Manifestation

The Birth of Venus
Sandro Botticelli, 1486

Over the past 18 months, I have refocused my energies towards making positive changes in my life. I decided it was time to embrace life. To do things that make my heart sing, and when those opportunities didn’t prevail that I would continue with a smile.

But more than that.

I suddenly became aware, conscious. I realised that I have not been living my life to its greatest potential. So I decided it was time to embrace life and love again, to be open to receive all that I deserve.

Through daily yoga and meditation I activated my prana, or chi, to flow freely. With ritual and visualisation, I began to clearly see myself living the life that I desire, doing the things that make me happy and sharing the experiences with my life partner.

Allow yourself to let go, let the child inside you break free. See yourself in your dream job, with your soul mate or simply enjoying life to the fullest.

Manifestation. It’s easy once you let go and let it flow.

11.11.11

What an amazing day last Friday was. I felt the energies creeping up towards something special the night before. So many wonderful events taking place all at the one time, it is no surprise this was indeed a special day which included: 

• World Peace Day; 
• Remembrance Day for our war veterans; 
• 11th day of the 11th month of the 11th year. Numerologists everywhere will agree that this is very significant. On it's own, 11 is considered a master number but three of them together is very magical; 
• a full moon; and 
• as believed by some, the dawning of the new Age of Aquarius. 

 I felt a very calm and peaceful energy around me all day. I started my day with my usual morning yoga and we welcomed the full moon at 7.17am as it set high in the sky, but not luminously visible. That night, I was lucky enough to attend a yoga meditation, chant, gong and healing circle. The energy around my fellow yogi's was that of true love and healing. At 11.11pm, we mustered some more energy with our chanting to welcome the new age, the Age of Aquarius.

There are many philosophies and ideas as to when the Age of Aquarius actually starts. My theory is that the energies are strong regardless if it is was on 11.11.11, or will be on 20,12.2012 or even a few years after that. It doesn't really matter because the unification and harmonisation of Mother Earth is strong and increasing all the time as more people become consciously aware.

Follow your heart

When Steve Jobs passed away, the world mourned. Apple friend or foe, he was widely recognised as a brilliant man who did everything he could to make improvements and changes to the world. And he did. 
 


I received an email with a transcript he had written during his time of recovery. I found it to be quite profound and I was pleased that he had taken the time to write the words. Towards the end of his note, this is what he wrote:

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." Steve Jobs

This resonated with me in such a way that I keep re-reading it.

I think about my own life and see the reality this dogma. The dogma of society, where I fulfil the expectations and desires of others. I wake up each day before I get ready for work and I wish that it was already over, as it is at the end of the work day that I am able to do the things that make my heart sing. I am grateful that I have begun to make the changes, that I am moving towards living a life that is true to me.

In our hearts we truly know what we are to become, all that we can be and all that we can do. It only takes a few moments of our time to stop, to listen and to be aware. That little voice that keeps suggesting we make changes is intuition and by listening to this inner wisdom, we are following our heart. 
 

Beltane

Beltane. A celebration of love and creativity. 


In the Southern Hemisphere the wheel is reversed while our Northern friends experience Samhain. On both sides of the planet the connection to the spirit world is stronger allowing greater communication.


Father Sky fills the days with more light and warmth. Mother Earth is fertilised and we see life regenerated amongst nature. 


I like to bring this renewal of energy into my life with creativity and joy. I give thanks for the opportunities and abundance that I have and I give thanks for those that I am about to receive. 


Like the wheel, our lives constantly turn with new creations, new opportunities, new beginnings, new love. Beltane is time to open the heart to receive joy, love and creativity that is destined to be ours.

Relax

Rupert Bunny, Pastoral (Sea Idyll Pastorale) c1893

Until recently I had managed to avoid the winter flu's and other bugs that normally invade us during the darker months of Winter. This year has been particularly wet so there have been fewer days basking in the gentler sunshine of the season. But I was surprised to find that I picked up a cold given my relatively healthy lifestyle. Thankfully, a cold is all it turned out to be.

During a day of well needed rest, I reflected on the past few weeks and realised that I had spent a considerable amount of time stressing over a work matter. It was quite a big deal but nonetheless, the apparent stress took it's toll on my body. I know that I can address the issue at the appropriate time, and I know that unnecessary stress does not help in any way whatsoever. Regardless of my awareness, knowing that I should step away – take a walk, breathe, talk to someone - I still allowed myself to submerge into the depths of fury and frustration.

