to the higher planes of reality. However, in the circle of divine oneness everything is present. There is no above and below, no ascending or descending. These are images of the past millennium. All the levels of reality interpenetrate, and the “highest” is present within each of us. The soul pervades the body from head to toe. Every cell is impregnated with His essence. And between the particles of creation is the infinite emptiness, which recent physics suggests is full of dark energy, and mystics know to carry the secrets of non-being..
The consciousness of oneness does not just embrace the physical world and the interrelationship of the web of life. It will also bring together the different levels of reality that in the last era were primarily kept separate. Our western culture may have its roots in the Pre-Socratic tradition of Parmenides and Empedocles, but we have systematically erased the knowledge that they were mystics and magicians with direct access to other worlds. Similarly we have forgotten how to work with the symbolic world, although as Carl Jung rediscovered, this knowledge was kept alive for many centuries by the alchemical tradition. We need to reclaim the knowing of how to work with the inner worlds, so that the wisdom and energy that is within us can come into the outer world and once again we can be nourished from the source of life and the meaning that comes from the soul.
Relearning the language of the inner world will mean regaining respect for the forces that underlie existence, the primal powers of life that were called gods and goddesses. We will have to realize the pain we have caused them through our neglect and abuse, and how our pursuit of materialism has polluted not just the physical world but also desecrated the inner world of the soul. We have created an inner and outer wasteland and stripped the sacred meaning from life. As we awaken to the new consciousness that is being offered we will have to accept responsibility for our actions and neglect. Consciousness always comes at and price and we will see more fully what we have done. Then, when the worlds begin to flow together, when the inner and outer unite within our consciousness and our lives, something new can come alive. This is the child of the future, born from this coniunctio. She is both male and female, outer and inner, above and below, spirit and matter. She is within each of us and yet beyond us. She knows the secrets of matter and the majesty of light upon light.
WORKING WITH LIGHT
These are hints to what might come into being. But something even more fundamental is taking place, something that needs our attention and participation. The world is coming alive in a way that has not happened for many millennia. A light at the core of creation is awakening and speaking to the light within humanity. Just as we have forgotten that the world belongs to God, we have forgotten that it is a living spiritual being that like an individual can spiritually awaken. There was a time many eras ago when the world was awake and humanity was nourished directly from the source. It is sometimes called the Golden Age.
What does it mean that world might awaken, and how can we help in this process? Esoteric knowledge has always known about different levels of consciousness within the human being and developed practices to help us evolve and awaken to a “higher” level. An individual’s awakening to the plane of the Self, a direct awareness of oneness, love, and pure consciousness, is the goal of many spiritual practices. The way the world functions as a living spiritual being is less known—this knowledge traditionally belongs to the spiritual hierarchy, the masters of wisdom (known in the Sufi tradition as the awiliya or friends of God) and their helpers. For millennia their work has been to look after the spiritual well-being of the world, aligning it with forces that can help in its evolution and protect it from negative forces that might be too destructive. “Keeping watch on the world and for the world” they have worked primarily in the inner planes, veiled, hidden, so that they can continue in their work undisturbed.
The work of the spiritual awakening of the world has been prepared for by these masters but this work also requires the participation of individual consciousness. The masters cannot do this work on their own because it is important that human consciousness take responsibility for and participates in this next stage of global evolution. The work of the masters has been to create a network of love and light around the world to act as a container for this shift in global consciousness. They have been linking together individuals and groups who are able and willing to participate in this work. The first stage of their work has been completed and the next stage will be to infuse into the spiritual body of the earth the energy needed to effect this shift. As with the spiritual transformation of the individual, any major shift in consciousness requires grace or energy from a dimension that cannot be directly accessed from within the previous consciousness. On the individual journey this is one of the reasons for the spiritual transmission given from teacher to disciple: the teacher transmits to the individual the energy he or she needs to make a major shift in consciousness. On a global level the masters have access to the energy that is needed for the world’s awakening and their work is to bring it into the world. The network of light they have created around the world can help in this process but it also needs the participation of individuals, those who are receptive to this act of spiritual service.
