signs
Music Reaches Beyond The Grave
Can the dearly departed hear our music? Can we communicate with the other side through music? I am sure this is possible, as I have personally experienced evidence of it. Music can indeed influence the energy of a spirit or ghost.
When I was a little boy, my mother would always play the hymn Onward Christian Soldiers for us on Sundays, because we were still too young to go to church. Before she passed away she asked to visit her grave site every year on her birthday and play that song for her and I have been doing this every year since her departure from this life.
In those days my dad would go to church alone, while mom stayed home with us. But he was not as much into Christian music and hymns as my mother was. He was putting in many long hours as a fire fighter for the city of Columbus, Ohio, and he usually had hard time keeping his eyes open during services. The only real reason he went to church was to make my mother happy.
Dad did however enjoy the music played by the marching band before every Ohio State football game. We would have to listen to the music with him and it seemed like ‘forever’ for us kids. But we had no choice. The Ohio State marching band are after all the pride of the Buckeyes!
In those days my dad still owned an old-fashioned record player with a needle and a pressed vinyl record. His wish was that once he was no longer with us someday we would rememeber him by playing that very same marching band music. After he passed away, we had a major problem finding and ultimately playing that old vinyl recording, so we had to buy a CD recording instead. But were able to fulfill his wish.
The Lotus Flower Reading
I recently attended an online psychic development workshop. In one of the tasks, we had to partner with another student and do a ‘flower reading.’ I know touching an object using psychometry works well in readings, but this is something else.
Our teacher paired us up and we didn’t know in advance with whom. We also had to intuitively pick a flower for our partner beforehand. At the beginning of the session, we had to show the other person the actual flower or a color photo of the flower we had chosen for them on our shared screens.
In preparation for this, I placed many pieces of paper, each with the name of a different flower on it, into a bag, shook it up, and drew one. Spirit guided me to select the Indian lotus flower or nelumbo nucifera.
When it was my turn to read for my classmate, I relaxed and observed the image of the lovely white lotus in front of me. The depth of information that came forth in the reading about her past, how her life was now, and what lay ahead, was truly amazing!
The reading revealed that she was going to be blossoming soon like the lotus, because she currently finds herself in a strong development stage. I later learned that she’d been through some dark times, almost giving up on herself. She had recently begun doing deep shadow work, as well as exploring her psychic development.
She is also recovering from a recent trauma and the lotus is traditionally known for being the ideal gift for someone recovering from any traumatic experience or physical injury. Many years ago, I attended a Yoga class during which the challenges of the lotus position was discussed in-depth. The teacher said that through proper breathwork and becoming more flexible, one’s body will allow you to achieve this pose.
I was only 19 years old at the time and not very supple. I saw no hope of achieving that position for quite some time. However, only a few classes later, we did a session during which a lot of emphasis was placed on our breathing. And to my amazement, I was able to easily get into the lotus position!
The Special Magic Of Autumn
I’ve often wondered if in a former lifetime I might have had a birthday in the fall? More specifically, I sense it must have been in the month of September, because I typically experience increased awareness and great change during this month.
Being a Gemini, born in June, this makes absolutely no sense, but I don’t always pay attention to what makes sense. I rather go with what feels right.
I feel a special magic in the air in the fall that I do not experience in any other season. In the autumn the world of the living seems to move closer to the afterlife and our deceased loved ones.
Traditionally All Hallows’ Eve on October 31st is believed to be time when the veil between the two worlds is most thin and we can more easily connect with our departed loved ones on the Other Side.
In the Northern Hemisphere September is the time of year when Mother Nature is shedding her leaves as the cooler air moves. Might this also be a time for us to let go of the aspects of our lives that no longer serve us? And could it be that our deceased loved ones in Heaven support and help to facilitate this need for us to surrender and let go?
The energy of September is an in-between state of transition that will ultimately spark us into new beginnings. But sometimes we need a little bit of extra magic, as it takes much courage to let go of the old and familiar to step onto a new path.
Our family and friends in Heaven want to see us progress and grow while in the Earth realm. Our loved ones who have crossed over to the Other Side can see forward and backward in time. They have the ability to open doors for us who are still in this life.
Taking Time Out On Life’s Park Bench
Recently, I had the wonderful experience of meeting a mature gentleman who was sitting in the park on a bench. As I approached the bench, I noticed he was smiling and writing on a manila notepad. I sat down on the next bench to enjoy the sounds of the wind, and the birds, and the barking of a dog playing nearby with a little boy.
The gentleman introduced himself and we began talking. I asked him what he was so furiously writing about in his notepad?
“Life,” he said and smiled.
I obviously had a puzzled look on my face and he laughed. I asked what was so funny? He answered with a puzzling question.