The human body is an amazing life force. All that negative energy, anger and frustration I felt developed into toxins resulting in a cold. I truly believe that tension in our daily lives manifests into dis-ease in our physical bodies.

But how do we overcome the stress that is so much the norm of today’s society?

My inner voice tells me that I need to relax, take time each and every day specifically for me. I need to find ways to release physical tension – for me yoga and massage work well. I need to have creative outlets – I love to write, create magick, sculpt and sometimes draw. And most importantly, I need to meditate daily.

Sounds great! If only I could do all of these things every day, but the reality is that I need to work. It is a balancing act. However, I can bring breath into my work place. I can find a few minutes to write a few words of verse. I can find five minutes to sit quietly.

If I remember to bring love and light back into my life, I can relax and that is all I need.

Imbolc

Imbolc celebrates the return of light as we have passed through the darkest hours of winter. Most of us have rested and become more withdrawn during the shorter, colder days. The earth begins to renew it's growth with the feeling of Spring just around the corner. Imbolc brings new life, a sense of joy with the imminent warmth of the Sun.

Similarly, it is a good time to plant our own seeds for emotional, mental and spiritual development. What do we want to grow, to harvest in our lives? What new pleasures do we want to experience? What projects do we want to embark on? Do we want to establish, re-ignite or continue to burn with the fires of passion?

Imbolc is a time to give thought to bringing about positive changes, to see emerging shoots and growth in our lives for the forthcoming Ostara - the Spring Equinox, when all life entwines in the riches of nature.

Meditation with Michael

Archangel Michael appeared before me and I immediately felt peaceful in his presence. As he stood facing me, he gently placed his left hand on my right cheek and his right hand carefully on my left shoulder, cupping my neck. It felt comfortable, warm and loving.

I closed my eyes and breathed in the golden light emanating from him. With tenderness, he said I was a beautiful being and I should never doubt myself. If I ever needed support I was only to ask and it would be provided. He told me to keep on my path and keep moving forward. Then I felt his left hand softly on my heart, Anahata – my heart chakra. It was warm and a bright light filled my chest and exploded through my body. It felt amazing and I breathed in every molecule.

Peace was with me again and the busy chatter in my mind had faded. As I opened my eyes, I was alone yet restored of energy and motivation.

This meditation came to me during Savasana, the final resting pose during a yoga class. We spent a lot of time focussing on opening the heart. I felt blessed to receive this message.

Faith

Faith. It is something we all have whether we realise it or not. Some choose to put their faith in religion, be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhism, Spiritual, Pagan or one of many other creeds. We believe that there is a greater power, a divine being guiding us on our path. Even the Atheist has a belief system, albeit defiant of all God’s or deities, perhaps maintaining an existentialist philosophy that we are each responsible for our actions in turn creating our own destiny.

As a species, we need to believe in something, to trust and to have hope. It is part of who we are and it helps aid our emotional well being.

Historically, faith has been a driving force responsible for wars and greed of power over land and empires. This part of our human nature has not evolved over the centuries as we sadly continue to decimate, not only each other, but the planet and all it’s life.

It is important to send love and light to our friends and family as well as across the globe. The destruction and annihilation continues with our negative thoughts but it can be changed – the power of the mind is phenomenal.

Start by loving within, truly admire who you are and make positive alterations to areas that need transformation. Trust in yourself. Believe in yourself. Have faith that you can be all that you aspire to, and the rest will follow.

Fear VS Love

With 2012 and all it’s unknowns drawing near, I am seeing a lot of fear rising amongst people. There is talk of collecting supplies in preparation of a potential disaster. I find this kind of conversation manifests fear and projects that fear into the universe. Since we live in a 3D reality, what we project is what we get.

Yes there may be some practical elements in stocking up on canned food and water. But you only have to look around and see the world that we already live in has floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and destructive fires as Mother Earth readjusts her equanimity. Historically, this is not anything new. Our ancestors have lived through such changes and with even greater impact.

We live in a society that relies so heavily on technology and big business. It is possible that the coming changes will impact our fast paced lives and encourage us to slow down. But is this really a bad thing?