Part of the blueprint for the future is that its foundations and the energy that is given is in accordance with the essential note of the era. If the next era is about humanity taking responsibility for the planet then humanity must be able to directly participate in this stage of awakening. A work that used to be done in secret accessible only to initiates is now made open to anyone who wishes to participate. This is part of the nature of global oneness: everyone is allowed to participate. Of course many people are not interested in spiritual service: and even many sincere seekers are too focused on their own individual spiritual path to be open to this global dimension of service. But any who are sincerely drawn to be in service to the whole at this time of transition have the possibility to be involved, for their light to work with the light of the whole as it comes alive within the world.
How can the individual participate directly with the light of the whole? Through the relationship of microcosm and macrocosm. The individual’s pivotal position of microcosm to the whole of creation can be found in alchemy and also in Sufism, as well as in other esoteric traditions. The mystery of this relationship reveals how the individual can relate directly to the whole without need for any intermediary, without organizations or hierarchy. The light and energies within the individual and within the world are directly connected and can resonate with each other—from one to One.
We are not a species separate from life but part of life’s organic wholeness and the light of our consciousness belongs to life—life needs it for its survival and transformation. When we give our light to the light of the world we make a connection of light to light that helps the world in its process of dynamic change. And each of us has a unique part to play, a contribution that only our individual light can make. This is part of the secret of oneness and the dynamics of its unfolding. Everything interrelates and communicates according to its true nature as part of the living web of life.
Through the relationship of individual consciousness and the light of the whole a new organic structure of consciousness can be created that will contain the light of the global consciousness that is needed for the next era. Once we live the truth of oneness we will realize that our consciousness is part of the consciousness of the world and has a determining factor in the world’s evolution. This is the real nature of co-creation, of participating directly with the changing patterns of life. Through the interaction of human consciousness life can create new forms, new ways of being. And with our own light we can welcome the light of the world back into creation. This relationship of the light of the individual to the whole is central to the awakening of the world.
Life has always presented humanity with new challenges to help us evolve and grow. Yet at each stage we are reluctant to “take upon us the mystery of things,” but would rather remain with the attitudes and conditioning that belong to a previous era. But a new way of life is waiting to come into being, and it needs us as midwives. We just need to recognize the simple wonder of being alive, of being a part of life, and say an unconditional “yes” to be fully present at this moment of transition. Through this “yes” we open ourselves to what life needs. Then life can reveal to us how we can work together. Life is a living spiritual presence that knows its divine purpose of which we are a part. This is the challenge that is confronting those who are drawn to this light, whose souls want to work with this awakening. Here there are no righteous wars or the dramas of good and bad. Here there is no one and nothing to be saved or redeemed. A new birth has no knowledge of such things. It just carries the primal spark of creation, the eternal yes of life coming into being, and the stamp of the real creator.
THE SONG OF THE WORLD
What could it mean if the world awakens? This is like the wonder of our own awakening. Over many years we might be given glimpses of the power of the heart, the wisdom and love within. We work to purify ourselves, to contribute in service to life and love. And one day something comes alive within us. Our heart awakens, and we experience a greater power and knowing beyond ourselves. This is the potential of the moment in the world. Our world’s soul can awaken, and all humanity can come to know its true nature.
We know how our awakening frees us from many of the patterns that restrict us and deny us our divine nature: how in the light of our real self many of the problems that consumed our energy fall away, or fade like mist in the morning sun. Although life presents us with difficulties and challenges it is not a problem, but a living spiritual being made in the image of God. When we recognize life’s divine nature, not as a spiritual ideal but a simple presence that is part of our everyday existence, we will find that once again we can experience the simple wonder and joy that belong to life.
When we work together with life as a living divine wholeness we will see the simple answers life has to sustaining itself. And we will be given new energies to work with life, energies that are presently hidden within creation but are also waiting to come alive. And something else will be present, something that we have forgotten for many millennia. In the midst of creation there is a song, a song that belongs to life that tells of its hidden purpose, what the Sufis call the mystery of the word “Kun!” [Be!]. Seeing life through the eyes of the ego we only see a small fraction of what it means to be alive, but in this song of life its true wonder and meaning can be heard. To be the guardians of the planet, to step into our real role of global responsibility, will open us to this song, this mystery made manifest.
