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A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING

 

A New Awareness

2014 is proving to be a tumultuous year of spiritual shifts and upheavals and will continue to do so. The awakening is only part of what is being presented to us. Scandals, repercussions, abuses and more are coming to light and are more than waking people up. There is also a sense of accountability for actions taken but the accountability doesn't end there. Those who would seek to point the finger at those who did wrong must be aware and mindful that their intentions must be for the good of all and not just their ego and image. The finger pointing and accusations are beginning to work both ways. Be aware of your intentions and of the skeletons in your own closet for now is the time when spirits will be laid bare and exposed.

Spiritual Life Compasses

Recently I had an opportunity to listen to a speaker talk about spiritual compasses and how it effected both their religion and the lives of those who were choosing a spiritual life outside of that organized religion. This speaker quickly talked over how young people feel lost and betrayed, but that some of the corner posts of their religion still infiltrated into their mind sets. I realized that I had covered spiritual versus religion some time ago but I never talked about choosing what we honour.

Spiritual life compasses are those things that bring us both a sense of direction and a sense of peace and belonging. These sentiments can and often do exist outside of the context of group or secular beliefs. It is only when we begin to understand ourselves through these compass choices that we begin to find our community or communities. Yet even these communities, like friendships, will change, vary, and grow as our spirits dictate and we may even find ourselves involved in more than one community.

At one time in our early years most of us were brought up in homes where religion held sway. As my early childhood began in a Christian home, many of my value foundations, like other peoples, are founded on simple precepts of respect and love. What happens as we grow up and mature is that we sometimes find ourselves at odds with the world and the groups of people we have had contact with. We begin to question not so much the validity of the precepts but more the context of how and when their interpretations came into being. We begin to feel within us a changing of our perceptions and a need to feel more attached to like minds. When we see members of our community acting out of context of our precepts, our questions grow louder and our sense of betrayal or of being lied to grow and the seeds of doubt about the standards of our community are sown. When our perception of common values change or if we believe that others in our group no longer hold those same precepts in the same regard, we find ourselves feeling at a loss, adrift and sometimes even alone. It is during these times that many people will abandon the structure of their religious upbringing in search of something that fills the void left by those seeming betrayals.

That is where we, along with many others, find ourselves. This is when we begin to examine not only other belief structures and religions but our own very core values. Perhaps in our searching we find some commonality in Buddhism, or Catholicism, or Hinduism, or Islam, or in one of the many "pagan" religions that have resurfaced. It doesn't mean that we have abandoned our upbringing or our values. Instead we seek to find community that holds more of the same precepts in the same regard as we do. Ultimately, what seems to be happening more and more, is that people are choosing bits and pieces to make a spiritual compass that works for their own lives and not solely for the the community of like minds. These new communities can sometimes be very different from the ones that we were raised in. We now seek not just a commonality of thought, but an acceptance that we can choose to adhere to precepts that cut across many organized religious communities. Many of the "New Age" like minded communities celebrate the differences of each member and are willing to allow the differences in opinion and precepts to exist as long as they are expressed in respectful, and tolerant ways. Yet here too, we may find intolerance and some sense of superiority creeping in. Unfortunately, that is a human condition and one that all spiritual communities need to be mindful of.

In our growth, our spirits will no longer be bound by one authority saying this is the right or only way of accepting the Divine. If we consider why we are searching for these commonalities, I would say that we are finally listening to the voice of our own soul. If we believe in reincarnation, as many religions do, even if it has been removed from most holy books, then we can understand what it is about certain precepts that draw us to them. The lessons of those past lives, the comfort found within those times, and even a returning sense of self, help to us to find our focus through the thoughts to a place where we can find comfort within ourselves and within many varying and accepting communities. This is the reality of our new spiritual compasses. They are not wrong, nor are they so very different. It still remains that the spirit is seeking a companion of community, of like minded souls, that can share both the joys and sadness, the gratitude and forgiveness, that make our lives complete.

I bid you peace as you discover, explore and expand your spiritual compasses for this journey. Blessings.

 

CRYSTALS

Azurite (Revisited)

Azurite is a fairly common crystal and is usually blue, to dark blue in colour. Azurite can be found in many locales around the world including the United States, Chile, Peru, France and Egypt. There are stories that date back to the time of Solomon telling of Azurite's usefulness as a stone for healing and for deep meditation.

As a tool for physical healing, Azurite is a master healing crystal and works very well to heal open wounds and post-surgery traumas. For the nervous system Azurite has a calming effect and decreases the stress and pain levels associated with injuries. Azurite is also beneficial for detoxifying the body as it supports the liver, spleen and gallbladder, while preventing blockages and congestion within the organs. Azurite is beneficial for the mind and mental processes and can aid in making decisions when stress becomes overwhelming. Azurite is also beneficial for joint and arthritic ailments.

Spiritually, Azurite deepens meditative states and can open the channels of communication with our guides and angels. Azurite also aids in bringing legal and justice issues into a clarified state. Azurite also promotes a sense of sureness when making decisions that are right and proper for the soul when doubts are magnified. Azurite can aid the spirit in releasing harmful programming that holds back our spiritual growth and that can cause illness.

When Azurite is worn in jewelry it can create a heightened sense of what is right and what is wrong allowing for a surety to enter into the wearer's focus.

Azurite should be cleansed monthly. Putting Azurite into a dish with hematite crystals overnight is all this master crystal needs to be brought back into balance.

Azurite

Azurite

 

Thoughts for October & November

As we enter into the dark of this calendar year, it is important that we look into the energy of the "super moons" that we experienced during the summer. I know that a lot of people are saying it's just the moon with no special energy yet those of us who are sensitive to the energy pulls of the moon know this to be different. The energy of these moons caused a major emotional release for some people that find themselves on many diverse and difficult paths. At times the release of these old emotions has made us feel like we have suffered a major relapse and that our movement along our path has been imaginary. Rest assured that if you have felt these emotions and have dealt with them that this is now a time of final release and healing as we enter into the dark of the year.

The dark of the year has always held a mystery for us and we have celebrate customs that bring that energy into focus without even thinking about it. Halloween, or All Saint's Day Eve, is about a thinning of the veils between worlds. Some religions believe that this is the time of passing for all souls who have perished over the year, can now return to the Other Side and begin their time of healing. Yet even those of us who remain can and do release past hurts, failures and even successes to make room in our hearts and souls for more experiences. Yet with the passing of these "super moons" some of us will experience an even greater separation of those emotions, at this time. I ask that you allow them to pass and enter into November with a clear and open heart and spirit. We must allow ourselves the time to go within, to apply that which our spirit seeks and to actually begin the process of healing. Think of it as being wrapped in a big, warm blanket, that has been pulled up over our head. Warmth begins to seep into every part of our being and we find our soul basking in healing love. For it is, in November, that we experience the dark embrace of healing before the returning light of the coming Solstice.

 

 

MONTHLY MEDITATION

"Release"

"I have faced my fears.

I found them coiled tightly around my heart and mind.

Quietly, over the years, they have whispered doubts into my waking thoughts.

Slowly they have become part of my path without me even noticing.

Yet something has stirred within me and outside forces call to me to be mindful.

How did I become so lost within these fears?

How can something so small feel so huge and overpowering?

Today, I will choose differently.

Today I have felt the pull of release and have seen the fears for what they are.

They are simply lessons about myself.

Today I will take each one out in turn, examine it, embrace its essence

and then give to the Divine to handle.

Today I will release the fear that binds me and I will be free."

 

October 2014