In the Mayan calendar, 2012 marks the commencement of the new age, the Age of Aquarius. For those of us who are consciously aware, we will receive greater clarity and ascend to a higher level of consciousness. Others will tap into a more spiritual life and begin to make changes - I see this happening already.

Beyond that it is unknown of what lies in front of us. But instead of creating fear I choose love. I choose love to fill my life. I choose love to fill the earth and all her wonderful beings. It’s easy, just close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and imagine a beautiful pinkish white light fill your body from your toes up to the crown of your head. Feel it’s warmth, it’s beauty, it’s joy, it’s peace. Now see the earth’s sphere with it’s glorious green land and blue sea in your hands and project that same light around the globe. Feel that same warmth, beauty, joy and peace.

It’s love and light, and that is all we need.

Tree Speak

As I drove through the south-west country of Great Britain, I stumbled upon delightful villages literally surrounded by rolling green hills. I connected to nature more than I could ever have anticipated. It was an amazing experience.

I spent most of my time on a fairly large property with a natural forest. Most mornings I walked through tracks and immediately I felt that I was not alone. The celtic lands are ancient, filled with spirits from times gone by and many places I visited maintained an earthly connection with the other side.

But this woodland felt special. Somehow different. The first day I entered I felt a strong female presence, a Goddess. She was unknown to me at first and it was days later when I was at Stonehenge that she made herself known as Lilith, the first wife of Adam who refused to succumb to his dominance insisting on equality.

Spring was emerging and the trees were singing as the sun's rays shone amongst them. As I stood motionless enjoying the forest and all its glory, I caught glimpses of nymphs dancing gayly through the trees. They were laughing, playing, hiding behind the great big trunks and moving too quickly to be seen. It was magical and I felt blessed.

Wild life filled the forest; birds, squirrels, rabbits and even deer. Spider webs glistened in the morning rain and the leaves developed with brightness. The forest was changing before my eyes.

I felt the trees sense my presence and I could hear them whispering as they rustled their leaves. I placed my hands on one of the great trees and immediately felt its vibration swirl through me. I breathed in its essence, revelling in the sound of the swaying branches. I felt at peace. I felt in awe of their greatness, knowing they had seen many things.

Chrysoprase

Chrysoprase is one of those stones that jumped out at me in the store as soon as I saw it. I knew I had to purchase this pretty apple-green gem and the feeling was reinforced when I understood its qualities and characteristics. Mine is a tiny tumbled piece of stone unlike the lovely natural chunks in this picture.

A balancing stone for not just the apparent heart chakra, but on a metaphysical level it stabilises all of the chakra’s. The ying and yang are also equalised. This overall balancing effect provides a sense of calm.

Commonly used for good luck and success, Chrysoprase taps into the harmonious energies of nature. I have kept this stone on my desk to enhance the creative and trusting properties. It can also be helpful to use during meditation to gain personal insight.

Chrysoprase is good to place beside the bed at night to capture the restful sleep and safety or security attributes.

Other qualities include cleansing and detoxifying which can aid in banishing negativity and allowing the new, positive energies through.

Rose Quartz

Underneath the subtlety of this pretty and delicate stone lies a powerful gem that enhances spirituality and increases compassion.

Rose Quartz is all about love. It provides a soothing influence that softens the harshness of our life experiences. With this wondrous stone, we can discover the love deep within ourselves, that allows us to open up to others – to love and be loved. Amazingly, it calms emotions creating an appreciation of all things beautiful.

Using Rose Quartz in meditation can lessen feelings of trouble and disarray. Change and acknowledging its importance becomes easier, however problematic it seems.

Energetically, Roze Quartz releases negativity, particularly those relating to self image

Wearing this graceful stone close to the heart inspires positive effects and is beneficial to all signs of the zodiac.

Ostara/Eostre

The Goddess Ostara, or Eostre, is associated with fertility and it is during spring that she breathes new life into all us. Mother earth revitalises the life energy around us, and spring emerges with blossoms of effervescence and growth. As the days become brighter and the nights warmer, we find balance in light and dark.

Ostara is a time of birth and replenishment. It is an ideal opportunity to re-energise the body, stimulate the mind and invigorate the soul. Take some time to enjoy the exhilaration of restoration, find some balance within ourselves and embrace the nourishment and love waiting for us.

Illness

A prolonged period of illness takes its toll in every aspect. We feel emotionally drained, physically tired, mentally fatigued and spiritually depleted.