An awareness of global oneness has begun to constellate. The idea of the unity of life, that “we are one,” no longer belongs just to a spiritual or ecological fringe, but is becoming part of the mainstream. But this awareness is lacking an essential ingredient—it is still an idea, it is not fully alive. When it becomes alive the heart of the world will open and we will hear the song of the divine oneness of life.
The world has to awaken from its sleep of forgetfulness—it can no longer afford to forget its divinity. More than any pollution it is this forgetfulness that is killing the earth. Collectively we are dying—we have forgotten our purpose and a life-form that has forgotten its purpose cannot survive. Its fundamental reason for existence fades away. The awakening of the heart of the world can redeem what has been desecrated, heal what has been wounded, purify what has been polluted. The song of the world will remind us all why we are here and the whole of life will rejoice. (Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee is a Sufi teacher and author of a number of books, including Light of Oneness.) © 2005 The Golden Sufi Center
How To Deal With Negative People by Catherine Pratt
Negative people... They're like human black holes which suddenly come out of nowhere and just suck the life out of you. You try to stay positive and remain strong but their negativity ends up just completely draining you, you feel exhausted, and you may also start to feel depressed too.So what can you do? One of the first things to do is to be aware of who the negative people are in your life. This may not be as easy as you first think. Some very nice people are as Judy Orloff says in her book, "Positive Energy" are really energy vampires. Here's some of the signs she says to look for:
"- you experience a sense of being demeaned, constricted or attacked.
- you intuitively feel unsafe, tense or on guard.
- you sense prickly, off-putting vibes. You can't wait to get away from them.
- your energy starts to fizzle. You may feel beleaguered or ill."
She also refers to them by the following names which you might recognize: the sob sister, the blamer, the drama queen, the constant talker or joke teller, and the fixer-upper (requires endless help).
Also, pay attention to what the person talks about. Is it always about how bad things are? Do they just complain and never actually do anything about what's upsetting them?
Once you have a good idea on how to recognize them then you can actually work on protecting yourself from them. Here's 10 strategies on how to deal with negative people:
1. Where’s it coming from?
Do you understand why this person is so negative? Is it because they hate their job, feel frustrated, feel trapped in their life or do they lack in self esteem so the only way they can feel powerful is by hurting others? If you can understand where it’s coming from, it’s much easier to deal with. Some people seem to think that the only way they can get what they want is to be manipulative. Remember the saying, "the squeaky wheel gets the oil." They believe this and think that if they don't whine and complain that they won't be heard and that this is the only way to get what they want.
Remember that the negative behaviour is a reflection of them. It tells you what kind of person they are and what issues they may be dealing with. It's not a reflection of who you are.
2. Just smile and remain completely detached
Whenever the negative tirade starts just smile and don’t say anything. Remain completely detached from it and don’t get involved in it. Leave the room if you can. The negative person is simply seeking to get a reaction from you. That’s what they feed on. Don't let them catch you in their web of negativity because as soon as you do, that’s when they start draining your energy.
It's the emotions that these negative people stir up in you that you need to learn to distance yourself from. Try just observing the whole scene. Say to yourself, "what a shame this person is so unhappy. Maybe some of my positive energy will rub off on her. If not, her unhappiness has nothing to do with me." This isn't always an easy thing to do but definitely a powerful technique. In order to get the full benefit from it, you need to make sure that you're aware of what's going on around you. It's easy to slip into auto-pilot and not realize until later how drained you feel. You need to detach yourself from the event while it's happening and just observe it.
This works well for family members who you don’t really have a choice as to whether they’re in your life or not.
3. Say, “Now tell me something positive.”
Right after they've finished telling you some tragic story, say to them, "now tell me a positive story". Some people have no idea how negative they’ve become. That's what they're surrounded by day in and day out so it’s just become a way of life for them. By being given the reminder, they may actually realize that being negative isn't the kind of person they want to be and may start to work on becoming more positive. Or, they may decide it's not worth telling you their horror stories because you'll ask them to think of something positive. Sob sisters (always whining, feel the world is against them, feel they're victims) will probably not find you very attractive anymore.
