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.
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