Many of us believe that an ailment or sickness can be a way that the body communicates with the consciousness that a change is in need. I too believe this to be true. When our physical and mental states are exhausted it is obvious the message is to slow down. A time to take care and nurture ourselves back to revitalisation. Stress can be a major factor for all of us, living in this hectic place that is constantly speeding up, and can manifest in differing ways.

Meditation is particularly useful to refocus and maintain positivity, to check in to see where we have overloaded. It is here that the necessary adjustments present themselves.

On a divine level, illness can be the body eliminating toxins for greater spiritual enhancement, clearing the path toward ascension.

And if nothing else, feeling healthy again is a reminder of how wonderful it is to have vitality, to have a clear mind and feel alive.

Dragon meditation

I leaned into the stone well and visualised all of my stresses of the day leaving my body. All my problems, all my anxieties, all my worries – I watched all of them fall down into the depths of darkness and the negative energy with them. My body felt immediately lighter.

I turned around, took a deep breath and continued down the dirt path towards the cave. I had not been inside this cave before but I was not afraid. This was exactly where I was meant to be and it gave me a sense of calmness, almost a sense of familiarity. The rustic walls surrounded me and I could feel moisture. Small dragons were scurrying across the ground, chasing each other and testing out their new found wings. What a joy to witness. I stood very carefully so as not to startle them and suddenly a great dragon emerged from the pond. She was a deep rustic and metallic bronze colour – very beautiful!

She snarled and roared at me to make sure I knew I was trespassing and she would not hesitate to protect her young. I felt her warm breath gush against my face and my hair moved as if I was walking in the wind. It was amazing and yet I was not frightened. I closed my eyes and kept them shut. She sensed I was not scared and stealthily moved closer – I could feel her presence, her breath and I could hear her sniff my scent. She seemed to recognise me although we had not met before. She moved back to the pond and I held my position for a while.

When I opened my eyes, she was watching me but with a sense of peacefulness. I call her Dragoness.

I moved carefully towards the edge of the pond and let my fingers gently paddle the still water. I could see my reflection. Suddenly Dragon appeared, my dragon. He came very close to me as he usually does. I was so happy to see him. He is lighter in colour but quite majestic. I put my arms around him and he his wings around me. Underneath this giant I felt warmth and tenderness. Moments of pure magic…

I realised this was his family. Dragon had introduced me to his family – a family I did not know existed. I felt privileged to be in their presence. He spoke and I was so overwhelmed I nearly did not hear his words in my head. Dragon had never spoken to me before, I had to bring my mind back quickly or miss his message entirely. He spoke of my fears and inhibitions that hold me back, to not be afraid, to embrace what I see and continue on my journey.

We spoke a little while longer until we both knew it was time for me to leave. I felt safe and comfortable and was reluctant to leave. But I knew this was not my place so I carefully walked towards the opening I had entered.

Dragon is my most powerful spiritual guide and the bond between us is very strong. He represents two of the elements of nature: water and fire. I have shared many wonderful moments with Dragon but this was the only time I have met his family.

Fear

I have been meditating on my Chakra’s for the past few weeks, using the symbolic lotus that represents each Chakra and chanting the corresponding sound. The results have been amazing, leaving me uplifted and energized.

During a more recent meditation, I felt particularly connected to the second Chakra, Swadhisthana, or Sacral. It’s located low in the abdomen and is often related to the sexual organs. The Sanskrit of Swadhisthana translates to mean 'self dwelling place'. It’s also the place where we hold onto emotions.

I visualised the crimson lotus with white crescent moon, then I saw the waves of the ocean under the moonlit sky gently lapping back and forth. Suddenly I was swimming in the ocean and there was a shark. It immediately sparked a feeling of fear. I quickly dismissed this thinking my mind had wondered off and I was a little annoyed that I had let this happen to spoil such a beautiful meditation. I continued on with the rest of the meditation raising the Kundalini up through all the Chakra’s. After the seventh and final Chakra, the Kundalini travels back down through the body stoping for just a moment at each Chakra, to finally rest at the base Chakra. During this process, again I saw the ocean under the moonlight sky at the second Chakra, then again I could see myself swimming and a shark attacked me. I knew then this had come up for a reason. I could feel the fear, I recognised it. So I acknowledged the fear and finished the meditation.