4. Imagine a bright white light surrounding you
Yes, this sounds silly but if you can do it, it’s amazing how much of a difference it can make. You'll feel that their negativity can’t touch you because you now have a force field protecting you.
I used to have a really nasty manager who would constantly try to make me feel like an idiot. When I had a shower in the morning, I would imagine that I was being covered with a protective oil so that any of her comments would just slide right off me. I also put up a post it note on my computer that said, “Oiyli” which stood for “Only if you let it”. It reminded me that her comments could only hurt me if I let them. If was my choice as to how to react to her.
5. Is it a sign?
I find that the “universe” uses negative people as the way to get me to move on whenever I’m getting comfortable in a situation that isn’t challenging me anymore. It’s like a prod that I should be focusing more on following my dream rather than just getting caught up in a nice, comfortable routine that isn’t getting me anywhere. If I didn’t have these people, then I would probably just stay. So, sometimes I'm really grateful to these people because they're giving me the "kick" that I need.
6. What does it say about you?
Negative people want to get a reaction out of you. And the only way they can is if they hit on one your "buttons" or something that causes intense feelings for you. For example they may bring out past feelings of guilt or anger or make you feel like you're being rejected or that you're not good enough.
So, if there's one particular person who drains you the most, ask yourself why is it affecting you so much? Sometimes, you can learn a lot about yourself by analysing what feelings it's bringing up within you. Once you figure it out and deal with it then you'll find that the energy draining person simply has no power over you anymore.
7. Trying to feel needed
Is listening to the complaints of the negative person your way of feeling valued? Does it make you feel needed? If it does, then you need to start valuing yourself more and you’ll find that this just won't happen anymore. Be selective about who and how you help others. Just listening to negative tales over and over helps neither of you.
A good test to see if this is happening is to notice how you feel after "helping" someone. If you feel drained or tired or annoyed or frustrated then all you've done is given over your own energy to them. This isn't beneficial to you at all, and rarely does it help them in the long run.
8. Try saying, “I love you, thank you, I’m sorry” over and over
This is kind of an "off the wall" kind of theory but it’s worth a try. If you want to read an article about how a doctor healed an entire mental institution simply by saying these words then read this story: Dr. Len. You can also listen to a couple of radio interviews with him on News for the Soul.
9. It’s not your fault
You may be feeling that you have to solve the problems of the energy drainer. You’re not responsible for the person’s life nor their negativity. You don’t have to feel guilty for them being unhappy. Let go of trying to fix or help them. That's not what they want anyway. They want your energy and so you have to be strong and not give in to them.
A suggestion by Judy Orloff for dealing with draining co-workers is to keep mentioning to the person that you have work to do and you can only listen to them for a minute. If after a few minutes, the person is still going on about the same thing then either change the conversation or politely but firmly end the conversation. It's important to be able to let go of the idea that you owe everyone a solution. With some people you just have to let them go. They have to take responsibility for their own lives and they won't if someone is always there to fix everything for them. So, Let Go! It sounds mean but it definitely doesn't help them if they end up taking you down with them. In that case, then neither one of you is benefiting.
10. Be enthusiastic and focus on your own energy
If you can be higher energy than they are then your energy will most likely start to rub off on those around you instead of the other way around. Also, the less you pay attention to them, the less they'll affect you.
In Summary
"Energy Vampires" are going to appear in and out of your life. The trick is to learn how to deal with them before they appear. If you don't then they truly will suck all your energy right out of you without you even realizing it. They will also be having a huge effect on your life and whether you're able to achieve your dreams and goals. Learn how to deal with negative people so that as Judy Orloff says you can, "be confident that no one can drain you if you don't cooperate". Your life will just instantly improve.