“Well, what does the word ‘life’ mean to you?”
We then began a very pleasant philosophical conversation about metaphysics. I confided that I was in fact a psychic and we talked about energy, manifesting, meditation, and psychic phenomena.
At one point he asked me how I handle crossroads or major decisions in my life? Now it was my turn to laugh. He cocked his head and seemed curious as to my reaction.
“Well, we all deal with life changes and crossroads differently,” I said, “but since you are writing about ‘life’ on your notepad, I suspect you’re busy making a list of all the pros and cons of the dilemma or life choice you’re currently facing?”
“Yes,” he admitted. “That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
How Spirit Communicates With Us
Spirit communicates with us in many powerful ways. All we need to do to improve this beneficial and life-affirming spiritual relationship is to set an intention to expand our communication. We simply need to ask to work more closely with our ‘spirit team’ of Ancestors, Guides, and Angels.
Due to the Universal Law of Free Will, our spirit team can only communicate and intervene in our lives to the extent we request their guidance and assistance. They need our consent or mandate, because our free will affords us the right and responsibility to choose the direction and terms of our lives.
Therefore, we must ask for Spirit’s guidance and help before they can act on our behalf and increase their communication with us. Once we ask, our team can go to work on our behalf in any situation in our lives, whether it is a simple as finding a parking spot at the mall or as serious as pinpointing our life purpose, and everything in between.
The key to communicating with Spirit is to be aware of the language it uses. Spirit communicates with us both externally and internally.
External Communication
External communication comes in the forms of signs and synchronicities. Working with and looking for signs and synchronicities enables us to flow with the grace and daily magic of Spirit.
Enlightenment Is For Everyone
The term ‘enlightened’ seems to be everywhere these days. But what does it really mean? From a spiritual or metaphysical perspective enlightenment simple means refers to our level of awareness. Enlightened people are deeply aware – of themselves, the world around them, of the realm of Spirit
In a world of increasingly empty noise and superficial values, true awareness has become a rare commodity. It’s easy to immerse ourselves in all the empty noise and meaningless materialism. It’s much more challenging to look at the things of this world with greater depth and see these things (and yourself) for what they really are.
When we begin to see more clearly and authentically we become more enlightened. We begin to see the light of truth. And when we do, we become more aware how our beliefs, choices, and actions all have consequences.
For example, you might be tempted to answer with harsh words to someone who has wronged you, or to swat a spider in the sink rather than take it outside. Each one of these actions, no matter how small, radiates outward and impacts the world around you.
Choosing peaceful or harmonious action is a vital step on the road towards enlightenment. Stop to think, before you act.
Another common thread in the fabric of enlightenment is lack of attachment. In many spiritual traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, unhealthy attachment is seen as the root of all human suffering. This could be an attachment to material wealth and possessions, to beliefs and ideas, to people and animals, or to our memories and our ego.
Enlightened people are able to release attachments that are not serving their best interest and highest good by letting it go gracefully. If you spend less time worrying about these earthly fixations and obsessions, your spiritual inner being will naturally start to flourish. And once it does, you’ll become more aware of the signs, synchronicities, and subtle messages the Universe sends us all the time.
The Signs of Spiritual Awakening
Spiritual awakening is not just about inner peace, raised consciousness or becoming a role-model of enlightenment. It’s also a messy journey!
So, what exactly is a ‘spiritual awakening?’ Well, there isn’t one universally accepted definition, because the experience or journey is unique to each person. Also, it’s a lifelong process, and the time of awakening is just the beginning.
Essentially spiritual awakening is firstly a significant shift in one’s personal perspective, typically characterized by a recognition of observer consciousness. It is the realization that the true self or ‘I’ is the observer of your thoughts, feelings and experiences. You are not your thoughts, feelings and experiences, but merely the observer of your thoughts, feelings and experiences.
Awakening also brings a sense of expanded awareness which prompts us to examine our beliefs about ourselves and the world through a more critical lens. This usually sparks a quest for authentic truth and a thirst for deeper knowledge and understanding of ourselves and the world.
The awakened person begins to rebel against what they have been told to believe on all levels of their experience of themselves and the world. Awakening returns us to a state of newfound curiosity about our existence. We begin to explore what actually informs our existing beliefs, to determine if they serve our highest good, or not.
The awakened person also accepts their role as a conscious co-creator and takes responsibility for healing and releasing that which doesn’t serve their highest good.
In recent times more and more people all over the world are beginning to awaken. Triggers for awakening are often major life events such as marriage, divorce, pregnancy, bereavement, loss, trauma or traumatic events, major transitions, career changes, and so on. But anything can trigger a spiritual awakening. It can also simply happen due to a sense of general dissatisfaction with life and yearning for more depth, meaning and purpose.