Remarkably, I felt calm. I took some time to contemplate this feeling of fear and realised it was a associated with the uncertainty of the future. The fear of not having control of current situations in my life. And the fear of not being able to receive and give the love I know I desire and deserve.

Working with the Chakra’s can produce incredible results. The body and mind will cleanse and balance leaving a positive awareness enabling the next phase of growth and development to continue the journey of life.

Breath II

Gustav Klimt, Love (1895)

It's the elixir of life. Without it we cannot exist.

At a recent yoga class, the teacher commented on how so many people come into the yoga space and focus on the breath. We leave our shoes at the door, we wear minimal clothing and forget about the outside world. For 90 minutes we leave behind our day-to-day titles and duties of parent, sibling, employee, entrepreneur or boss. For just a while, none of this matters. It's just about the breath and this one thing unites us all.

It's the one time we can be true to ourselves, be truly ourselves and not worry about other factors. It is amazing and beautiful.

This is so powerful. Something so simple, yet vital, can bring harmony. The transition and journey that yoga can take you on is simply breathtaking.

Breath

Gustav Klimt, Philosophy (1900)

It’s the elixir of life. Without it we cannot exist.

Most of us breathe without thinking about it. If we slow the breath down and consciously breathe - deeply, deliberately with each inhale and each exhale the benefits become apparent. The mind begins to calm, the heartbeat becomes more rhythmic and the panic disappears.

Fight and flight is a normal bodily response to situations of discomfort. But living in the 21^st Century with everything and everyone moving so much faster we bring this auto-mechanism response on more often than necessary causing us to feel stressed. Overstressed and exhausted. Burnt out and depressed.

Meditation helps us become aware of these situations before they get out of control, before they take control and create anguish and distress.

Anger

With regular meditation my mind has become clearer in so many ways. I no longer question my intuition. My sense of precision and mental aptitude is lucid. Things about myself have become apparent but I can no longer lull in the bliss of ignorance now that I am aware. Some of my experiences have been quite profound, to the point of remembering a previous life. And in this realisation I have a better understanding of my purpose in this life.

What I didn’t expect is the borage of emotions that would follow. The one that stands out most for me is the anger. For the past few weeks I have experienced a sense of anger that is uncharacteristic. I couldn’t understand where this was coming from. Work has been busy but not enough to make me feel like this. Then that awareness popped up again and it all fell into place, it made sense. It all made sense, my whole life.

At first I was filled with overwhelming sadness to realise my past existence, a soldier during one of the Great Wars. I was very young and died a horrible tragic death, as did most of my friends and thousands of others. It was all so unnecessary. I died before I had the chance to fulfil that life’s purpose. My lack of prosperity in that life meant that I had so much more to do this time around. Unfortunately it has taken nearly half of this lifetime to get to this point and I know that I simply cannot complete all that I have to do in the time left for this physical body. I have to come back, again. I was so angry, so very angry. How could I let this happen? How could I let time slip by like this? I don't want to have to come back.

But it is not up to me. Call it divine intervention, Mother Earth, the Goddess, whichever, I am exactly where I need to be. So with this I have been able to move forward and breathe, let go of the intensity and let it be. It has been an amazing experience, remembering, and the roller coaster of emotions – it is good to feel, as it is truly living.

Connection

About three months ago, I put myself on a strict ten day detox program. I was physically and mentally exhausted. I knew something had to change and it had to start with me. It was challenging but the rewards were worth it. I felt revitalised, energised and in touch with my inner self again. It was wonderful.

My meditations were becoming clearer and it was easier to connect to my spirit guides. My intuition was strong, I was feeling more aligned to my spirituality than ever before. This was how I wanted to feel all the time, not just when I was being extra meticulous or as a result of exhaustion.

It only took a couple of weeks of work dinners and birthday celebrations for my efforts to feel unravelled. Even my modest contribution of drinking at parties was enough to make me feel disconnected, not to mention awful the next day. My eating habits were erratic and unhealthy, and my meditations suffered. I noticed my moods began to swing, I became less tolerable of silly things, and this is all because my footing slipped off my destined path. It is so easy to lose the connection.

I have spent many days sitting on the grass to reconnect to Mother Earth. I feel lighter and healthier as I recapture my normal eating patterns. My meditations are less stilted, and a sense of calm is once again filling my senses. It can be hard to keep a busy schedule in check but therein lies the challenge, to keep our connection to oneness.