Sacred Contracts By clairvoyant Caroline Myss
Have you ever wondered what your mission in life is supposed to be? You probably know people who seem to have had their entire life mapped out from the day they were born. You may have envied their sure sense of what they were born to do -- their work, career, marriage, and personal goals. And yet you have probably also wondered whether that was really all there was to it. So have I. The answer I found is that there's much more involved. I believe that each of us is guided by a Sacred Contract that our soul made before we were born. That Contract contains a wide range of agreements regarding all that we are intended to learn in this life. It comprises not merely what kind of work we do but also our key relationships with the people who are to help us learn the lessons we have agreed to work on. Each of those relationships represents an individual Contract that is part of your overall Sacred Contract, and may require you to be in a certain place at a certain time to be with that person.
This doesn't mean, of course, that free will plays no role in your Sacred Contract. At any given moment -- or "choice point" -- your Contract may provide you with an opportunity for growth. It can come in the form of a challenge at work, the dissolution of an old relationship or the formation of a new one. As you work with my book "Sacred Contracts," you will keep notes on each of the significant Contracts in your life. I recommend that you keep a notebook or journal for just this purpose. (I've designed a Journal of Inner Dialogue to help you organize all the information you'll accumulate as you review the key relationships in your past and present by answering the many questions in my book.) Your Contract is made up of all these components of your life, yet it can't be reduced to any one of them by itself. One way of viewing your Contract is as your overall relationship to your personal power and spiritual power. It determines how you work with your energy and to whom you give it. Finding and fulfilling your Sacred Contract also depends on how much you are willing to surrender to divine guidance.
The Basis of Sacred Contracts
I believe that we each agree to the terms of our Contract before entering the physical realm of this world. This applies whether you accept the concept of reincarnation, or believe in a single lifetime followed by heaven or hell -- or neither. I go into the background for my beliefs in much greater detail in "Sacred Contracts", but one fascinating parallel occurs in the writings of Plato. In the tenth and final book of his great work The Republic, Plato relates the Myth of Er.
In brief, the story concerns a Greek soldier named Er who is left for dead on the battlefield. Twelve days later he awakens on his own funeral pyre, and later tells a remarkable tale of what he observed while he was suspended between life and death. Er found himself in a kind of way station between heaven and earth where souls were passing from one plane to the other. Dead souls were waiting to be judged and assigned to their reward or punishment, while other souls prepared for their journey to earth. Some were old souls returning for another go-round; others were freshly minted and awaiting their first life on Earth.
At one point the waiting souls are presented with many possible life scenarios, and are advised to choose from these "samples of lives." Plato informs us that "there were many more lives than the souls present, and they were of all sorts. There were lives of every animal and of man in every condition," including tyrants.
Before entering life on the Earth plane, however, the souls were led to the plain of Forgetfulness, a barren waste with no vegetation, where they were required to drink from the river of Unmindfulness. They then promptly forgot everything that had just happened to them. The reason should be obvious: if you know in advance exactly what's going to happen in your life, you would have great difficulty making decisions or taking actions that are intended to teach you something, often through painful experiences. You might naturally be reluctant to begin a relationship with someone who you knew would hurt you, even though you needed to learn a valuable lesson from that person.
Whether we take this myth literally or simply as a teaching device of Plato's, we can use it to gain a higher perspective on our life. If you think of your life's direction as something to which you have agreed, then what formerly seemed like arbitrary or even absurd conditions can be seen in another light. They are part of the roadmap that you've agreed to follow. Each event, each person of any significance whom you encounter, has an agreed-on role in your learning experience. Sometimes the learning is difficult because you don't always surrender to the situation. It may take time for you to see the reasons for it. But the sooner you do, the less painful it becomes. In time, you can learn to accept each event as it happens without struggling against it and prolonging your psychic -- and physical -- suffering. To have a serious illness or injury is difficult enough; seeing it as a punishment or the cruel caprice of fate only makes it harder to bear. The resulting stress will probably also make it worse, and you will take longer to heal or recover.
Naturally, you can't be expected to see everything immediately, or in advance. But if you have a way of looking at the symbolic meaning of your experiences, you will be better prepared to accept the inevitable changes to your life. Fighting change builds up emotional scar tissue. Surrendering to divine will allows you to accept the changes, and get on with your life.
Angels, Archangels and Spirit guides
Spiritual Grounding, Centering, Clearing and Protection
Indigo, Crystal, Rainbow and Star Children
Chakra Clearing, Cleaning and Balancing